We are so thrilled to be showcasing the incredible talents of the cast and crew of Mamma Mia! “Thank you for the Music” and for making the music of ABBA come to life for our community.

I am truly honored to have worked with the outstanding team of Leslie Beauchamp as Assistant Director and Choreographer, Eunice Wadewitz as Music Director, and the entire production team and staff on Mamma Mia!

The Civic Theatre was offered early royalty rights for Mamma Mia! by Music Theatre International, and we knew right away this would be wonderful for our community of actors, singers, and dancers, but also for you, our patrons.

This feel-good story is uplifting through the melodies, lyrics, and orchestrations of ABBA. The musical was assembled into a storyline that is intriguing, a bit of a mystery, and universal with the theme of love and past loves.

Sophie’s need to know who her father is creates the conflict for the show, one that her mother Donna has chosen not to seek out and has long ago decided to move on with her life. Donna is forced to face this question once again and test their mother-daughter relationship.

Mamma Mia! is a musical based around the music from the band, ABBA. Active between 1972 and 1982, the Swedish pop dance group is one of the most popular international groups of all time, with hits that spanned the charts of Europe, North America, and Australia. Mamma Mia! premiered in the West End at the Prince Edward Theatre on April 6, 1999. The musical eventually made its way to Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre on October 18, 2001, and then transferred to the Broadhurst Theatre on November 2, 2013, It closed September 12, 2015.

The 2008 film version, Mamma Mia! The Movie, received mixed reviews due to the singing talent of Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan, but the music of ABBA carried this cast to creating a sequel in 2018 called Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again! which featured Cher.

As for myself and many of you, ABBA was playing on the radio all throughout my junior high school years and through college. When hearing it again, the memories and emotions of the time come rushing back to make me smile. My wish for each of you today is to leave with a smile, with an ABBA song in your heart and dancing as you go! Thank you!