Review by Jane Smith, Front Row Reviewers
Sandy Arts Guild will have you saying “Thank You for The Music” with the hit Jukebox musical Mamma Mia! Told through the legendary music of ABBA that has us all Dancing Queens!
Mamma Mia!, the ABBA Jukebox musical is having a rocking good time in Sandy, Utah. Take a walk on the beautiful Greek beaches with Sophie (Carolyn Hogan), a beautiful young girl who is planning her wedding to the charming Sky (Christian Garner). While Sophie’s life might look absolutely picturesque with her fiancé, her hilarious and loyal friends, she has some blips on the radar of happiness. Her mother, Donna (Julianna Boulter) who would give Sophie the world, realizes her daughter feels she is missing something, or rather someone. Living on the island at her mother’s fixer upper of a hotel, Sophie ends up snooping through her mother’s old diaries and discovers that her mother was a little bit more risqué as a young lady than Sophie realized. Sophie has the surprise of her life and finds that her dad could be potentially one of three men!
On the quest to have the most perfect wedding, she decides to invite all three men to the wedding in hopes that she will know which one of them is her real father so he can complete her last wish- walk her down the aisle. She also hopes this can be a moment to find out more about herself. The problem- no one knows she has done this. She has a dream and Sophie is here to make something of it. When the presumed fathers, Sam (Pete Codella II), Harry (Darrin Weir) and Bill (Skylar Hawker) all show up the day before the wedding, Donna’s past is literally in her face and she must deal with it. Donna’s old friends Rosie (Karissa Kim) and Tanya (Sara McDonald) show up to support their friends and revel in their days as Donna and the Dynamos, helping Donna remember who she is–namely that she was and forever will be the ultimate Dancing Queen. Join Sophie, Sky, Donna and the Dynamos, Sam, Henry, and Bill and this hilarious cast as they really put us through an emotional rollercoaster of love, mystery, and acceptance. Will Sophie see the wonder of her fairytale? Will Donna be able to handle seeing the men of her past? Throw in a few little love affairs, people taking chances and some disco music and you will see if the real winner takes it all!
When we first meet Sophie, we are completely blown away by Hogan’s vocals as she sings the famous ABBA song “I Have a Dream”. Her ability to control such a touching song is outstanding. Hogan’s performance is full of hope and light; we sense her urgency of wanting to know who she is–a feeling that connects so deeply with the audience. Hogan shines brightly throughout the entire production. She bonds so intensely with her co-star as her fiancé that even when they are not the focus of the scene, they don’t lose that chemistry that sometimes can fall flat. They carry it throughout the whole show and even give us a few moments that may have you covering your eyes and blushing yourself. As they sing together “Lay All Your Love On Me” we see just how they both weren’t expecting to fall so deeply but are both excited for their future. Also note, this song itself was pure comedic gold as the male ensemble come out in diving flippers and give us such an outstanding performance dancing in them. Truly hilarious.
Sophie’s relationship with her mother Donna is one that really brings a whole new level to the show. Hogan and Boulter portray the most beautiful duo of two girls who really had to grow up together. Boulter’s performance of “Slipping Through My Fingers” gives every single audience member an insight to what it’s like being a parent and the absolute pain, fear, joy and most of all, love that it can envelop. Even as I sat there with my own daughter next to me, the tears just flowed and I felt that every single note was being sung for me- keep your tissues handy! Boulter is truly outstanding in her role and I couldn’t have asked for a better Donna to take the stage (move aside, Meryl!)
All our leading men are something to behold. Codella ll, Weir, and Hawker are absolutely perfectly cast for their roles. The dynamic these men have is brilliant and left us seeing exactly why Donna fell for each of them. From their vocals to their accents to their comedic timing, delighted me–and my daughter, and from the smiles on the faces of the audience members, all of us were entranced. They truly embody the complexity of their characters. We saw them grow as they showed the pure joy and adoration they both had for Donna and the potential to be a father to Sophie.
The Dynamos, Kim and McDonald, are out of this world. You feel their love and commitment to Donna, and you may find yourself wanting them to be your best friends, too. They prove that some friendships truly are for life and that throughout everything we go through in human existence there is nothing as validating and meaningful as the friends who will stand by you and have your back throughout it all. I mean, these ladies go so far as putting on the skin tight disco suits and singing like they’re back in their early 20’s. These two along with Boulter give us performance after performance of pure gold.
We can’t forget the amazing supporting roles that areJulia Taylor as Lisa, Grace Zito as Ali, Morgan Walker as Pepper, and Ethan Smith as Eddie embrace their supporting roles with gusto and charm. They are genuine and believable as they uphold young friendships and the choices they make give us hope for the future. Walker’s rendition of “Does Your Mother Know” alongside McDonald is hilarious and will have you howling as the young man tries to win the affection of someone who is (gracefully) older than him. These talented actors alongside the wildly incredible ensemble are truly the icing on the cake for this cast. They take time making sure that every step on that stage is done with intention and energy that this Jukebox Musical needs. Every single audience member is dancing along with them.
The production team for this show is outstanding. Director David Hanson and Producer Karla Marsden really set out to pull at the nostalgia that ABBA brings to our hearts and really did a good job at taking us to that destination. Their goal to put a little glitter in our soul did just that. Steve George and Dee Dee Palmer were a dynamic duo at Stage Managing this show and really pulled out all the stops. The set by Dwight Western and Maria Brown Fredrickson and the rest of their team is unreal, taking us on a direct flight to the Greek Islands and immersing us there. They did a huge hotel set up, with different levels, windows, decor, a big floral arrangement going up the walls. It is stunning. It truly wowed the audience and as the curtains opened you could hear a communal gasp of delight. Every single prop and design on that stage from Robyn Rausher-Fellows was done with intention and purpose. It just made sense. I loved the theme of the costumes done by Amy Bosworth and the incorporation of the make-up and hair design from Camille Jenson. They kept this beautiful theme of blue and white as the main focus to go along with the Greek theme but also took us back to the dynamic disco days with the incredible 70’s outfits that ABBA is known for. With each costume change, we knew what was the intent behind the costume and how it worked for that character. A personal favorite is the men at the end- but that would be a spoiler! Jon Kroff and Rick Marston took their jobs for Sound and Lighting seriously and nailed every single moment. We know as the audience where our focus needs to be and never had to worry about missing any of it. Jeremy Showgren and Cristina Bean did absolutely brilliant at molding the cast with the right vocals and blended them all so beautifully. Jessica Pace brought each scene to life with her choreography and took us through the classic disco dancing moves to using diving flippers. Legendary!
Sandy Arts Guild took us to this beautiful destination and this Dancing Queen is for sure glad she didn’t miss it. So go ahead and “Take a Chance” and say “I Do, I Do, I Do” to Mamma Mia!
Sandy Arts Guild Presents Mamma Mia! Music and Lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and some songs with Stig Anderson. Book by Catherine Johnson.
The Theater at Mount Jordan, 9351 Mountaineer Ln, Sandy, UT 84070
August 2-17, 2024, 7:30 PM, see site for details.
Tickets: $10-$18www.sandyarts.com
Contact: 801-568-6097
Sandy Arts Guild Facebook Page
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