BDT STAGE: October 5, 2019 - February 22, 2020
BDT Stage’s production of MAMMA MIA is a Bona Fide Smash Hit!
It provides the kind of musical theatre magic that audiences of every age find irresistible.
MAMMA MIA is the story of Sophie Sheridan, a young woman, who's about to get married to a young man named Sky (an amiable and animated Chas Lederer.) There's only one problem. Sophie's been raised on this Greek island by a single Mom, and doesn't know who her father is. In an attempt to discover the man who will walk her down the aisle, she and her girl friends peek into her mamma's diary from the time that she (Donna) was dating twenty years earlier. Since there were three men, and thus three possibilities, Sophie invites all three to the wedding. All of this is unknown to Donna, who is already on overwhelm due to the wedding preparations.
The cast is full of triple threat actors.
Tracy Warren plays Sophie's mamma,Donna, the role played by Meryl Streep in the movie. Nuanced and luminous, Ms. Warren's performance in the title role is to die for. Her triple threat musical theatre talents are such that one simply can't take his eyes off her. Her vocals soar!
Christy Oberndorf is enchanting as Sophia. Ms. Oberndorf is a gifted actor with a gorgeous soprano.
Donna's friends,Rosie and Tanya are played by Joanie Brosseau-Rubald and Alicia K. Meyers respectfully. Ms. Brosseau-Rubald is deliciously funny singing "Take a Chance on Me" to Scott Beyette as Bill Austin five minutes before the bride comes down the aisle. The scene is hilariously acted and choreographed to be a deliriously funny and intentionally spastic flirtation.
Ms. Meyers, who also co-directs and co-choreographs, is especially funny in the number, "Does Your Mother Know?"
Bob Hoppe, the paternal candidate who, once nicknamed Head Banger, and later wound up working for the Bank of England,delivers a great performance singing "Our Last Summer."
Scott Beyette delivers a solid, down-to earth Swedish sailor and travel writer in the role of Bill Anderson. Beyette's duet with Sophie, "The Name of the Game" is especially memorable.
Scott Severtson plays the third paternal candidate, architect Sam Carmichael. Severtson has played everything from Gaston in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST to the Pharaoh in JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT. This actor's singing of "S.O.S.", his duet with Ms. Warren, and "Knowing Me, Knowing You," are two of the most heart opening songs of the evening.
Alejandro Roldan is a hilarious Pepper flirting with Tanya(Ms. Meyers) in "Does Your Mama Know?"
Linda Morken's costume design is of the eye-popping quality for which she is renowned. Those disco costumes from the seventies sparkle and shimmer to perfection.Amy Campion's scenic design gives us the exterior and interior of the taverna as well as a glorious Greek beach scene.
The surround sound effect in Wayne Kennedy’s audio design at the top of Act Two adds a wonderful dimensionality to the sonic dreamscape in Sophie's nightmare,"Under Attack," in which she worries if all this will end well.
Brett Maughan’s lighting design in that same sequence gives us a dazzling display of swirling colors that enhances the surreal moment.
You can expect to hear all of your favorite ABBA hits gloriously sung by all your BDT Stage favorites as well as played to perfection by the BDT Stage band.
Award-winning music director Neal Dunfee conducts. The show is co-directed and co-choreographed by Alicia K. Meyers and Matthew D. Peters. (They're the ones responsible for such hits as BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and THE LITTLE MERMAID.)Other faces you may recognize in this great ensemble are:McKayla Marso McDonough, Danielle Scheib, Lillian Buonocore, Sarah Huckabee, Jacob Villareal, Brian Cronan, Leo Battle, Cory Michael Klements, Melissa Morris and Tracey Dennig.
Music and Lyrics for Mamma Mia are by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (and some songs with Stig Anderson.) The book is by Catherine Johnson. (It was originally conceived by Judy Craymer.) Additional material and arrangements are by Martin Koch.
RUN TO GET TICKETS!
For tickets call 303-449-6000 or go online to BDTSTAGE.COMMarlowe's Musings
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