Fiji’s own Broadway
Mamma Mia hits all the right notes
THE curtains part, and I am whisked away to a quaint taverna on a little island in Greece. A young woman’s voice is heard from stage right as I settle into my seat, ready for my first glimpse at a Broadway production.
Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ Mamma Mia production held at Civic Centre in Suva may not have been my first time watching a play, having had the privilege to watch productions by local greats like Larry Thomas, but it was certainly my first musical. And my my!, was it an experience!
While Lia Daunakamakama’s angelic vocals were occasionally lost to technical issues, the debutante actress was flawless in her delivery of lines and convincing in her portrayal of a young woman desperate to find her roots. I adore Amanda Seyfried, but Lia will now forever be who I picture as Sophie.
The audience, no doubt, felt Sophie’s hunger for answers about her father’s identity. But with her mother, played by the brilliant Paulini Bautani, the audience laughed, and wept, and felt the beautiful pain of recolliding with ‘the one that got away’.
Paulini’s rendition of ABBA’s ‘The Winner Takes It All’ had me in tears. You could sense Donna Sheridan’s desperation to hold in the emotions she thought she’d left behind years ago. Her resolve to keep it together for her daughter’s wedding.
To convey all this and more through her voice, Paulini, as any great actor does, had to become her character.
In that moment, there stood on the stage was not our beloved Paulini, but Donna herself. I’d hand this woman an Oscar, had I the power to.
But actors need to be surrounded by equal talent to play off to truly show their best, and the on-stage chemistry between Paulini’s Donna and Justin Blake-Hickes’ portrayal of Sam Carmichael was spot on!
Moreover I doubt any conversation about the remarkable vocal skills on display at The Festivals Co’s Mamma Mia was had without mention of Justin, ‘the Fijian tenor’. While the audience got snippets of his unique voice in ensemble pieces in the first Act, Justin’s first solo in Act II, ‘Knowing Me Knowing You’ was where he truly shined, locking the audience in stunned silent awe.
But a good show has balance, and where there was silence to take in Justin’s tenor, and tears alongside Paulini’s pained performance, there were roars of laughter thanks to Sofaia ‘Sapphire’ Sereicocoko and Laisa Vulakoro’s flawless comedic timing.
Sapphire and Laisa, playing Rosie and Tanya respectively, were immediate crowd favourites! With the localisation of their one-liners while staying true to the original characters, the play hit the sweet spot between abiding to the source material and catering to its audience.
A glance through the program and cast and crew info handed out at the performance reveals balance in several other aspects of production.
The producers clearly cared for the audience, going so far as to have a cultural context consultant on the team in the form of well-known scholar Simione Sevudredre, but also took great care in ensuring their own cast felt comfortable with their roles.
With their young star, Lia, being only 16, intimacy consultant Kiana Daniele was brought on board to ensure all cast members felt heard and their boundaries respected through every scene.
Sustainability was also a concern for the production team. Speaking to co-producers Sharleen Ali and Michael Payer (co-producer and director) before the show, I found they shared a deep concern for the environment and had chosen to use recycled clothing by partnering with Value City for their costuming needs.
Before the curtains drew to a close the final time, the cast, as expected graced the stage once more for their big bow. And while the audience erupted for their favourites, perhaps the loudest cheers and applause came when the cast members paid ode to their most disciplined team members, the musicians.
Musical director Ben Morrison and every band member seated stage left haloed by a dim spotlight deserve particular recognition for their art.
The keenest ears would have struggled to find a single note out of place.
The acting chops of Soni Uluitoga as Sky, Henry Steele as Harry
Bright, and Alby Eastgate as Bill showed through remarkably well in their conversations with the leading ladies, each bringing their own style of depth to their characters.
Aerial silk dancer Julia Rosinitoba’s performance added a unique touch to the production and was incorporated beautifully into the story. A striking portrayal of the turbulent feelings of Sophie’s subconscious.
The dancers were superb in this too. Each one could be watched as a standalone performer without any sense of dissatisfaction. Tevita Tobeyaweni’s choreography surely gets credit for that, alongside each individual dancer’s skill in their chosen art form.
All in all, the show came together well, and I found no audience member at all displeased upon exiting the theatre.
One can only hope this was a first of many.