Princess Theatre Melbourne (studio)
15 July 2018 (released)
15 July 2018
Mamma Mia! The Musical has arrived! With catchy ABBA tunes strung throughout, the spectacular show is a feast for your senses.
Opening on Thursday in Melbourne at Princess Theatre after a successful run in Sydney, the musical burst to life with vivid sets and a jukebox filled of ABBA hits. Dancing Queen, Honey, Honey, SOS, Mamma Mia, Take a Chance on Me and Winner Takes It All, were some of the songs that added to the magic of the show.
The popular musical made its West End premiere in 1999 and has been gaining momentum ever since. Meryl Streep played the lead role in its silver screen counterpart in 2008 and the sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is set to be released this week in Australia.
Set in the Greek Isles, the story centres on Sophie (Sarah Morrison) who is set to wed Sky (Stephen Mahy). Unbeknown to her mother Donna, Sophie invites three of her mother’s past lovers to the wedding, believing that one of the three men Harry Bright (Phillip Lowe), Bill Austin (Josef Beer) and Sam Carmichael (Ian Stenlake) are her father. Natalie O’Donnell played the role of Donna Sheridan and her best friends, Rosie (Alicia Gardiner) and Tanya (Jayde Westaby) quickly dominated each scene they were in. Gardiner was perfect as Rosie, and her physical humour had the audience laughing with her version of, Take a Chance on Me. Divorcee and Donna’s friend Tanya, almost stole the show with her edgy humour and sultry moves. Morrison was sweet as the bride-to-be Sophie and special mention goes out to the ensemble for the charm they added to the musical. Choreographer Tom Hodgson needs a mention for his sassy and refreshing choreography. His astonishing work helped to keep the momentum flowing from beginning to end.
The show ends on a high with Dancing Queen, and canon confetti. What I loved about the show was the palpable energy it invigorated and the audience agreed as it ended with an overwhelming standing ovation.
