In 2020, there were a number of community theater groups in the area who were planning to put on Mamma Mia before things started getting canceled. Cross Community Players was among those groups, and is the first to actually bring it to the stage after a year’s delay. Mamma Mia is also the group’s first show performed outdoors, at the Maple Grove bandshell. While it must have been difficult for the cast to rehearse through the recent heat wave, the weather was perfect on opening night. What ambience for a show set on an island to be right next to a lake! Like any outdoor venue, it’s better to arrive early to get best pick of the seats, and just in case you don’t get a shady spot, I recommend sunscreen (and bug spray—but for heaven’s sake please move away from other audience members when putting it on).
Mamma Mia is the story of a young girl who finds out she has three possible dads and invites them all to her wedding, without telling her mother. When they all show up, it brings up old memories and new complications. Mamma Mia has got to be the most successful jukebox musical of all time, and I doubt it’s a coincidence that the genre has exploded in the years following this show’s debut. Mamma Mia features the music of Abba, and the creators did their best to fit in as many songs as possible. Honestly, the musical could stand to lose a few songs. A lot of the songs in the show are just between two people, and since there aren’t that many named characters, it’s a lot of reshuffling of the same people.
One way director Jeff Anderson kept these numbers fresh was by putting ensemble members on stage in the background of most of these songs. As written, the ensemble sings backup offstage for many of these numbers, and it was a nice way to mix things up to have different groups onstage as part of the scene. Mary Ann Boniface was the music director and conducted the band, which performed from the stage, behind the actors. I was concerned that the band might drown out the cast, but that wasn’t an issue (the program didn’t mention who handled sound for this production, or lighting, for that matter). I noticed (due to an over-familiarity with the music) that some of the harmonies were cut, I assume to simplify for a stronger sound. While a little complexity was lost, this generally worked fine. One complaint is that I would have preferred the “Dancing Queen Hymn” to be sung by the whole ensemble (because there’s a particular quality that a large group singing softly can bring), but the actor in me appreciates the efforts of Anderson and Boniface to give more to the roles neglected by the script (in particular, bridesmaids Lisa and Ali).
Ann Marie Omeish’s choreography was stylish and energetic; the big group numbers were especially fun, while the smaller, background dances often highlighted the tension between the characters singing. “Name of the Game” and “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” were two numbers where I found the choreography particularly interesting. Also, the addition of a dance solo during the entr’acte was a great way to set the mood for the second act. Lori Schwartz designed the costumes; I particularly liked the looks for Sophie and Tanya (although I have to protest that if a character complains about her stilettos she should be wearing heels or the line should be changed). I also appreciated the contrasting styles on the three dads. On the other hand, the coordinated ensemble outfits during the wedding struck me as odd. I suppose this choice was made for how everyone would look in the big final number, but during the wedding scene I found it a little distracting. The set design by Kira Venderlan was very versatile, with tables and little stools that could be reconfigured to create different levels and spaces to move through, and the choreography made good use of this flexibility. The other set pieces were compact but communicated the scene effectively.
As Sophie Sheridan, Rebecca Rand was excellent, fully tuned into the style and the feel of the show. She’s a very strong singer and actress and really shone in this role. Ellen Beaudry gave an emotional performance as Donna Sheridan, Sophie’s mother. She was especially powerful in “The Winner Takes It All.” Chrissy Sonnek (Tanya) and Kate Callen (Rosie) played Donna’s friends and former bandmates. Both of them gave fun performances, and they worked well together as a pair and a trio (with Donna). Callen looked a little young for her character, and I would have liked a little more from her costume or styling to reinforce the character’s age. Still, both Callen and Sonnek were entertaining in their showcase songs (“Take A Chance On Me” and “Does Your Mother Know?”, respectively).
The three dads (Bryan O’Neil, Christopher Zanetti, and Sam Carmichael) were fun to watch together. The three characters are very different in manner, but ultimately their values seem pretty similar (none are offended by Donna’s other past relationships, and all are happy to be a part of this unusual family), so they make an entertaining trio. O’Neil played Harry with a very proper British accent, and was engaging as the rather stiff businessman learning to loosen up again. As Bill Austin, Zanetti most impressed me in “Name of the Game,” where he managed to give a complicated emotional performance in a very economical way. Sam Carmichael (Vair) had the most complicated relationship with Donna, and with the taverna, and marriage as a concept. Vair sounded great in this role, especially in “Knowing Me, Knowing You," and he brought out the emotional complexity of this character who, like Donna, had a long history of pain. I really enjoyed Mitch Vosejpka's performance as Sophie’s fiancé Sky, especially during "Lay All Your Love On Me," but he was also strong in the dramatic scenes between Sophie and Sky.
As a group, I thought the ensemble did a great job, bringing energy and attitude to all the big scenes and musical numbers. In many of the songs, actors in the background mirrored the emotional conflict of the soloists, and the ensemble rose to each occasion. As the dance soloist, Julie Hatlestad was technically impressive and emotionally engaging.
Mamma Mia is the story of a young girl who finds out she has three possible dads and invites them all to her wedding, without telling her mother. When they all show up, it brings up old memories and new complications. Mamma Mia has got to be the most successful jukebox musical of all time, and I doubt it’s a coincidence that the genre has exploded in the years following this show’s debut. Mamma Mia features the music of Abba, and the creators did their best to fit in as many songs as possible. Honestly, the musical could stand to lose a few songs. A lot of the songs in the show are just between two people, and since there aren’t that many named characters, it’s a lot of reshuffling of the same people.
One way director Jeff Anderson kept these numbers fresh was by putting ensemble members on stage in the background of most of these songs. As written, the ensemble sings backup offstage for many of these numbers, and it was a nice way to mix things up to have different groups onstage as part of the scene. Mary Ann Boniface was the music director and conducted the band, which performed from the stage, behind the actors. I was concerned that the band might drown out the cast, but that wasn’t an issue (the program didn’t mention who handled sound for this production, or lighting, for that matter). I noticed (due to an over-familiarity with the music) that some of the harmonies were cut, I assume to simplify for a stronger sound. While a little complexity was lost, this generally worked fine. One complaint is that I would have preferred the “Dancing Queen Hymn” to be sung by the whole ensemble (because there’s a particular quality that a large group singing softly can bring), but the actor in me appreciates the efforts of Anderson and Boniface to give more to the roles neglected by the script (in particular, bridesmaids Lisa and Ali).
Ann Marie Omeish’s choreography was stylish and energetic; the big group numbers were especially fun, while the smaller, background dances often highlighted the tension between the characters singing. “Name of the Game” and “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” were two numbers where I found the choreography particularly interesting. Also, the addition of a dance solo during the entr’acte was a great way to set the mood for the second act. Lori Schwartz designed the costumes; I particularly liked the looks for Sophie and Tanya (although I have to protest that if a character complains about her stilettos she should be wearing heels or the line should be changed). I also appreciated the contrasting styles on the three dads. On the other hand, the coordinated ensemble outfits during the wedding struck me as odd. I suppose this choice was made for how everyone would look in the big final number, but during the wedding scene I found it a little distracting. The set design by Kira Venderlan was very versatile, with tables and little stools that could be reconfigured to create different levels and spaces to move through, and the choreography made good use of this flexibility. The other set pieces were compact but communicated the scene effectively.
As Sophie Sheridan, Rebecca Rand was excellent, fully tuned into the style and the feel of the show. She’s a very strong singer and actress and really shone in this role. Ellen Beaudry gave an emotional performance as Donna Sheridan, Sophie’s mother. She was especially powerful in “The Winner Takes It All.” Chrissy Sonnek (Tanya) and Kate Callen (Rosie) played Donna’s friends and former bandmates. Both of them gave fun performances, and they worked well together as a pair and a trio (with Donna). Callen looked a little young for her character, and I would have liked a little more from her costume or styling to reinforce the character’s age. Still, both Callen and Sonnek were entertaining in their showcase songs (“Take A Chance On Me” and “Does Your Mother Know?”, respectively).
The three dads (Bryan O’Neil, Christopher Zanetti, and Sam Carmichael) were fun to watch together. The three characters are very different in manner, but ultimately their values seem pretty similar (none are offended by Donna’s other past relationships, and all are happy to be a part of this unusual family), so they make an entertaining trio. O’Neil played Harry with a very proper British accent, and was engaging as the rather stiff businessman learning to loosen up again. As Bill Austin, Zanetti most impressed me in “Name of the Game,” where he managed to give a complicated emotional performance in a very economical way. Sam Carmichael (Vair) had the most complicated relationship with Donna, and with the taverna, and marriage as a concept. Vair sounded great in this role, especially in “Knowing Me, Knowing You," and he brought out the emotional complexity of this character who, like Donna, had a long history of pain. I really enjoyed Mitch Vosejpka's performance as Sophie’s fiancé Sky, especially during "Lay All Your Love On Me," but he was also strong in the dramatic scenes between Sophie and Sky.
As a group, I thought the ensemble did a great job, bringing energy and attitude to all the big scenes and musical numbers. In many of the songs, actors in the background mirrored the emotional conflict of the soloists, and the ensemble rose to each occasion. As the dance soloist, Julie Hatlestad was technically impressive and emotionally engaging.
It's fair to say that Mamma Mia is not the most well-written show. The script was made to tie the songs together, and some of the lines don't work too well. For example, the "reveal" that Harry is gay had zero impact on the audience on the night I attended. I would have liked to see a little more effort to contextualize some of the innuendos so they made more sense and felt less jarring; for example, I couldn't tell that Rosie was holding an air mattress when she reminded Tanya to blow. The early line from Harry about the Greek language may be a lost cause, or maybe not—I'd be very happy to be proved wrong on that by any of the upcoming Mammas Mia!
All in all, I had a great night watching this show, not least because the whole cast was clearly enjoying the experience and having a great time, which was infectious. Cross Community Player's Mamma Mia was a lovely outdoor experience and a very enjoyable show!
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