Mamma Mia! Review by Chaney Evans

 Mamma Mia! Review

Mamma Mia, here I go again… writing another review. In my experience there are two reasons people tend to know Mamma Mia!, either they know ABBA, or they know the 2008 movie. The overall plot is silly, with main character Sophie, who wants to know her father, inviting three potential fathers to her wedding. There are overall themes of identity and family love that persist throughout the whole show, making it surprisingly deep, and a common feel-good movie. The movie is based on a stage production, a revival of which is currently touring and much more entertaining.

The performance I saw was on opening night in Minneapolis on September 15th and it was one of the more diverse audiences in terms of age I’ve ever seen at the Orpheum Theatre. It was like a Disney movie or family night excursion. The actor’s performances  remain pretty true to the actual songs, not changing delivery very much, but the key thing is: this tour didn’t rely much on its audience being ABBA fans. 

A good jukebox musical understands that the music is mostly for vibes, as it typically doesn’t mean very much to the overall story. The first act really delivered, with songs like “Lay All Your Love On Me” which allowed the first 30 seconds to be alone and serious with just Sophie and Sky (the male lead) before queuing a full swimming flipper dance number. Sky’s groomsmen come in wearing wetsuits, to take him away to his bachelor’s party. They spend the whole second half of the song doing kicklines and highknees wearing flippers and snorkels, and by the end everyone was laughing. The second act struggled a bit more. 

Whenever humor died and things were less comedic, like in “S.O.S.” it got real boring, as Sophie and Sam are sort of just standing there. Unless you're an ABBA fan it almost feels out of place, with not much real purpose. It’s a perpetual issue with jukebox musicals, in which without comedy, most of the music just falls flat.  I just end up zoning out until the dialogue takes over. 

As for the overall production, the more popish vocals is a nice change from atypical musical production, like Sound of Music. The set design is also more minimalist, with only two big set pieces in the middle of the stage making the production feel more down to earth. Like a high school show just better built. That also makes the plot easier to follow at points, especially with lines being delivered really fast. The lack of aggressive set changes really helps the overall flow.

This show aged well, especially considering it first debuted in 1999, and while the second half was a little boring, I did still enjoy it. Ultimately, Mamma Mia! is a good family production, even if you aren’t an ABBA fan, the humor and energy makes it work across generations. Even if you didn’t like the movie, I would still give this show a chance, and if you liked the movie then you will love this show. Running through Sunday, September 20th at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis.