Mamma Mia!

So many things have changed – politically, technologically, societally – in the past 15 years that there’s a certain comfort to be found by into stepping into the Winter Garden Theatre where “Mamma Mia!” — the ultimate “jukebox musical” – has returned after more than a decade for a six-month encore engagement (as part of the show’s long-running national tour).

Sure, the set is even more basic than it was, the cast has completely changed (in some cases for the better), and the audience seems even younger. But the infectious music of Swedish supergroup ABBA can still make you sing and dance in your seat, bringing an almost-constant smile to your face even as you remember (or, for first timers, realize) just how inanely some of their two dozen mega-hits have been shoehorned into Catherine Johnson’s relatively ridiculous book.

The show’s set-up is that 20-year-old bride-to-be Sophie Sheridan (Amy Weaver), who has been raised on a small Greek island solely by her hard-working mother Donna (Christine Sherrill), has always felt the absence of her unknown father –especially as she prepares to walk down the aisle.

After somehow finding Donna’s long-hidden diary from 1979, Sophie has discovered the identities of three potential sires – American architect Sam Carmichael (a strong-voiced Victor Wallace), British banker Harry Bright (an appealing Rob Marnell) and adventurer Bill Austin (a raucous Jim Newman) – and invited them to the big day without telling Donna — as well as keeping the secret from supportive fiancé Sky (a bland but handsome Grant Reynolds.)

Naturally, they all come, along with Donna’s best friends and former bandmates, the aging sexpot Tanya (a well-cast Jalynn Steele) and the marriage-shy, somewhat frumpier Rosie (the zesty Carly Sakolove), and things get messy and messier before a happy ending ensues (with a possibly unexpected twist). Admittedly, it’s better if you watch the show with your brain turned mostly off, because the story has holes large enough to drive a Tesla Cybertruck through.

Still, you probably won’t care about the actual plot as everyone sings (almost constantly) the irresistible tunes of Bjorn Anderson and Benny Ulvaeus — “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” “Voulez Vous” — while executing Anthony Van Laast’s frenetic, high-spirited choreography in a variety of colorful, sometimes skimpy costumes. (Special kudos to the eye-catching male ensemble for high kicking in flippers!) Thank you for the music, indeed!

Structurally, “Mamma Mia!” has been cleverly crafted to give all the main characters a chance to shine, with Wallace’s plaintive “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” Marnell’s sweet-natured “Our Last Summer,” and Steele’s salacious “Does Your Mother Know” being among the standouts, but the musical rises and falls on the actresses playing Donna and Sophie.

Luckily, one could not ask for a better mother-daughter pair than Sherrill and Weaver. Perhaps their chemistry has been honed after performing together in the show since 2023 – I could believe they are related – but they both possess enormous gifts as actresses and singers.

Sherrill captures the indomitable spirit of the middle-aged Donna, whose spark has been dampened but not doused by the path she’s chosen. She can bring you to tears with the gorgeous “Slipping Through My Fingers,” as she helps Sophie put her wedding dress on or make your arm hairs stand on end as she turns the stunning ballad “The Winner Takes It All” into a quasi-operatic aria.

For her part, Weaver manages to be angelic and earthy at the same time. Moreover, she’s blessed with a strong yet flexible voice that’s gorgeously suited to such diverse tunes as “I Have a Dream,” Honey, Honey,” and “The Name of the Game.”

I’d really like to get these ultra-talented ladies back on Broadway as soon as possible, whether in something borrowed, something blue – or hopefully, something brand new. But right now, let’s all just be happy they’re breathing new life into this well-worn but still-welcome show!
By Brian Scott Lipton