The Arvada Center’s Production of Mamma Mia! is Spot On
By Claudia Carbone
By now, between the long-running Broadway show (14 years) and film (2008) and sequel this summer, everyone knows the storyline of Mamma Mia!. The plot has bride-to-be Sophie preparing for her wedding on the Greek island where her mom Donna runs a small inn. Unbeknownst to Donna, she has invited three men, one who she believes may be her father from reading her mom’s dairy. That’s the “!” in the title and the “dot, dot, dot” in the diary.
What follows is a fun, frivolous frolic of singing and dancing, wondering and supposing, the ultimate feel-good musical that has the audience dancing in their seats. The jukebox musical was conceived around the songs of Swedish pop group ABBA by producer Judy Craymer after hearing their song “The Winner Takes All.” She recruited playwright Catherine Johnson to write the book, and the rest is history. Songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Take a Chance on Me,” and “Mamma Mia” that you now know by heart will have you tapping your toes and clapping your hands.
If you’ve seen it before, go see it again at the Arvada Center! This time take your grandchildren. The baby-out-of-wedlock plot will fly over the heads of the little ones, and older ones. . .well, you can put your own spin on it. When asked if she understood the story, my 7-year-old granddaughter said, “Not exactly,” but her wide eyes were nonetheless glued to the stage the entire two and a half hours! She loved it, no questions asked!
Casting of this show directed by Rod A. Lansberry is spot on. Shannan Steele’s Donna epitomizes an independent single mom who becomes vulnerable. Choreographer Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck also plays Rosie, Donna’s friend who gives a hilarious rendition of “Take a Chance on Me.” Piper Lindsay Arpan leaves no doubt her Tanya is a seasoned cougar. And Mariah MacFarlane’s Sophie is sweet as sugar as she opens the play with “I Have a Dream.”
The set is a completely original interpretation of the island villa with a spinning structure for transitions. Singing is layered with chorus, and choreography is energetic and fresh. There are more than 500 costume pieces, and the iconic Dynamos getups (“the glitter outfits,” my granddaughter called them) have more than 3000 rhinestones.
Look for a new twist at the very end.
Mamma Mia! runs through September 30 with performances Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday at 1 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets at arvadacenter.org or 720-898-7200.