In the words of the title song, “Here We Go Again.” The musical “Mamma Mia!” — built around the songs of ABBA — is back on the Tulsa PAC stage courtesy of Celebrity Attractions.
“Mamma Mia!” broke the mold of the jukebox musical when it debuted in 1999. Rather than serving as numbers in a revue or in a recitation of the artist’s career, the show’s creative team used a couple dozen songs by ABBA’s songwriters, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, as the skeleton on which to hang an original story.
Well, maybe not all that original. One of the reasons why “Mamma Mia!” has been a hit from the start is the fact that it is, in essence, a live-action cartoon punctuated by some of the most accomplished and finely crafted pop songs ever written.
The production that opened Tuesday, April 7 at Tulsa PAC certainly understands this dynamic. The opening night performance was as full of energy and sass as one could hope, with just about everyone on stage playing gleefully to the rafters.
As is the case with most cartoons the story is relatively simple. A young girl named Sophie (Juliette M. Ojeda), who has been raised by her single mother Donna (Jessica Crouch) on a Greek island is wanting her upcoming wedding to his boyfriend Sky (Gran Reynolds) to include the tradition of being escorted down the matrimonial aisle by her father.
The complication is that thanks to a romantically involved summer some 20 years ago, Donna is not certain who Sophie’s father might be. Sophie learns from Donna’s diary of that year that there are three possibilities: English banker Harry Bright (Blake Price), globetrotting writer Bill Austin (Leland Burnett) and American architect Sam Carmichael (Victor Wallace).
Sophie invites the three men to her wedding in hopes she will be able to recognize her progenitor on sight. But nothing is that easy.
Adding to the chaos are Donna’s friends, the stridently single Rosie (Carly Sakolove) and the much-married Tanya (Jalynn Steele), former members of a youthful vocal group whose repertoire just happens to include a number of ABBA songs.
We’ve said before musicals such as “Mamma Mia!” exist to give fans of a particular artist the chance to hear their favorite songs performed live. While lyrics have been altered to fit the storyline, the cast and the fine six-piece band deliver the goods with renditions of such tunes as “Mamma Mia!,” “Super Trouper,” “Money, Money, Money,” “Voulez-Vous” and “Dancing Queen” that sparkled with energy.
A few songs are put to more paradoxical use, such as “Does Your Mother Know,” as the worldly Tanya tries to put a hormonally hyperactive youngster (Dominic Young) in his place; “Chiquitita,” a usually mournful song, is set to the comic attempts of Tanya and Rosie trying to jolt Donna out of the doldrums; and “Lay All Your Love on Me,” which concludes with men in wetsuits and swim fins high-kicking around the stage.
Ojeda is a standout as Sophie, combining a powerful singing voice with a youthful earnestness that is instantly winning. Sakolove and Steele shine as the real comedians of the show, unafraid to be outrageous in pursuit of the almighty laugh.
Crouch is good as the “adult in the room” Donna, who brings a real sense of bitterness to “The Winner Takes it All,” as she gives the seemingly fickle Sam a piece of her mind. But she and Wallace never quite strike the sort of sparks that makes their ultimate rapprochement believable.
“Mamma Mia!” continues with performances through Sunday, April 12,at Tulsa PAC, 101 E. Third St. For tickets call 918-596-7111 or visit tulsapac.com.
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