Mamma Mia - Tour & Questions

[LouieLovesTheater]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 4:25pm

Saw the tour last night in Minneapolis. I gotta say, it's been on tour for how long and it's still in great shape. It's not brilliant theater but there's no denying that it provokes some sort of reaction in the audience that gets them freaking out during the final "concert" after bows.

Like I said, the tour is in great shape. It was nice to see a new cast and especially the new trio of leading women. I thought they all brought something new to their performances...it seemed like they were given free range to do their own thing and not fit into what had gone before.
The "dads" were another story. Not bad per se but Bill and Harry's 'accents' were barely there. Either do it or don't do it is what I say. We had a Sam understudy and while he was a good singer it looked like he was a bit unprepared. Vicki Noon is the best Sophie I've seen.

OK...now to the questions.

It seems like the tour has been restaged/rechoreographed in parts and that is what one reviewer here commented on. Is this true? Did it stem from any Broadway changes?

Settle a bet I have with a friend of mine...I say that the final two songs (Dancing Queen and Waterloo) are pre-recorded...he says it's live.

If you have the chance to catch the tour...I suggest you do. I've seen the show countless times and wasn't expecting a huge change but I really think the show is still solid on the road.

[Here_I_Go_Again]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 7:19pm

you both are correct, about 70% is all pre recorded and 30ish live!!!!
the show is AMAZZZZZING!!!!
its a great tour!!!

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 7:35pm

Why is it pre-recorded?

[Born To Reign]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 7:42pm

To save $$$

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 7:48pm

God, way to defy everything that theatre stands for.

[Born To Reign]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 7:49pm

:) hey, "It's a Business" right?

[Copeman63]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 8:05pm

I've heard it's pre-recorded because Benny and Bjorn really want the audience to hear that full ABBA sound, and with all the choreography, it just doesn't work. They do still sing full out, but they also add a sweetener track. Also, this is also used on Voulez-Vous and the finale Mamma Mia.

[me2]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 9:22pm

Observatory comment without any bias:

Even the original FOLLIES used "sweetening" in vocals and taps.


Broadway Blog: Give Them What They Want / Za Ba Zoovee (Broadway vs. Pop)

[desiree armfeldt]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 9:46pm

I didn't know sweetners were used to often.

[LouieLovesTheater]

Posted: 6/12/07 at 11:49pm

I get it...so it's sort of like a "click track"

A friend of mine on the Phantom tour said that the Phantom really only sings a total of about 9-11 minutes of live singing a night...the rest is all recorded. And all Christine's have their high C recorded as well. Is this true?

[Copeman63]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 12:23am

Yeah, Phantom doesn't use a sweetener, it uses straight up lip-syncing! Do a search, and I'm sure there's a post about all the pre-recording in Phantom.

[winston89]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 1:08am

I am pretty sure though that the bits that are pre recorded are recorded using the voice of the actual actor. Using Phantom for an example, if what somoene said was true about how the Phantom spends more time lip syncing rather then using his actual voice. then, they would take the actor who is playing the phantom into the studio and record the parts that would be lip synced. I thought that the only thing the phantom lip syned was parts of the title song. Only because there are doubles on stage.

And, if Christine does pre record the high C they do take the actress into a studio to do it. Equtiy is VERY pickey about these things. For example, in Wicked at the end when Nessarose screams they play a track of the actress that was on stage that night screaming. If an understudy goes on then they have to play a track of the understudy doing the screaming ect ect. And in Rent, every time there is a new actor they have to put them in front of a camera for the final movie sequence.

Going by the fact that equity is very picky about these sort of things I don't see how this is saving the show money. I thoink it would be cheaper if they had the actors do these things live every night. I know that some of thdese things like the screaming and the movie sequence yhou cannot do on stage. But, the high C and the singing bits from Mamma ect are things that can be done on stage but the director chooses not to. it caosts a lot of money for studio space ect ect so logically you would think that having the actor deo this on stage would coast less money.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 10:03am

The Phantom sings live...? The only fully pre-recorded song in the show, I thought, was the title song.

[raphael06]

Posted: 6/13/07 at 11:50am

And isn't it a high E?