The Philippine Online Chronicles

The hit musical “Mamma Mia!” opened last January 24, 2012 at Cultural Center of the Philippines, Main Theater.  This is the first time that the musical is being staged in the Philippines.

“Mamma Mia!” has fascinated audiences around the world since its 2004 debut. It has graced international theaters in the United States (New York), United Kingdom, Dubai, Germany, Sweden, Prague, New Zealand, Turkey, China, Tapei and more.

Over 50 million people around the world have fallen in love with the story, characters and most of all, the enchanting music.

The show will run until February 19, 2012 so there is still time to catch the renowned musical based on the songs by ‘70s Swedish pop group ABBA.  The charming and timeless songs of ABBA bring perfect harmony to the tale of romance, laughter and friendship.

Birth of the musical

According to Inquirer Lifestyle, twenty five years ago, creative producer, Judy Craymer met Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, songwriters behind ABBA. Craymer showed high regards for the musical geniuses who wrote the hit “Dancing Queen.” But it was their song, “Winner Takes It All,” that inspired Craymer to come up with an original musical featuring Ulvaeus and Andersson’s compositions.

The songwriters did not immediately warm up to the idea of a musical.  But in 1995, Bjorn finally told Craymer that if he could find the right writer and perfect story, he will give it serious consideration. After 2 years, Craymer put the story writing task in the hands of playwright Catherine Johnson.

Craymer told the Johnson that no lyrics could be changed; the story should be “contemporary, ironic, romantic comedy”; and it should cater to 2 different generations.  The songs “Honey, Honey” and “Dancing Queen” have playful tunes that target a slightly younger audience while the songs “The Winner Takes It All” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You” are more mature and emotional.

The collaboration gave birth to a “cross-generational love story.”

Familiar plot

When the romantic musical comedy film “Mamma Mia” hit Philippine theaters in 2008, many Filipinos were captivated by the story of the young bride who invites three of her mom’s former boyfriends to her Greece wedding; hoping to find out who among them is her real father. The mother, played by Meryl Streep is caught by surprise and finds herself reliving memories of past romances.

The audience who loved ABBA music in the ‘70s reveled in the songs that dominated the airwaves when they were going into adulthood. Even the younger generation that thinks of ABBA hits as retro music found the songs endearing.

The combined ingredients of a single mother, a young daughter, 3 candidate fathers and a walk down the aisle became a recipe of success.  The film “Mamma Mia” was so successful that it has been labeled the highest grossing musical film worldwide.

The people who loved the movie now have the opportunity to enjoy the heartwarming musical love story once again … this time on stage.

The musical lead star, Sara Poyzer promises that "Mamma Mia!" live production is actually better than the movie itself.

"I think people should hear it live… There are a lot of talented people in this production. The musical is great, it's just better than the film," Poyzer said during a press conference.

The cast

The musical is led by Sara Poyzer who plays Donna Sheridan and Charlotte Wakefield as Sophie Sheridan, the bride-to-be.  Richard Standing, Matthew Lloyd Davies and Charles Daish play the roles of the 3 ex-boyfriends of Donna Sheridan. David Roberts portrays Sky, the groom-to-be.

Other cast members include Jennie Dale as Rosie, Kate Graham as Tanya, Tasha Taylor Johnson as Lisa, Rosie Heath as Ali and Kelly Edwards as the dance captain.

“Mamma Mia!” is directed by Phyllida Lloyd, the same person who directed the movie.  Anthony Van Laast is responsible for Choreography; Mark Thompson for Production design; Howard Harrison for lighting design; Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken for sound design.

"The popularity of the film 'Mamma Mia' has helped us travel to other countries," Poyzer said during a press conference at Dusit Thani Manila.  Poyzer credits the film for widening the audience of “Mamma Mia!”  She added that more children have become interested to see the show.

The international tour cast that captivated the Swiss audience in Zurich last December is the same group performing in Manila.  However, Poyzer and Standing said that no two performances in different countries can be exactly alike. The audience in one country can relate to the musical differently from the audience from another country.

Based on Inquirer Lifestyle, 2 of the cast members have close ties in the Philippines. Davies happens to be a good friend of Filipino stage actress Pinky Amador. Their paths crossed in theater school in London. The young Roberts is a friend of Fil-Brit football players Phil and James Younghusband. The 3 lads grew up together in London.

Some highlights

According to Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP), the enchantment begins as the curtain rises and the song "I Have a Dream" enthralls the audience. The heartwarming story of Sophie and Donna starts to unravel from there.

The theater fills with incredible energy as the audience get entwined in each segment of the show.  The stage unfolds into a breathtaking sight as the whole cast unites in one solid performance while it nears the end.  The audience will find it hard to resist getting up on their feet and dancing to the encore of "Dancing Queen."

“Mamma Mia!” brings to life twenty-two of ABBA’s hits including “Dancing Queen,” “I Have A Dream,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” “The Winner Takes It All,” “Chiquitita,” “Super Trouper,” “Take A Chance On Me”, “Money, Money, Money,” “Thank You For The Music,” “Mamma Mia,” Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” “S.O.S.” “Take A Chance On Me,” “Voulez-Vous,” and “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do.”

Tickets

Tickets are available at all TicketWorld outlets and at the CCP box-office.  Ticket prices are P7,000, P5,500, P5,000, P4,500, P4,000, P3,500, P3,000, P2,500, P2,000, P1,500, P1,000 and P750.

More big musicals

Filipinos can expect more big musicals to come to the Philippines after “Mamma Mia!”  According to Inquirer Lifestyle, one of the possible stage productions that might come to Manila is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera.”

Photo: From Mamma Mia! website

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Rachel Yapchiongco, also known as Rach to her friends, is a Psychology and Marketing Management graduate of De La Salle University.  She took up MBA at the same university.  Rachel is a full-time mom to a charming young boy and married to an entrepreneur with a passion for cooking. She shares parenting experiences and slices of everyday life on her personal blog called Heart of Rachel.