Culture Cabinet

There’s something about the musical Mamma Mia that just screams summertime. It’s not just the coastal Greek setting; there’s something about a musical this fun and frivolous that evokes the same feelings summer break does. So the timing of the national tour of the show coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center couldn’t be better. 

Mamma Mia opened in the West End in 1999, with an original book by Catherine Johnson and a score made up of songs by the Swedish musical group ABBA, slightly tweaked to fit the storyline. Originally directed by Phyllida Lloyd, it’s the story of a young girl named Sophie who has invited the three men who might be her father to her wedding, in hopes that one of them can be the one to walk her down the aisle, and the ensuing emotional crisis that results for her mother, Donna. 

It’s a bit of a strange storyline and there are parts that feel painfully shoehorned in just for the sake of using a specific ABBA song, but it’s filled with humor and heart that allows you to overlook its narrative flaws. 

The musical is best known for its 2008 film adaptation, which starred Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Christine Baranski, and Amanda Seyfried, amongst other big names. In 2018, a sequel called Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was released, reuniting the original cast and adding Lily James, Cher, and Jeremy Irvine. Both movies have a cult-ish following around them, despite Brosnan’s inability to hit seemingly any notes and the fact that it’s pretty clear that the cast was given free access to alcohol during the entire filming of the first movie. But perhaps that’s exactly what makes it so enjoyable. 

Mamma Mia definitely falls into the category of musicals whose movie adaptations have eclipsed the staged originals, and now have to contend with living up to audience’s expectations of a version that had Streep’s star power and the beautiful backdrop of actual Greek islands. Still, Mark Thompson’s production design of beachy backdrops and a charming taverna set piece do their best. 

On Tuesday night, when I attended the show, we saw several very talented understudies perform: Emily Croft as Donna, Madison Deadman as Sophie, and Xavi Soto Burgos as Sky. Croft’s deep, rich voice perfectly suits ABBA songs like “Money, Money, Money” and “One of Us.” She also had excellent chemistry with Jalynn Steele’s Tanya and Carly Sakolove’s Rosie, making the “Donna and the Dynamos” performances highlights of the evening. 

Mamma Mia is a show absolutely swimming in humor, from hilarious numbers like “Does Your Mother Know” to the situational humor of Donna discovering that her three past paramours are staying at her taverna. But Steele and Sakolove excellently add an almost slapstick element of physical humor as they bumble around each other to support their best friend in her hour of crisis. 

Haley Wright and L’Oréal Roaché portray Sophie’s best friends Ali and Lisa, and the three definitely hold their weight as the younger friendship trio. One of the best things about Mamma Mia is how it celebrates female friendship. 

Deadman’s Sophie was a treat, as her exuberant and bubbly take on the character made it easy to see why each of her three possible dads is charmed by her. She practically bounces around the stage and infuses numbers like “I Have a Dream” with a genuine longing. Watching Deadman’s performance made me reconsider a story I’ve seen so many times before, realizing that at its heart, Mamma Mia is really a coming-of-age story about a girl hoping to find security in her identity by finding out who her father is. 

Speaking of the fathers, Rob Marnell, Jim Newman, and Victor Wallace are all three excellent as Harry, Bill, and Sam. Newman embraces the musical’s styling of Bill as a sort of Indiana Jones-Steve Irwin hybrid, while Wallace easily plays the part of the dad happy to add a daughter to his family. But it’s Marnell who stole the show, hilariously dropping little hints to Harry’s sexuality without ever falling into a stereotypical performance. (And I don’t just say this because Marnell is an Elon University alum, as both Lex and I are.) 

Even if the story is a bit nonsensical, Mamma Mia is full of infectious joy. From the colorful costumes to Anthony van Laast’s enthusiastic choreography, there’s much to enjoy. Plus, you can get up and dance to your heart’s content during the three extra curtain call numbers at the end of the show!

Mamma Mia is playing at DPAC through August 4. You can find more information here.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus