What makes 'Mamma Mia!' a smash hit musical?

When producer Judy Craymer approached Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus with the idea of creating an original musical with ABBA's songs, the two were uncertain, to say the least. But they weren't completely against the idea, so Craymer took hope. "I sat on the floor of my apartment listening to ABBA's records late into the night. I was driving my neighbors to despair but I was more and more certain of my idea," says Craymer in her production notes.

 

She eventually found the perfect writer in Catherine Johnson, and together they came up with a cross-generational love story, which magically tied ABBA's songs together. 

With Phyllida Lloyd as the director, the three-woman team created "Mamma Mia!" On April 6, 1999, audiences first experienced the show's uncanny ability to make people happy, and more than a decade later, the show is a global smash hit with an audience of over 50 million people worldwide.

 

"Mamma Mia!" is set on a Greek island paradise, where the young Sophie Sheridan is about to get married. Her dream wedding won't be complete without her father to walk her down the aisle, which should be easy except for the fact that she doesn't know who her father is. In her quest to find her father, Sophie manages to bring three men back from her mother Donna's past. The show opens and closes with the timeless hit "I Have a Dream," and in between are other hits like "Dancing Queen," "Take A Chance On Me," and "The Winner Takes it All."

 

Extremely accessible story

 

Apart from its obvious appeal owed to ABBA's hit songs, the cast of "Mamma Mia!" shares that there are other secrets to this show's success.

 

Although the songs came first, the story is equally important. Dance Captain Kelly Edwards observes that as people watch the show, you can see their delight when they realize how each song fits. Edwards, who knows all the parts as she teaches all the dances, notes that the story is really well-written, and extremely accessible. "That's why 'Mamma Mia!' is so loved by the audience. It's what everybody can do. It's arms swaying in the air, steps to the left, to the right. Steps that are made for everyday people," says Edwards during a press conference on Wednesday, January 19.

 

Although this is theater, it's not the kind of theater that frowns on a loud audience. If anything, they love it when the audience really gets into the show. "We hope people join in and sing the songs. I think that would be great," says Sara Poyzer, who plays Donna Sheridan. Poyzer adds that the cast is really optimistic about ending their tour in the Philippines. "We hear that people really love singing in the Philippines. If they sing the whole song, that's just great," she says.

 

On the other hand, Poyzer admits that if the audience energy is low, it also affects the cast's performance. But she notes it is rare that an audience isn't enthusiastic. "It works so well because it's about so many different things. No matter where you're from, you can relate to love and loss and guilt. We all have parents and many people have their own children. It's got loads of elements. It's also about strong women, friendship, motherhood, fatherhood. There's something for old people, young people, couples and single people. It's full of all these different dramas," says Poyzer.  

Irresistible music

 

Charlotte Wakefield, who plays Sophie Sheridan, shares that during their performance in Prague, the script was translated and projected to the side of the screen. "They would read a joke before it's been said, so they would laugh and we would be talking about something else," recalls Wakefield. Still, she says that the show's appeal is universal, because people can follow the story, and of course, the music is irresistible. "Even if you didn't speak a word of English, you can relate to the characters, and the music feels like it was written for the musical. The story and the music go so much hand in hand that you wouldn't think they weren't always a marriage," says Wakefield.

 

"The beauty of the show is there's a real heart to it, a real story that unfolds. It's not just bubblegum," adds Poyzer. Wakefield agrees. "The story in itself is so varied. You have extreme highs and extreme lows. You take away an experience from a group of people who have experienced things most people experience throughout their life. People get married every day, fall in and out of love, have best friends," she says. And of course, much of the show's popularity comes from its effect on the audience.

 

"You take away something incredibly positive. No matter how low the show gets in terms of emotion, you're gonna leave being happy," says Wakefield.

 

While the cast admits they are often compared to the movie adaptation, they say that the increased popularity is a good thing. They also point out that as much as the movie captures the show's feel, the stage version is somehow a lot more honest. "Some people actually forget that the musical came first," says Wakefield.

 

Despite all these other factors that contribute to the show's success, there's no denying that "Mamma Mia!" would not be what it is without the music. "It's all about the songs. Catherine Johnson has written a fantastic script that ties them together beautifully, but people love ABBA. That's the truth. Whether you're six or sixty, people seem to know at least one song. We've sung these songs over 200 times, and I'm really not tired of them yet. Because they're brilliant pop songs," says Poyzer. –KG, GMA News

 

"Mamma Mia!" runs from January 24 to February 19 at the CCP Main Theater. For tickets, please call (632) 891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.