Take a chance on ‘Mamma Mia!’ at Fort Worth’s Bass Hall, an ultimate feel-good experience
Admit it, even if you can’t name a single ABBA song, you feel a little zippier, your step has a little more bounce and you probably even move a little to the music when you hear one. Heck, even their song “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” which is about breaking up, makes you want to get up and dance.
Now’s your chance to feel that way again as “Mamma Mia!” has made its way back to Bass Performance Hall. As part of the 25th anniversary tour of perhaps the most popular jukebox musical ever, it’s in town through July 21 courtesy of the Performing Arts Fort Worth Broadway at the Bass series presented by PNC Bank.
Along with the title track, a 1975 chart topper in the U.K., the show features an abundance of music by the Swedish band considered to be one of the greatest international pop groups of all time. From 1972 through 1982 one Abba hit would leave the charts as another passed it on the way up.
If you have a favorite ABBA song — for me, it’s “Dancing Queen,” their biggest hit that reached No. 1 in several countries, including the US — it’s likely to be in this show. For some of us who loved everything ABBA released, it’s a trip down a musical memory lane. Meanwhile, younger listeners are discovering the magic — and judging from their reaction they are enjoying it just as much as we did in our youth.
The show has been seen by millions of people in countries around the world, which includes a run of almost a decade and a half on Broadway and roots dating to 1999 in London. A movie starring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Amanda Seyfried was released in 2008, followed by a sequel in 2018, the two combining to make more than $1 billion at the box office.
Just like ABBA’s music, “Mamma Mia!” is an ultimate feel-good experience. And within it is a strong message of family appreciation and owning up to true love.
Set in a Greek island paradise, 20-year-old Sophie (understudy Amy Weaver on this night), is preparing to wed her fiance’ Sky (understudy Louis Griffin). Everything is going perfect, except for one thing, she wants to be walked down the aisle by her father.
Problem is, she doesn’t know who he is. And, after finding the diary of her mother, Donna (Christine Sheriill), she finds entries that reveal intimate dates with three men, Sam (Victor Wallace), Bill (Jim Newman) and Harry (Rob Marnell).
Believing one to be her father, Sophie invites all three men to the wedding, disguising the invitations as coming from her mother. Pleasantly surprised, all three men accept, which leads them back to the island they last visited over two decades ago with Donna. At a time of romantic confusion in her life back then, Donna slept with all three men in such short fashion that even she’s uncertain who Sophie’s real father is.
Since then, Donna has established an independent life for herself as a single mom and businesswoman with her own taverna. Clearly, however, something is missing and her life’s about to get more empty as her daughter moves on to building her own.
In one of the funnier moments, Donna is shocked when she encounters all three men at the same time in her taverna and breaks into “Mamma Mia!” Later, she also has the show’s most moving scene when she performs the saddest song ABBA ever recorded, “The Winner Takes It All.”
Donna’s old friends Tanya (Jalynn Steele), a three-time wealthy divorcee, and unmarried and carefree Rosie (Carly Sokolove) show up for the wedding and a reunion of their pop girl band Donna and the Dynamos. Their version of “Dancing Queen” revives the sensation the song has delivered every time it has come on the radio since the mid-1970s.
Following the ladies’ performance of “Super Trouper” at Sophie’s bachelorette party, Sam, Bill, and Harry accidentally walk in. In a moment of awkwardness and hilarity, the guests persuade them to stay while the song “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (a man after midnight)“ is performed.
Tanya and Rosie have their own delightfully comical moments when Steele belts out the raucous “Does Your Mother Know?” and Sokolove displays her pratfall abilities with “Take A Chance On Me.”
All the while, Sophie is still trying to find out who her real dad is. Not helping the matter is all three “dads” believing they are the real one and each wanting to walk her down the aisle. It is during one of these scenes that Wallace delivers a powerful rendition of “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” making both Sam and Sophie realize what is truly deep in their hearts.
Mass emotional confusion takes over as romance both abounds and rebounds — along with some much-needed pausing for clarification. Meanwhile, the plans are, after all, to have a beautiful wedding in one of the most gorgeous settings on earth, so the moment can’t be wasted.
“Mamma Mia!” will never be confused with other shows that might enhance life’s darker side. However, don’t think it’s not serious in its own right, with more than a couple tear-jerking scenes as we are reminded that even in life’s happiest times are bittersweet moments.
Amidst the sparkling tunes and bustling choreography is a lesson in discovering one’s true self and what makes us happiest, no matter our time in life.
And you don’t have to be an ABBA fan to enjoy “Mamma Mia!” Warning, though, you just might be one after.