Mamma Mia!

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The Prince Edward Theatre on Old Compton Street
The Prince Edward Theatre on Old Compton Street

Mamma Mia!, a musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, is based on the songs of ABBA. The title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia."

The musical includes such hits as "Super Trouper", "Dancing Queen", "Thank You for the Music", "The Winner Takes It All", and "SOS". It has been seen by over 10 million people worldwide as of July 2003.[1]. Estimates as of 2006, is that 30 million have now seen Mamma Mia!, although this has not been verified.

The story revolves around Sophie and her mother, Donna (originally played by Siobhán McCarthy). Sophie is about to marry her fiance, Sky, and wants her father to give her away at her wedding; Sophie isn't sure which of three possible men he might be so she invites them all to the wedding without Donna's knowledge.

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Mamma Mia! on Broadway (Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, February 2003)
Mamma Mia! on Broadway (Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, February 2003)

Mamma Mia! premiered in London on April 6, 1999 at the Prince Edward Theatre, transferring to the Prince of Wales Theatre in 2004. The original London cast included: Siobhán McCarthy (Donna), Louise Plowright (Tanya), and, Jenny Galloway (Rosie). The North American premiere of the show was at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, Ontario on May 23, 2000. The Broadway premiere of the show was on October 18, 2001, at the Winter Garden Theatre. The original Broadway cast inluded Louise Pitre (Donna), Judy Kaye (Rosie), and Karen Mason (Tanya).

On May 15, 2005, Mamma Mia! surpassed the original Broadway runs of The Sound of Music, The King and I, and Damn Yankees with 1,500 performances ,[2] . As of September 9, 2006, it is the 24th longest running Broadway musical of all time.

In June 2005, Mamma Mia! played it's 1,000th performance in Las Vegas, becoming the longest running, and most successful Broadway play ever in Las Vegas. ,[3]

On April 19, 2006, it was revealed on Playbill.com and Broadway.com [4] that a film version of the musical will be made and will arrive in cinemas in Summer of 2008. It will be directed by Phyllida Lloyd with Tom Hanks Rita Wilson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Benny Andersson as executive producers.

As of October 2006, the musical has been performed in 9 languages: English, German, Japanese, Dutch, Korean, Spanish, Swedish, Flemish, and Russian.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The story takes place on a fictional Greek island. Sophie has always wanted to know who her real father was; Donna wouldn't talk about her past. Sophie reads through her mother's (Donna's) diary and finds entries where Donna describes intimate dates with the three men. Sophie believes that one of these three men is her father. She sends them invitations to her wedding without letting her mother know.

The three men — Harry "Head Banger" Bright, Bill Austin, and Sam Carmichael — all have their own quirks. Harry is a nerdy banker with a unique laugh; Bill is a stereotypical Australian; Sam is an architect who had an affair with Donna while engaged to another woman. In addition, Donna invited two of her old friends; Tanya, a rich multiple (three-time) divorcée, and Rosie, an unmarried woman who likes to have fun. The three of them used to be in a singing group called "Donna and the Dynamos."

Sophie initially believes Bill is her father because his aunt Sophia left a large amount of money for family. Donna says Sophie was named after a Sophia, and that the money to build the taverna came in an inheritance. She asks Bill to give her away at the wedding, and he agrees to do it. Soon thereafter, Harry and Sam figure out what's going on, and approach Sophie about it. All three possible fathers believe that they're giving Sophie away.

Sophie sends notes to the three men saying that her mother is going to give her away instead. At the wedding, it is finally made clear to all three men that Sophie's paternity is undetermined, but everyone involved agrees that they don't need to know the truth, and all three men are glad to be a part of Sophie's life. Sophie and her fiancé realise they actually don't want to get married. Instead of letting the wedding preparations go to waste, Donna marries Sam, who is divorced from his erstwhile fiancée. It's also made apparent that Rosie and Bill have become attracted to each other. Harry, on the other hand, who makes frequent references to his "other half" throughout the show, is revealed to be in a committed homosexual relationship with a man named Laurence (Nigel in some productions). Sophie and Sky leave the island to travel the world together.

The cast of Mamma Mia! performing at Broadway On Broadway, 2005.
The cast of Mamma Mia! performing at Broadway On Broadway, 2005.

The audience is encouraged to sing along during the encore.

On the preview night the musical had the song "Summer Night City" just after the prologue. The Summer Night City scene was a wedding rehearsal and during the song, Ali, Lisa, Tanya and Rosie arrived on the island. Now part of the song is used to connect the end of "The Winner Takes It All" and "Take A Chance On Me".

In the Sweden Production, Sky (Tom in Sweden) sung a few lines of "King Kong Song" before start to sing "Lay All Your Love On Me"

  1. ^ 'Mamma Mia! How Can I Resist You' - Littlestar Services Ltd 2006 ISBN-13:978 0 297 84421 1 ISBN-10:0 297 84421 0
  2. ^ 'Mamma Mia! How Can I Resist You' - Littlestar Services Ltd 2006 ISBN-13:978 0 297 84421 1 ISBN-10:0 297 84421 0
  3. ^ 'Mamma Mia! How Can I Resist You' - Littlestar Services Ltd 2006 ISBN-13:978 0 297 84421 1 ISBN-10:0 297 84421 0
  4. ^ http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=527734 Mamma Mia! Heads to the Big Screen for Expected 2007 Premiere

  • 'Mamma Mia! How Can I Resist You' - Littlestar Services Ltd 2006 ISBN-13:978 0 297 84421 1 ISBN-10:0 297 84421 0

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