When I heard that a group of high school students had come together to put on a three-day musical production of “Mamma Mia!”, I knew I had to see it.
At first, I was worried. I could only think of the many ways it could go wrong. But to my surprise, I found myself wanting to go back and see it a second time! The acting was fun and cheery, never leaving you feeling bored. Even though the set was small, the actors made you feel like you were being transported all around a Greek Island.
The performance of the songs was the best part. Tia Merrimen in particular was a standout as the mother. Her vocal range was powerful and her acting was sassy. In character, she brought a spark that made us want to root for her.
All the Mamma Mia! performers spoke clearly, conveying the full emotional spectrum the characters feel in the show. The choreography for the songs was also strong. It never broke consistency which left me excited to see what was next.
My only wish was that they had put on more shows so I could bring my friends to see what a wonderful job this passionate group of high school students had put together!
Mamma Mia! Synopsis:
On a mythical Greek island paradise, Sophie dreams of a perfect wedding, including her father giving her away. The problem is that She doesn’t know who he is. And her mother refuses to talk about the past. So, on the eve of her wedding, Sophie decides to take matters into her own hands. To discover the identity of her father, Sophie sneaks a peek into her mother’s old diaries where she discovers three possible fathers: Sam, Bill, and Harry. She secretly invites all three to the wedding on the island they all last visited twenty years ago. When they show up, however, it’s not as clear as she thought.
Directed by Ella Shapir.
*This adapted production of Mamma Mia is a Larchmont Charter School, Senior Capstone Production which took place May 3-5, 2024 at the Actors Company, Let Live Theater in West Hollywood, CA.
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