Mamma Mia! on Broadway: A Fangirl’s Dream
Winter Garden Theatre was buzzing the night of November 8th. My mom and I could feel it in our bones as we took our seats a few feet away from the orchestra pit, melting from the mango margaritas and espresso martinis we had at dinner. I observed the audience around us. Most of the spectators were women. Some were in their early twenties, others were middle-aged. Some were even pushing eighty. I remember thinking to myself, “Wow! The feminine power here is insane.” My feeling was confirmed when the orchestra began to play the instrumentals of “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” the most girlbossy ABBA song, prompting a harmonious “yasss!” from the crowd. I could not help but scream along with them. After all, what makes you feel more like a queen than watching Mamma Mia! live in the Big Apple?
Whether you consider yourself a musical theater fan or not, Mamma Mia! is one of those shows that touches people to some degree through its music and storyline. I know it did for me as a kid. When the movie Mamma Mia! (2008), starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried released, my family and I could not stop quoting it, listening to it, and watching it. My sister would wear jean overalls around the house in kindergarten, impersonating Donna Sheridan. I would repeat the character’s line “I got a crack in my courtyard!” like it was a popular catchphrase. My parents bought a CD of the film’s soundtrack so we could listen to it in early 2000s fashion. We became ABBA crazy — so crazy that my dad took me, my sister, my cousins, and their parents to see the musical on Broadway in 2008. It was my first New York show.
As much as I remember enjoying the matinee as a six-year-old, I could not grasp the concept of Mamma Mia!: a young bride-to-be secretly invites three of her mother’s baby daddies to her Greek wedding. I also do not remember much of the show, either. Do not ask me why. I just took the musical at face value and left it at that. Now that I am an adult with retro tastes, a stronger memory, and an appreciation for live theater, Mamma Mia! on Broadway hit me unbelievably hard this time around.
The Sets
I have more acting and singing roots in me than stage design knowledge, but I can still admire a lovely set when I see one. The scenery in Mamma Mia! on this recent occasion was plain. It was not as extravagant as the scenery in other shows like Moulin Rouge (2018), Wicked (2003), and even Book of Mormon (2011). Most of the scenes took place in front of a white hotel or in a plain bedroom with merely a bed and a mirror. However, it was how the stage crew adapted the hotel scenery to fit the “shindig” (or bachelorette party) environment that made the sets extremely cool. They shifted the hotel furnishings around to make the stage look like a courtyard/nightclub, a creative approach in turning simple scenery into a flawless atmosphere.
The Singing
Perhaps the most special part about Mamma Mia! is its score. As I have mentioned previously, it is entirely made up of ABBA songs (absolute bangers), but hearing it live and with an exuberant group of singers, actors, and dancers makes it ten times better. When I saw the show in early November, I was blown away by the cast’s warm vocal tones, wide ranges, and projections. Everyone’s voices blended together euphoniously. I also have to hand it to the leading ladies: They can freaking belt. Christine Sherrill (Donna Sheridan), Carly Sakolove (Rosie), Jalynn Steele (Tanya), and Amy Weaver (Sophie Sheridan) were goddesses unflinching during those killer high notes.
If I had to pick one song to listen to live again, it would be “The Winner Takes It All.” Soul-stirring, tear-jerking, and downright powerful, Sherrill’s rendition of the banger left everyone, even the eighty-year-olds in the crowd, clapping and cheering. In a weird way, I felt the song speak through every single woman in the audience.
The Acting (And The Actors)
Another thing that enhanced the singing was the acting. There was no shortage of humor and playfulness from the actors, especially from Sakolove, Steele, and Jim Newman (Bill Austin). The way they delivered their lines and stage directions was peak humor. Sakolove played Rosie with a flirty, yet quirky spirit. Steele brought Tanya’s character to life through gobs of sassiness, sexiness, and middle-aged humor. And Newman, however “up there” in age, played Bill like he was a twenty-five-year-old dude with a sky-high libido, particularly in his scene with Sakolove in “Take a Chance on Me.” They were all so physical, lively, and animated, which made the audience feel alive as well.
When a group number like “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” or “Voulez-Vous” was going to come on, you knew the house was going to burn. Everyone emitted so much enthusiasm in every scene that they were in through their facial expressions, line-deliveries, and motions. Having been in numerous musicals as a teenager, including Mamma Mia! (Covid-19 edition), and having watched low-energy shows like The Lion King (1997) on Broadway, it was a breath of fresh air seeing that momentum run its course from beginning to end.
I also have to applaud Sherril and Victor Wallace (Sam Carmichael) for their professionalism on stage. In the beginning of Act II, an audience member was escorted out of the theatre for being extremely loud. It was a big deal — people in the balconies were even looking down at the commotion. However, despite the ruckus, the actors stayed in character in professional Broadway fashion, remaining in-scene and in-character. Nothing fazed them, and it was a remarkable thing to witness as an audience member.
The Dancing
What can I say? The performers’ dancing was impeccable. Their movements were sharp, precise, and quick — bold in a way that made me want to get up and dance myself. “Voulez-Vous” had the best dance number. With a full cast and a disco ditty, it was the perfect equation to an Act I finale. There was a part in the scene where almost the entire cast froze in place, making little jerking motions along with the music. It produced a cool, synchronized effect.
I also have to mention the curtain call number! “Waterloo” was phenomenal, full of quick changes and high-energy disco boogies. Ironically, that dance got the most applause out of all the numbers in the show, making Mamma Mia! iconic in my book. I never expect the ending of a fabulous musical to be the best part, but this show proved me wrong. I wanted it to go on forever.
I am approximately the same age as Sophie Sheridan in the musical. I have reached the beginning of my twenties, and like most beginnings, change happens. In my life, relationships have dissolved and shifted, loved ones have come and gone, and old interests have grown, well, old. Even so, my love for Mamma Mia! still burns in the grayness of my uncertainty regarding what lies ahead for me, perpetuating pieces of myself I thought I lost, reminding me of the ABBA-loving girl who still resides in my heart. Through Mamma Mia!, I was able to embrace that girl again.
Thank you Broadway (and thank you, Mom, for buying the tickets)!
Looking for a Holiday gift for a theater friend? Buy them Mamma Mia! tickets before the show leaves the Winter Garden Theatre February 1st!
