Review of Mamma Mia!

By Zoe Korff of Heritage High School

Whether under the sparkling lights of a disco ball or the bright Mediterranean sun, Stone Bridge High School danced, jived, and electrified with an irresistible production of Mamma Mia!

Written by Catherine Johnson and scored by the hit songs of ABBA, Mamma Mia! has become one of the most well-known jukebox musicals of the modern age. This spectacle of a show premiered in 1999 at the West End’s Prince Edward Theatre and has since gone on to successful Broadway runs, international tours, and a blockbuster movie of the same name and sequel in 2008 and 2018 respectively.

The musical follows Sophie, a young adult in the days before her wedding, as she embarks on a quest to determine her father’s identity by inviting three men from her headstrong mother, Donna’s youth. However, as the wedding approaches and Sophie’s plan begins to go awry, she is forced to reckon with her own self-discovery.

Accompanying many talented vocals, Stone Bridge High School’s pit orchestra gave an impressive performance in each of the seemingly never-ending musical numbers. The orchestra took on this unorthodox score with grace and skill, authentically performing the iconic tunes.

Lila LeCount’s Sophie started and ended the show with a beautifully light vocal performance, but showed range throughout. Especially impressive was LeCount’s performance in “Voulez-Vous,” where Sophie is tossed around during a chaotic and high energy dance number while her potential fathers all confront her, establishing LeCount as a true triple threat as she portrayed Sophie’s growing confusion and overwhelm, all while dancing enthusiastically and singing powerfully.

All of Sophie’s relationships contained great chemistry, but especially impressive was that between her and Paul Finamore’s Bill, who displayed incredible comedic timing and instinct as well as poignant moments of genuine connection.

Moreover, Lydia Rouse’s Donna interacted seamlessly with Sophie, weaving a gorgeous mother-daughter dynamic. Rouse balanced Donna’s headstrong snark with her maternal, softer side, resulting in a well-rounded character.

However, no Donna is complete without her Dynamos; Emma Kleinhans’s Tanya and Stephanie Long’s Rosie provided both comic relief and stellar vocals, establishing the characters as not only part of the trio, but also vibrant and personable individuals.

With denim, gold, and glitter, the costuming team, led by Miranda Ridgely, brought the truly dynamic trio of the Dynamos to life. The team sewed the three iconic disco outfits, as well as thrifting and utilizing existing resources to create multiple costumes for each character that reflected their personalities.

Similarly dynamic was the scenic design of Lila LeCount, Sophia Liebermann, and Valentina Smith. Employing the use of two turntables on the otherwise stationary set enabled great spatial storytelling and separated each setting distinctly, and the weathering and set dressings truly created environments that felt livable and authentic.

In order to bring these sets to life, a run crew led by Kyle Beshore and Kylie Jackson worked seamlessly with the stage managers, Jerry Wang and Colin Leary. The run crew carried out many visible transitions, costumed appropriately in “Donna’s Tavern” shirts, with ease and never diverted attention from the story. Such smooth transitions were aided by the extensive planning and organization of Wang and Leary.

Between tear jerking poignancy and catchy, electrifying dance numbers, Stone Bridge High School’s Mamma Mia! balanced spectacle with sentiment in a truly lively production.