Review: MAMMA MIA at Kennedy Center

"People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like." - Artemus Ward

And so it goes with the national tour of the hugely popular Mamma Mia! currently running in the Opera House at The Kennedy Center through September 1st.

Jukebox musicals generally fall into one of three categories: tribute shows which try to reproduce the music and staging of an iconic musical act as closely as possible (Rain, the Beatles Tribute, for example), biographical narratives (Beautiful, the Carole King Musical and Ain't Too Proud being two good examples), and original stories, wherein a traditional musical theatre book attempts to interweave popular music with a fictional story line.

Mamma Mia!, which features the music of the supergroup ABBA, falls into the latter category, and is set on a small Greek island. Single mother Donna Sheridan (Christine Sherrill) and her 20-year old daughter Sophie (Alisa Melendez) run a small taverna on the island. Coincidentally, it's the same island where Donna had a trio of trysts twenty one years earlier, one of which resulted in Sophie. Sophie finds Donna's diary, which documents each of her flings, and decides to invite all three men to her upcoming wedding, so that she can determine which is her father, and have him walk her down the aisle. Think The Young and the Restless meets Clue and The Parent Trap. (The story relies on relatable themes and a lot of suspension of disbelief to carry the day - it should've been set in Zurich, because the book (which was nominated for a Tony) has more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese.) Along the way we meet Donna's two best friends (and former partners in a girl group, which nicely sets up several musical numbers), Sophie's two besties, the aforementioned paramours, Sophie's fiance, and various locals and wedding guests. Hijinks ensue, as "Who's your Daddy?" collides with the usual wedding foibles and festivities (including a couple of raucous bachelor and bachelorette parties).

Of course, with a jukebox musical it's really all about the music. The ABBA catalog provides a rich vein of songs, and this cast really delivers on the music and the storytelling, with sterling performances from top to bottom. Highlights of the performance included Donna, Tanya (Jalynn Steele) & Rosie (Carly Sakolove) belting out Dancing Queen while singing into curling irons and blow dryers, in a scene that is reminiscent of everyone's teenage years, and Sophie and Bill (Jim Newman) singing a poignant The Name of the Game. Steele delivers an absolute show stopper with the energetic Does Your Mother Know - it showcases both her tremendous vocal chops and incredible dancing ability. It's definitely the high water mark of the second act.

Unfortunately, press night for Mamma Mia was beset by technical issues, primarily with the sound system. The overture was blaring, and the entracte was so loud that a number of people (including me) were forced to put their fingers in their ears. I'm used to bringing ear protection to a Foo Fighters concert, but not to a musical at KenCen. Vocalists spent the evening struggling to sing over the overamplified orchestra, and both vocals and lines were often muddy and hard to comprehend. It was bad enough that I saw two couples get up and leave during the second act.

Hopefully, those issues will have been addressed as the run continues.

Technical difficulties notwithstanding, it's easy to see why Mamma Mia is so popular, and there's a lot to like about this production. The action moves briskly on a cleverly designed set, the cast is incredibly talented and committed to the material, and the choreography is excellent. It's appropriate for all ages, the themes of the story resonate across generations, and it's impossible not to leave the theatre humming one of ABBA's many hit songs.

Mamma Mia runs through September 1st at The Kennedy Center. Running time is approximately 2:25. For more information on the Kennedy Center, click here.

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