“Mamma Mia!” Is Gaudy Fun at the Orpheum Theatre

Now through September 20, the Orpheum Theatre is hosting Mamma Mia!, the light, bright romp set to the hits of Swedish pop group ABBA.

This was not my first time seeing the stage show—I grew up watching the 2008 film adaptation at home, and my mom took me to see the movie at the Castro Theater in San Francisco when I was four, so it’s somewhat of a comfort musical for me. The production is overall a great time and has very high highs, but it’s weakened by some of the directorial and set design choices.

Lena Owens as Lisa, Juliette M. Ojeda as Sophie Sheridan, and Maddie Garbaty as Ali. Joan Marcus

Mamma Mia! follows Sophie Sheridan, a 20-year-old bride-to-be, after she invites three men to her wedding, each of whom has an equal chance of being her biological father. Written by British playwright Catherine Johnson in the late 1990s, the jukebox musical is titled after ABBA’s 1975 disco hit of the same name.

What struck me when the show began was the minimalism of the set. It is constructed in a brutalist-influenced style with two moving sections, each double-sided to be able to play various parts of the idyllic Mediterranean island where the musical takes place. While there is much to look at besides the set, it felt too simple and not quite in the spirit of either the setting or the showy costuming and big personalities onstage. Besides that, the acting could be shaky at times, and there are some directing choices that I feel made the story less engaging and less cohesive. Specifically, I noticed a certain disconnect between the way Act 1 and Act 2 were directed, which prevented them from feeling like two fully continuous halves of the story.

With that being said, the singing and dancing in this production are stunning. The star of the show, both narratively and vocally, is Jessica Crouch, who plays Sophie’s high-strung mother, Donna. She brings a raw vocal power to the role that sells the character’s headstrong and independent nature. Crouch especially shines in songs such as the titular “Mamma Mia” and the later numbers “S.O.S.” and “The Winner Takes It All.” In terms of dancing, the male ensemble members are the highlight, especially in “Lay All Your Love on Me” and “Does Your Mother Know,” as well as the encore numbers. But Erica Mansfield, who plays Donna’s friend Tanya, also gets to show off her dancing skills in a few places and gets to be the most physical of the main cast by far. If anything, the show could have used more dancing.

Dominic Young (Pepper), Jalynn Steele (Tanya), and ensemble. Joan Marcus

The costuming of Mamma Mia! is lampshaded in the intro to the show when, after telling the audience not to film in the theater, a woman’s voice warns of people wearing “white spandex.” While that comment is made as a joke and spandex is really only worn in a couple scenes (during “Super Trooper” and the encore), the costumes were fun for me as someone who is nerdy about fashion history. Mamma Mia! mostly uses songs written throughout the 1970s, but it is ostensibly set in 1999. Some costumes (such as the glitzy, rhinestone-adorned jumpsuits) are inspired by disco fashion, and in particular the style of outfits worn by the members of ABBA during the height of their fame, but period-appropriate clothing also gets some due appreciation, especially on the female ensemble members in the party sequence at the end of Act 1. It is probably a coincidence, since it appears to be her natural hair texture, but Jessica Crouch rocks big Carrie Bradshaw–esque curls throughout the show.

Despite its weak points, this production of Mamma Mia! is a fun, lighthearted time, showcasing great comedy and a lot of talent. The show runs around two and a half hours with a 15-minute intermission and is recommended by Hennepin Arts for ages eight and up. Select performances have open captioning, audio description, and sign language interpretation. You can find more information on showtimes and accessibility and book tickets at the Hennepin Arts website.

Jessica Crouch (Donna) and ensemble. Joan Marcus