Mamma Mia! A highly enjoyable, exciting, and hilarious performance

Me with our tickets in front of the theatre, SO excited!

Having seen the motion picture version of Mamma Mia! featuring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried, I knew as soon as I arrived in London that I would have to see the original musical. My roommate and I stumbled across £27.50 student tickets for seats in the 4^th row of the theatre – SO close to the stage! We were elated, to say the least, after having watched the movie many times and singing along with the songs for the last couple of years!

My favorite part about this musical was how well the plot blended with the songs of ABBA. The audience would almost laugh in approval as each song began that was so clearly appropriate with the plot. Each scene became increasingly more upbeat and hilarious. The audience became more enthusiastic with each song when the characters and their personalities were exposed more. Donna (the mother) and her two friends were absolutely hilarious, wearing flashy outfits and demonstrating that neither their senses of humor nor their friendship had changed at all over the decades. Harry (one of Sophie’s possible dads) was also hysterical as he alluded to his previous years as a hardcore rock ‘n' roll performer.

The plot was jovial and interesting as Sophie invited her three potential fathers to her own wedding and then tried to figure out which was her real father. The scenery was never the same – it shifted from beautiful Grecian paradise scenes, to late-night dancing scenes at the bachelorette party, to a gorgeous wedding. Nothing was ever the same, which made me forget that I was watching it in a theatre.

Dancing at the bachelorette party

"Dancing Queen" - Donna and her two best friends reliving old times!

Many of the costumes were exquisite. The outfits were very beach-y and Grecian for the most part, which really fit the plot. My personal favorite costumes were the unzipped wetsuits worn by a large group of chiseled men in the first half (see picture below). The “Under Attack” scene involved a nightmare sequence with people dressed in interesting neon leotards, knit caps, and goggles. The final scene involved the main characters dressing up as ABBA, in spandex, multicolored, sequined outfits. The costumes and set definitely helped set the musical and make it more lively.

"Lay All Your Love On Me" scene - my favorite outfits ;)

"Under Attack" nightmare scene

Finale

Overall, I have to say that Mamma Mia is tied with Legally Blonde for the best musical I’ve ever seen. While Legally Blonde made me laugh slightly more, Mamma Mia! was still hilarious and put me in a great mood. The advertisements for Mamma Mia! say it is a “feel-good production”, and I think that is completely accurate advertising. At the end of the musical, the cast members sang and danced to a reprise of “Mamma Mia”, “Dancing Queen,” and “Waterloo.” Nearly the entire audience was on their feet, clapping, singing, and dancing with their friends to these classic songs. I wasn’t alive when ABBA was popular, but this musical truly appeals to all generations. I proceeded to go home and download about 20 new ABBA songs! I would highly recommend this musical to anyone who wants a happy and fun night out. I know I will be seeing it again!

Legally Blonde & Mamma Mia Love, Tanya Joseph <3

p.s. I am not in any way responsible for changing the background of this blog to pink!