Mamma Mia! hits the right note
When you’ve got a white-haired man dancing after the cast has taken their bows and are singing the audience home, you’ve got a hit.
The opening night audience for Theatre Aquarius’ exceptional and highly entertaining production of “Mamma Mia!” were on their feet seconds into bows, and the applause continued as the actors offered a reprise of “Dancing Queen,” and “Waterloo,” two of Swedish pop group ABBA’s hits.
“Mamma Mia!” is the final show of Theatre Aquarius’ 2016-17 season. Just before the curtain went up on designer Ivan Brozic’s simple — yet perfect — set featuring a taverna with white stucco walls and roofs that blue you dream about when thinking of Greece, artistic director Ron Ulrich spoke about seeing “Mamma Mia!” for the first time. Immediately afterward, he told producers he wanted to bring it to Canada. He was told it would take 15 years — that turned into 17. It was worth the wait. The plot of “Mamma Mia!” is fairly ridiculous, but that won’t trouble you. Sophie (brilliantly played by Katie Kerr) is 21 and engaged to Sky (Justin Stadnyk, who, like the rest of the cast, turns in a solid performance). After being fatherless for two decades, Sophie finds her mother Donna’s diary and reads it. She discovers any of Donna’s (Cailin Stadnyk) three former lovers could be her dad. The trio arrives at Donna’s taverna the day before the wedding. And while Sophie’s determined to figure out which one is her real dad, Sam (Kevin Aichele) and Donna’s feelings are rekindled.
Part of the beauty of “Mamma Mia!” is how effortlessly the memory-inducing ABBA songs forward the plot. This isn’t a concert of pop songs. The actors’ ability to transfer the emotions of the lyrics to the stage, particularly Cailin Stadnyk’s show-stealing “The Winner Takes It All,” is why this production is so magical.
Ulrich’s direction is spot-on. In the scene “Voulez-Vous,” we learn all three men believe they’re Sophie’s father. She’s carried in the air, with two circles of the cast moving around her (her swirling emotions) while her potential fathers form a triangle outside the circle (she’s caught in a sort-of love triangle).
Choreographer Jeff Dimitriou also hits a high note, wonderfully crafting several ensemble dance sequences. The highlight is “Lay All Your Love On Me.” The groomsmen haul Sky away for his bachelor party, kicking up a perfectly synced storm while wearing flippers and diving gear.
There appeared to be a few miscues with microphone volume and, occasionally, we move from the funny side of the street to the other, where a few cringe-inducing crass sexual gestures await. But those are the only complaints about this production.
This is a women-centric musical, but men will feel neither uncomfortable nor be unable to enjoy the performances. But the bond between mother and daughter and those between female friends — Alana Hibbert shines as the sultry divorcee Tanya and Nicola Dawn Brook’s comedic timing is brilliant as Rosie — is heartwarming. When Donna and Tanya pick up a hairbrush and hair dryer as makeshift microphones, it’s authentic and fun.
If your only point of reference for “Mamma Mia!” is the dreadful Hollywood film starring Meryl Streep, erase that memory and replace it with Theatre Aquarius’ production. This is also a surefire recipe for deepening female friendships, especially those with whom you’re not afraid to dance in your balcony seat.