Just thought you all might like to know that last night I finally saw the Broadway musical “Mamma Mia!” (the touring version) and it made me very happy indeed. For the uninformed, “Mamma Mia” is a musical based on the songs of ABBA. I could listen the the “ABBA: Gold” album for hours on end, and so it didn’t take much arm-twisting to convince me to see a musical that incorporated those songs.
The first couple of songs felt a little bit like a stretch, but as the show goes on the songs ‘work’ better and better, until you actually wonder whether the songs were written for the musical (they weren’t). The story is about the pending wedding of a girl who was raised by a single mother and who doesn’t know who her father is. Based on what the girl has read in her mom’s diary, she secretly invites three of her mom’s former loves to attend the wedding, hoping to figure out which one of them is her father.
The other people I went to the show with had seen “Mamma Mia!” before (the same touring version, in fact), and had some complaints about certain singers not being as strong as the last time they saw it, but I, having nothing to compare it to, was completely satisfied. My only complaint was that there were a number of small technical blunders (wandering spotlights and microphones cutting out), but you almost come to expect some of that with a touring show.
The bad news is that I’ve become very picky about where I sit at a big show like this. We were in the center section, on the floor, in row S, and that was almost too far back. Gone are the days when I would accept a nose-bleed-section seat just to see a show. If it’s not worth paying the extra for a good seat where you can actually see the actors faces clearly, the show is just not worth seeing.
The short recommendation is: if you like ABBA, you’ll like “Mamma Mia!”
You know, for some strange reason, I have lately been able to sit and listen to The Black Eyed Peas for hours on end. Isn’t that weird? I don’t even really like that type of music, but for some reason, the last two albums “Monkey Business” and “Elephunk” have really caught my attention. I’m not really into ABBA though. I can’t really say that I have gone to a musical either. Well, a highschool musical. Alright, you win, you do cooler things than me.
Comment by Jeff — September 28, 2006 @ 7:08 pm
Hey, I like some Black Eyed Peas songs. I can’t imagine they’d turn their music into a musical, though — although it does seem to be the popular thing to do right now, with everything from The Beatles to The Beach Boys.
Comment by starvingplaywright — September 29, 2006 @ 6:58 am
So glad you got to see Mamma Mia. I saw it on the West End in London a few months ago and oh my goodness it was awesome. The story, the music – actually I’ve never gone to a musical where at the end everyone got into it like a concert – dancing and clapping etc.
Comment by Scott — September 30, 2006 @ 8:51 am
Talk about an extended and scripted ‘curtain call’! Much fun, indeed.
Comment by starvingplaywright — September 30, 2006 @ 9:26 am