My experience of musicals has been a bit somber recently, thanks to Andrew Lloyd Weber's penchant for melancholy drama. At this point in the winter, however, I think everyone is aching for a bit of sunshine, musically and otherwise. Enter, Mamma Mia, playing at the Orpheum through February 23rd. There's no melancholy to be had, no somber beauty, no tragic demise of our heroine. Nope. It's everything you expect of a musical based loosely on the songs of ABBA, it's all silly, joyful, head-bobbing happiness, complete with young love, middle-aged love, and the grins both induce. Just in time for our brief thaw (and the snow predicted for Thursday), Mamma Mia is a touch of warmth in the mid-winter doldrums.
The performances are playful, the songs familiar, and if your audience is anything like mine, rousing enough to inspire a few hollers from the peanut gallery. For those that haven't seen the movie, the story sees young Sophie, daughter of former 70s-era singer, Donna, inviting her three potential dads to her wedding in Greece. Who's the daddy? Is it Donna's lost love, Sam, who ditched her for a fiancee twenty years ago? Or is it rebound love from study abroad in Paris, Harry? Or is it that wild child adventurer, Bill? You'll have to check out the show to find out for yourself.
The strongest performances come from Donna's ladies-in-waiting, Tonya and Rosie. Reliving their high-flying, exuberant past while cracking jokes about their middle-aged flirtations makes for a fun twist on some ABBA classics like Take a Chance on Me.
If you're in need of some aural sunshine and/or there's a Dancing Queen in there itching to commune with your brethren, make your way to the Orpheum for Mamma Mia's brief run. It'll put a smile on your face, and with this winter, that's saying something.
Follow me on Twitter @TheMinneapolite
No comments:
Post a Comment