Featured Actor Joined: 1/26/24
Happy people are enjoying it. I've seen it eight times including the Hollywood Bowl version. Have all the films and soundtracks. I love it BUT I do not need to see it again.
I caught this last night and faint praise is appropriate. It really is a cheapish looking tour on every level that just happens to be on Broadway. Still a fun watch, but should be priced accordingly.
Scored a comp for this last night but held off on commenting immediately — didn't want to interrupt the RAGTIME hoopla.
So, most of this was the same as I remember from late in the original run. The music sounds better than ever (and was astutely conducted at my performance by Matthew Croft), this cast is full of energy and high spirits — so many Broadway debuts! — and the first act in particular pops.
Mostly packed house, I spotted a small smattering of empty seats in the orchestra, but that's about it. Energetic too, but not overly so — in particular, some applause when the overture started, a few of the iconic moments (the popping heads during the second chorus of the title song, the dancing scuba divers, etc.) and some early applause before the excellent Christine Sherrill was able to sing her last line in "The Winner Takes It All."
Yes, there are some wrinkles: the second half isn't nearly as compelling and the book is hardly praiseworthy throughout, but it gets you smiling by the very end. Friday night was a 7:05 start and 9:38 end of Megamix.
Full principal cast was on with 3 swings. Sherrill's Donna is a perfect vocal blend of Judy McLane and Beth Leavel. Jalynn Steele was also a crowd favorite, way to shake off that clunker of a debut in LIGHTNING THIEF.
I had no problem with the downscaled set.
All in all, it's nice to have MAMMA MIA! return to NY for a bit. I know this has to get back out on tour, but here's hoping February 1 won't be its "Waterloo."
what's with this show having so many swings & understudies always on? Is it just due to the fact that this is [mostly] the same cast from the tour?
I found this to be a sloppy, pointless cash grab.
Even without the ushers talking at full volume throughout the show, it still would have been a rough sit. I enjoy MAMMA MIA! for what it is, but this remounting is soulless, unnecessary, cheap, and rote. Regardless, the production is getting the last laugh all the way to the bank - so what do I know?
macbeth said: "I caught this last night and faint praise is appropriate. It really is a cheapish looking tour on every level that just happens to be on Broadway. Still a fun watch, but should be priced accordingly."
You would be shocked how much the tour audiences have been willing to pay for this.
Gray Phillips made their Sophie debut today, making them the first non-binary performer to play the role on Broadway.
I caught this yesterday afternoon after seeing it earlier in its run back in August. I've always had a soft spot for Mamma Mia!, and it's very much a guilty pleasure show of mine.
Yesterday's matinee had a "weekday matinee after the holidays" energy to it. The cast seemed to be sleepwalking through the show, and I felt like I was watching "Mamma Mia! on Melatonin". Low energy and lots of marking going on from both principals and ensemble alike.
Jalynn Steele walked away with the entire show as Tanya, and Does Your Mother Know was the only time the show reached the energetic heights that one expects.
For me, this is a show that's always fun even when it's not great, so I still had a great time. However, it was definitely not one of the better performances of this show I've seen over the years.
Will Van Dyke conducted his final performance with the production last week.
Edited: Apparently Matthew Croft is still the associate MD; Wendy Cavett is conducting the rest of the New York run.
I saw the show with 3 friends Friday night and was so disappointed. I don't like to read reviews before I see a show but in this case I wish I would have came here first. Tickets were expensive, performances were mediocre at best and the stage set was cheap looking. Also, audience behavior was the worst I have ever experienced, with people singing loudly all through the show and on their phones. I complained to an usher at intermission and she replied that she noticed that too. I saw a high school production that was better than this. The one standout was the U/S for Sophie, Madison Deadman. She tried.
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