MAMMA MIA! gives long-running tour a fine send off at Fox
– By Cate Marquis –
The spandex and ABBA’s ’70s pop songs take the stage one more time for Mamma Mia’s farewell tour, at the Fox Theater, July 28 – 30.
The hit musical has been touring for 15 years, and even has been made into a movie starring Meryl Streep. This last chance production is a worthy farewell, a funny, sometimes silly version that entertains, even if one is not an ABBA fan like this reviewer.
The audience is tipped off right away that this production is going for fun by a voice heard before the curtain comes up, warning the “sensitive” that “there will be white spandex” There is indeed but thankfully not all the time. Most of the time, the cast is dressed in ’90s styles, and it only breaks out the spandex for production numbers. The simple, movable sets seem to be a little nod to the Streep film version. The colors for costumes and sets are pastel, with lots of blues and peach. At least, until the spandex appears.
Those playful production numbers are much of the fun, camped-up humor poking fun at ’70s costumes. The focus is more on having fun more than the family drama that forms the plot. The plot is pretty familiar to everyone at this point. One-time free spirit Donna Sheridan (Betsy Padamonsky) has raised her daughter as a single mother on a sunny Greek island where she owns a little taverna. Donna is conflicted about her 20-year-old daughter Sophie (Lizzie Markson) is getting married to boyfriend Sky (Dustin Harris Smith) but to make things more complicated, the daughter has secretly invited the three men, Sam (Shai Yammanee), Bill (Marc Cornes), and Harry (Andrew Tebo) who may be father, hoping to find out which is the one in time for him to walk her down the aisle.
Confronting her former lovers creates a crisis and romantic possibilities for mom, and all the dramatics playing out on the idyllic little Greek island at the taverna Donna owns as everyone prepares for the wedding. The Greek island taverna is a perfect romantic setting but this production makes it a bit more rom-com by having fun with the fashions and music of the ’70s.
There are lots of threes in this musical. Donna’s two oldest friends, Tanya (Cashelle Butler), who has made a career of collecting wealthy husbands, and chubby, wise-cracking feminist writer Rosie (Sarah Smith), arrive for the wedding, as well as Sophie’s two besties and bridesmaids, Ali (Chloe Kounadis) and Lisa (Niki Badua). Sky’s friends and groomsmen are Donna’s two slacker employees, Pepper (Austin Michael) and Eddie (Max Ehrlich). And there are the three possible dads, who have never met but quickly form their own bond, each unaware of the others’ paternal claims. A chorus of other islanders round out the high-energy, acrobatic dance numbers.
Of course, ABBA fans will get their fix of the musical group’s hits. The four Swedish singers (the band’s name are their first initials are the band’s name) were immediate international hit with their catchy, energetic first hit, “Waterloo.” Their music was a perfect match for the disco time period and the band turned out a number of hits, including the title song “Mamma Mia.” The musical is packed with their hits, including one of their biggest, “Dancing Queen,” as well as “Take a Chance on Me,” “Money, Money, Money,” and “Super Trouper.”
As the romantic lead Sam, Yammanee is appealing, and shows off a strong singing voice. Both Padamonsky and Markson as mom and daughter get to showcases their strong singing voices as well, although Padamonsky has the showier part.
Cashelle Butler and Sarah Smith as Tanya and Rosie provide a lot of the comedy, along with Tebo and Cornes as potential dads Harry and Bill. The comedy standout is Sarah Smith, a surprisingly agile physical comedian who delivered her zinger lines with a charming glasses-bedecked smile. Cashelle Butler does a nice slink as Tanya, and Bill is likable as nerdy travel writer Bill. Andrew Tebo is funny as proper British banker Harry, who was known back in the day as “headbanger Harry,” a persona he periodically reclaims.
The funniest scenes are song and dance numbers. One is a production number as Sky’s friends take him off for a bachelor party that starts with scuba diving. Dressed in silly looking blue and purple short wet suits, the guys high-step and kick while wearing swim fins – an amazing feat as well as very funny. Another comic highlight is the duet between Smith’s Rosie and Marc Cornes’ Bill set to “Take a Chance on Me.” The spandex gets its spotlight, as Donna, Rosie and Tanya recreate their band, for “Dancing Queen.”
Even if one is not a fan of ABBA, there is a lot to enjoy in this fine finale to the long-running MAMMA MIA.
© Cate Marquis
