Mamma Mia! Review by Madeline Cook

“Mamma Mia, here we go again!” The beloved 1970’s musical Mamma Mia! is currently on tour! For those who are enjoying Mamma Mia for the first time, this is a high-quality jukebox musical featuring several of ABBA’s most popular hits. The musical includes well-known dance tunes such as “Super Trooper,” “Dancing Queen,” and, of course, “Mamma Mia!” This soaring Broadway musical tale follows Sophie (Juliette M. Ojeda), a young woman and bride-to-be who aspires to have her father walk her down the aisle at her wedding. The problem? The identity of Sophie’s dad is a mystery, and there are three possibilities. Sophie takes matters into her own hands and invites them all, without informing her mother, Donna (Jessica Crouch). Mamma Mia! features lots of eyegrabbing lights, some slow moments, and incredible choreography. 

The thing that lingered on my mind after I saw Mamma Mia! was the lighting. Howard Harrison, the lighting designer, outdid himself with this production: The vivid lighting is a spectacle in itself and really stands out during the song “Voulez-Vous,” where everyone on the island celebrates the day before the wedding with a wild party. The number is already upbeat, but when you add purple and white lights that flash on beat, the show becomes more than a show, you feel a part of it.

While the show wows as a visual spectacle, the cadence of the show could be better. Now I’m all for a good ballad, but placing several slow songs next to each other just begs the audience to fall asleep. During the second act of Mamma Mia!, three low-energy songs stack up back to back. Launching into one ballad to make the audience lean in and get a contrast from faster songs is okay, but if you have too many slow songs in a row, the audience tends to drift off and totally lose focus on the storyline. Personally, I almost fell asleep by “Slipping Through My Fingers.” It did not help that there was not much happening onstage during those numbers.

But when there is movement, it’s going all out. The choreography in this production of Mamma Mia! is extremely well put together. The choreographic brilliance shines strong in “Money, Money,” where the cast is packed together as if they are at a casino. Before that moment, the stage is nearly empty. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, the stage bursts with people gambling in a casino. I did not even notice when so many people came onstage or when they left. The choreography shines even more in a later song. In “Voulez-Vous,” everyone on stage moves in sync, and the choreography does not look easy at all. Anthony Van Laast, the choreographer of Mamma Mia!, did an outstanding job putting together the choreography and creating a memorable performance.

Mamma Mia! is full of show stopping lighting, mediocre pacing at times, and stunning choreography. It’s the perfect show if you want to hang out with a couple of friends after dinner and enjoy a fun little show. Mamma Mia! is only at the Orpheum until Sunday. So buy your tickets and experience a fun two hour show before it is gone!