Some kids have all the luck! Growing up on an idyllic Greek island as the beloved only daughter of a "widowed" mother who owns an inn and knows how to party - who could ask for anything more? Well, maybe a little clarification. Like, who is my father? Supposedly he was an Army Captain by the name of Campbell, but it turns out the "Campbell" is actually the soup, not the father. (Mom was very fond of the soup.) Mamma Mia! Dad could have been any one of three American GI's, as 20-yearr-old Sophie discovers when she finds her mother's diary. Of course she sets out to "clarify" the situation and determine which one should give her away at her upcoming wedding.
Follow the sound track as the music of ABBA underlies and - just about tells - the story. As the plot unfolds, Sophie (the daughter) is planning to be married and wishing for her "true" father to take his place at the ceremony and give her away. ABBA's "I Have a Dream" is her wistful song, and her dream comes true in a whirlwind of activity, as all three potential Dads arrive. Also appearing are Mom's friends from the long-ago Donna and the Dynamos. (Donna is Mom, her friends are Rosie and Tanya). Among many other activities, they also get together for rousing performances of such ABBA favorites as "Dancing Queen" and "Money, Money, Money."
Mamma Mia! actually originates from ABBA's 1975 hit of the same name, and many of the other numbers from that release comprise the heat and the heart of both the movie and the stage production. As a note, ABBA is an acronym for the first names of the four band members: Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid. The group was involved in the entire production of Mamma Mia! from start to finish, not only composing the score but even appearing in cameo roles in the movie.
The musical (adapted from the 1968 movie "Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell") was a roaring success in London in 1999, with ABBA's Benny Andersson contributing additional music and lyrics. The play has toured world wide to delighted theatregoers in the U.S. and Canada, as well as all over Europe and even Australia. It will be in Mexico soon, and shows no sign of slowing down. It has been cited as "the most successful Hollywood musical of all time", and when the movie was released, it out-grossed every other film in history in the U.K.
Meryl Streep stars in Mamma Mia! as Donna Sheridan, the slightly ditzy and very believable mother of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). The three "possible fathers" are played by Pierce Brosnan (Sam Carmichael), Stellan Skarsgard (Bill Anderson, and Colin Firth (Harry Bright). None of them knows about the others until they arrive on the island at Sophie's invitation, and the hilarity really begins.
The whole crowd engages in some hilarious shenanigans including a lot of singing and dancing. Some of the cast, notably Meryl Streep, seem very well suited to this venue. They carry it off with a lot of pizzazz and make this light-hearted 'tour-de-farce' a real delight to watch. The movie was filmed mostly on the Greek island of Skopelos, with Kastani beach as the main backdrop. As Donna says to Sophie and her friends, "Sounds like you're having fun already... I used to have fun." "We know!" they tell her. So will you!
Though the movie has accumulated some mixed reviews, overall it is a terrific blend of comedy and toe-tapping musical numbers. Familiar ABBA songs include "The Winner Takes It All", "Super Trouper", "When All Is Said and Done", "Gimme! Gimme! Gimmie!", "Thank You For the Music" as well as the title song and the major hit "Dancing Queen". Two members of ABBA have unaccredited minor roles: Benny Andersson as a fisherman playing piano for the "Dancing Queen" number, and Bjorn Ulvaeus as a Greek god flinging gold dust over the crowd in the closing scene.
Go see Mamma Mia! and join the fun. Treat yourself to a performance, whether by the stage ensemble if it arrives in your locale, or the award winning cast of the movie. You won't get any lessons in 'proper' behavior, but you will most certainly have a 'real good time'!
Follow the sound track as the music of ABBA underlies and - just about tells - the story. As the plot unfolds, Sophie (the daughter) is planning to be married and wishing for her "true" father to take his place at the ceremony and give her away. ABBA's "I Have a Dream" is her wistful song, and her dream comes true in a whirlwind of activity, as all three potential Dads arrive. Also appearing are Mom's friends from the long-ago Donna and the Dynamos. (Donna is Mom, her friends are Rosie and Tanya). Among many other activities, they also get together for rousing performances of such ABBA favorites as "Dancing Queen" and "Money, Money, Money."
Mamma Mia! actually originates from ABBA's 1975 hit of the same name, and many of the other numbers from that release comprise the heat and the heart of both the movie and the stage production. As a note, ABBA is an acronym for the first names of the four band members: Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid. The group was involved in the entire production of Mamma Mia! from start to finish, not only composing the score but even appearing in cameo roles in the movie.
The musical (adapted from the 1968 movie "Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell") was a roaring success in London in 1999, with ABBA's Benny Andersson contributing additional music and lyrics. The play has toured world wide to delighted theatregoers in the U.S. and Canada, as well as all over Europe and even Australia. It will be in Mexico soon, and shows no sign of slowing down. It has been cited as "the most successful Hollywood musical of all time", and when the movie was released, it out-grossed every other film in history in the U.K.
Meryl Streep stars in Mamma Mia! as Donna Sheridan, the slightly ditzy and very believable mother of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). The three "possible fathers" are played by Pierce Brosnan (Sam Carmichael), Stellan Skarsgard (Bill Anderson, and Colin Firth (Harry Bright). None of them knows about the others until they arrive on the island at Sophie's invitation, and the hilarity really begins.
The whole crowd engages in some hilarious shenanigans including a lot of singing and dancing. Some of the cast, notably Meryl Streep, seem very well suited to this venue. They carry it off with a lot of pizzazz and make this light-hearted 'tour-de-farce' a real delight to watch. The movie was filmed mostly on the Greek island of Skopelos, with Kastani beach as the main backdrop. As Donna says to Sophie and her friends, "Sounds like you're having fun already... I used to have fun." "We know!" they tell her. So will you!
Though the movie has accumulated some mixed reviews, overall it is a terrific blend of comedy and toe-tapping musical numbers. Familiar ABBA songs include "The Winner Takes It All", "Super Trouper", "When All Is Said and Done", "Gimme! Gimme! Gimmie!", "Thank You For the Music" as well as the title song and the major hit "Dancing Queen". Two members of ABBA have unaccredited minor roles: Benny Andersson as a fisherman playing piano for the "Dancing Queen" number, and Bjorn Ulvaeus as a Greek god flinging gold dust over the crowd in the closing scene.
Go see Mamma Mia! and join the fun. Treat yourself to a performance, whether by the stage ensemble if it arrives in your locale, or the award winning cast of the movie. You won't get any lessons in 'proper' behavior, but you will most certainly have a 'real good time'!
About the Author:
By Matt Ryan, article sponsored by StubPass.com. StubPass sells Mamma Mia Tickets, sporting event tickets, concert event tickets, theater tickets, Broadway Tickets and more to your favorite events around the world.
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