What: The Broadway Tour of “Mamma Mia!”
When: 7:30 p.m. tonight
Where: John R. Emens Auditorium
Price: Free in advance, $11 at the door for students
$41 to $56 for adults
$16 to $26 for youth
Timeline
April 6, 1999
“Mamma Mia!” the musical debuted at London’s Price Edward Theatre in the West End.
Oct. 18, 2001
The musical opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre. The show set a new house record for weekly gross sales within its first week.
June 2, 2002
The musical was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including best musical, best actress in a musical and best orchestration.
July 18, 2008
“Mamma Mia!” the movie opened. The movie grossed $27,751,240 in the United States.
Jan, 7, 2009
Meryl Streep won a People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Song from a Soundtrack” for the song “Mamma Mia” in the movie.
Dec. 1, 2013
The musical reached 5,015 performances. The musical is the 10th longest-running musical on Broadway.
Sources:
IBDB.com
imdb.com
playbill.com
One mother, one daughter and three possible fathers are bringing their family drama to Ball State as the “Mamma Mia!” Broadway tour takes the stage tonight at John R. Emens Auditorium.
The audience will go on a humorous getaway to a Greek island paradise as they watch a young girl, Sophie, search for her father on the eve of her wedding. With three possible candidates, she invited them all to her wedding in the hopes of finding out who should walk her down the aisle.
The musical was created using songs from the pop group ABBA. The group’s “Mamma Mia” album from 1975 was turned into a musical by Catherine Johnson two decades later. Johnson worked with ABBA songwriters Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson to develop the music while she wrote the story herself, according to a press release.
“This show is not a concert — there is an actual story to it,” said Mark Harmon, who plays Harry Bright, a British banker and one of the father candidates, in the touring production.
The musical made its debut in London in 1999 and by 2001, it was on Broadway in New York City. In 2008, it was adapted into a film that starred Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan. More than 50 million people worldwide have seen the performance labeled as “the ultimate feel-good show,” according to Emens’ website.
Harmon said he has yet to see the Hollywood adaptation. He said everyone always asks him how the stage show is different from the film, but he can never answer the question. He just tells people that the show is live while the movie is not.
“I have nothing against the movie,” he said. “I just haven’t gotten around to watching it. There is always more energy at a live show and seeing it live rather than watching a movie.”
Freshman musical theater major Amanda Boldt has seen the performance once and said she loved it.
“I love the show because it is really fun,” she said. “The music is all really energetic, and it lends itself to an interesting story that is enjoyable to watch. I feel like the stage show is different from the movie, but it all still makes sense to me.”
Because of its themes of love and friendship, “Mamma Mia!” has been classified as a “chick flick.” Harmon said the show is something for everyone and while some people haven’t seen it, they’re familiar with it.
“I think the male audience members can definitely connect with the dads in the show,” he said. “This is one of those shows that have a big cult following, and people come back over and over again to see it. I can see where people would think that this is a chick show, but I would say that it’s also a couples show.”
“Mamma Mia!” will be at Emens for a performance tonight only. Tickets are free for students in advance or $11 at the door. By time of publication, there weren’t many tickets left. For more information, contact the Emens box office.
Adriana Agapie contributed to this article. Contact her by email at adagapie@bsu.edu.
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