Is Mamma Mia worth seeing?- Page 2

[madbrian]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 8:04am

I am a fan of ABBA, but I didn't care for Mamma Mia at all. I would have preferred a concert...

[musicalsFan]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 8:12am

FYI, for all/most of April, both Carolee Carmello and Judy McLane will be out of the show. If you want to catch the two of them together, May is the month. :)


judymclane.com

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 8:27am

I was VERY disappointed with Mamma Mia. The story is tissue-paper thin and the concept (IMO) gets old within 20 minutes. One thing that didn't help my feeling for the show, either, was where I was sitting in the theare. I was front orchrestra left. The speakers were just a few feet away and several of us in that area were literally frightened when the show started, when the entreact started, and several other times during the show because it is just so startling how loud it is from that location. I'm sure your seats in front mezz will not be a problem as far as this is concerned. Go into the show expecting to just have mindless fun and you might just be able to do that. I, however, would never go back or recommend the show to anyone.

[Christoph]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 9:23am

It depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for cotton candy, energy, exuberance and fun, then yes. If you are looking for a deep, moving theatrical experience then no. The only thing I can attest to is that I passed on it the first few chances I had to see it because I did not want to be caught dead paying good money to see some frothy Abba musical, but when I finally knuckled under I was sucked into the enthusiasm for it and truly enjoyed myself. It has subsequently become one of my favorite guilty pleasures (although I no longer feel much guilt at all about it). Take from that what you will. Usually the people who bad-mouth it are the same ones who will advise you to spend $100 on a ticket to see something called "500 Tons of Misery" and think it's a light night out.

[alliez92092]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 9:37am

If you can get an extremely cheap ticket, sure. It's not worth a ton of money.

[WishingWells]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 9:43am

The show may be fluff, but it has a very impressive resume and has been very successful. So, even though a number of people on this board don't enjoy it, many people have. I would go see it at least once, keeping in mind your budget. If you enjoy the music and think the show was funny, you will probably want to go see it again. If you don't, then at least you would have been with a group of people from your school, which sounds like it would be a fun trip in itself for a reasonable price.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 10:27am

Someone else called it a guilty pleasure and that's what I thought, too. As someone who loves Sondheim, I just turned off my brain and let the music wash over me. I like ABBA so the songs were tolerable. The story - such as it is - is cringe-worthy throughout and even the best efforts of the cast can't fix that. But I am not sorry I saw it, like I was after seeing POTO.

[Piercemn]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 1:26pm

I have sat through a lot of theatre over the past 40 years or so, and I loved Mamma Mia! My good friend convinced me to see it, because she told me it was the show that got her out of her 9/11 slump. I went in Minneapolis and thoroughly loved it.
I saw it again in London the following summer, and once again, loved it. I've gone to see it twice in New York, and I plan on seeing it again in Minneapolis in June, because I'm going with people who haven't seen it.

It's not a great plot, but the production is so much fun. I was never an Abba fan and I loved the score. The woman who sat next to me in London said she'd seen the Queen and Rod Stewart jukebox musicals, and in those shows, the plots were forced out of the songs. Not so with Mamma Mia.

At the end, the cast has you up and dancing and you leave the theatre in such a great mood! Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret and Les Miz don't do that!

Go see it. I think you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was and have a really great time in the theatre!

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 1:35pm

Its bloody awful

We just had this at our theatre in the UK for 3 months and it drove me mad.
The book is shocking and half of the songs dont fit the story,the set is awful so is the lighting(how they are turning this in to a film i dont know)

Of all the jukebox musicals this has to be one of the worst(i even preferred good vibrations over this)

The last 10 mins of the show is fun(a bit of an abba tribute) thats about it

[C is for Company]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 2:38pm

"Usually the people who bad-mouth it are the same ones who will advise you to spend $100 on a ticket to see something called "500 Tons of Misery" and think it's a light night out."

I just want to be clear that I enjoyed Tarzan and other "mindless fluff musicals", nor would I ever advise anyone to pay $100 to see ANYTHING. But I went in knowing what to expect and you know what, I still thought it was crap. I enjoy entertaining shows with poorly constructed plots just as much as the next fan, but this one just wasn't doing it. I'd say see Tarzan or Wicked before I would this.

[chrrymn]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 2:55pm

I was so excited to see the tour...well, BEFORE I saw it. I don't have any of their CDs or anything, but I enjoy ABBA. But I loathed the show. Not even the songs redeemed the corny acting, and horrible plot. I would never sit through it again.

[raphael06]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 3:11pm

I know it is ABBA and yadda yadda yadda, but it was the most fun I have ever had attending a show. The story is not incredible, the music is catchy but not enthralling, but you will leave the theatre completely energized and entertained! *SPOILERS?* The mini concert deal at the end is quite fun!

[ILoveMyDictionary]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 3:20pm

IMO, No. I'm one who doesn't mind fluff theatre, and enjoys shows that are just pure fun, however I hated Mamma Mia. The music is nothing special, and the plot is just uninteresting. There are much better shows to see. In fact I'd easily take Tarzan, All Shook Up, High Fidelity, and The Wedding Singer over Mamma Mia anyday. Updated On: 3/21/07 at 03:20 PM

[girlsings]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 3:23pm

It is real fun. I saw it with three differnt Donnas. Carolee, Corinne and Leah Hocking. Leah was by far the best!

Not a great story but great cast and just fun, fun, FUN!

[mpw607]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 5:57pm

No. I love ABBA's music but the plot is embarrassingly contrived. Save your money and buy some greatest hits CDs instead. Or go to an ABBA revival live show, if there are any in your area.Those shows are quite fun - unlike Mamma Mia.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 6:00pm

The person who says usually people who bad mouth it etc etc etc is full of rubbish

I HATE mamma mia but love hairspray, wedding singer, Legally Blonde etc

I hate mamma mia because its bloody awful

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 6:19pm

I've seen Mamma Mia twice (both in Las Vegas). The first time I really enjoyed it. The second time not so much. I think it really depends on the cast.

[cotypubby]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 6:22pm

I saw the show in San Francisco a couple years ago and had a lot of fun! But I love ABBA's music so I just liked hearing the songs. It's not great theatre but it's entertaining.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 6:42pm

It doesnt pretend to be anything other than what it is, and that is its blessing. It's not some pretentious piece of fluff like SPRING AWAKENING. It's pure, 100% fluff and it revels in its own self-awareness. See it. You'll have a ball. If you know the songs, you'll find yourself playing the game of "Look what song they're telegraphing now!"

But you have to enter into it with the knowledge that it's not going to be anything more than it is. Do that, and you *will* have a blast.

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 6:56pm

Mamma Mia was one of the best, happiest and most enjoyful nights I ever had in a theater ! Sure, it doesn't have any deep meaning and it has its flaws, but it is more entertaining than going to a great party ! Plus, the music consists of some of the best and most classic pop melodies ever written ! For a pure fun night out, you can't beat Mamma Mia !

[bundy5000]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 8:17pm

i thought it was great, a few flaws but what show is perfect?....*cough cough "curtains"*

[Broadway Baby4]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 9:07pm

Mamma Mia is an "fun" show. When I saw it, it was entertaining, but there is no substance to it. If I had the choice, I would never have seen it and I do not plan on seeing it again. IMO, it felt like they were just trying to cram as many ABBA songs as they could into the show, wheather or not they even made sense with the plotline. I wouldn't recommend the show at all, but if you do see it I'm sure you will have an enjoyable time. Just don't expect anything more than that.

[mrs felciano]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 10:23pm

You guys suck. I think I got half "yes" and half "no"

Haha. Kidding. Thanks for all the opinions. I think I will give it a shot. I'll never know until I see it myself. I certainly don't have high expectations of it.. so if I enjoy it then a good surprise it will be! :)

Thanks you guys!

[dramaqueen2]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 11:05pm

i see what you're saying, it's not a show you see to provoke your thought process, it's just fun. it's entertaining, and very light. every once and a while that's nice. it's definitely worth seeing, but not the most accomplished thing ever.
why not, there's nothing to really dislike about it, unless you don't like abba, in which case.. i don't know why you would be seeing it in the first place hahaha.

enjoy! =)

[Copeman63]

Posted: 3/21/07 at 11:49pm

I've seen alot of serious shows and alot of fluff, and "Mamma Mia!" is hands down, my favorite show of all time.