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BWW Review: Entertaining but Staid MAMMA MIA! At Theatre by The Sea
(2018)
Abstract
If you take a second to think about it, MAMMA MIA is a very strange musical. Based on the musical catalog of Swedish superstars ABBA, it takes place on a Greek island where nearly everyone is American. Classic ABBA hits (with minor lyrical changes) are shoehorned into a skimpy plot, but somehow, probably since this show doesn't take itself too seriously, it all works. Theatre by The Sea in summer is the perfect venue for a show like this, especially since the audience is likely to also be dressed in the type of summer resort-wear the cast is also wearing. The whole vibe is a bit like a fancy summer camp with really good singers. The only real hiccup with this production, oddly, is the direction and choreography of TBTS's Artistic Director Kevin P. Hill. Hill has directed many exceptional shows over the years (Sister Act, The Music Man, The Wizard of Oz), but the blocking and lack of movement in key moments caused the show to drag in certain spots.
Keywords
- Mamma Mia!,
- Theatre By The Sea,
- ABBA
Disciplines
Publication Date
July 2, 2018
Citation Information
Andria Tieman. "BWW Review: Entertaining but Staid MAMMA MIA! At Theatre by The Sea" (2018) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/andria-tieman/166/