Mamma Mia's Last Show

[mmFan]

Posted: 9/13/15 at 8:50am

Anyone go to Mamma Mia's last show?  If so, how was it (probably stupid question as obviously it was amazing)?  Did they do anything special?  Any of original cast members return?

 

I had the good fortune of seeing it a week ago and the show was amazing.  Such high energy!

[xoffender45]

Posted: 9/13/15 at 10:24am

The house was full of former cast members, and everyone was very excited to be there. That was the first time I've seen a standing ovation for an Overture. The cast was phenomenal and gave 200%. But as far as the curtain call, the only thing that happened was Judy Craymer came out and gave a long "thank you" speech. 

[mmFan]

Posted: 9/13/15 at 12:23pm

Sounds great.  Pretty cool to have a standing ovation at opening.  Well deserved.

Thanks for reporting back!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/13/15 at 12:39pm

Did they do a lot of Abba hits?

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 9/13/15 at 8:22pm

I was there. While the crowd was extremely enthusiastic as expected, being that most people there were alumni and long-time fans, it sort of fell flat for a closing.

I love the show, it was my 24th time seeing it. I'm not sure why I had my hopes up for anything spectacular, but, being that they celebrated their 10 year anniversary with a crazy concert in times square after the show, i was expecting SOMETHING. 

Judy Craymer did a speech at the end and that was that. Aside from the audience's energy, and the playbill with the "official closing" sticker on it, there was nothing different about the final show. 

[mmFan]

Posted: 9/13/15 at 8:54pm

We're close..I've seen it 23 times

I see what you're saying and would have also expected "something".  It's been on Broadway for quite many years and as you say, most of the audience was probably previous members and 'true' fans.  Too bad, as it sounds like a bit of a let down (even though I'm sure the show itself was amazing)

Were the cast members emotional at all? 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 9/13/15 at 9:21pm

I saw it only once, but memorably early, two and a half weeks after 9/11, and still remember how much it meant to everyone inside the Winter Garden that odd night.  I sat near the late great Governor Anne Richards of Texas.  Even after giving ourselves over to the first act, the loud entr'act frightened the house, and then we giggled nervously and guiltily. That's how on edge NYC was. How hard it was to find a collective tone in a response to anything. The show's silliness was a balm, and it  pushed people to reconnect, smile, again if guiltily, to stand, breathe, feel alive and in a great place -- a Broadway theater in a still extraordinary if deeply wounded city -- at a scary moment, during weeks when no one knew if New York could rebound, let alone do so with needed predictability.  I remember vividly how no one knew what sort of recovery would come, what it would look like, when or if.  So "Mama Mia" -- loudly, aggressively entertaining, joyously demanding our participation in a shared cultural experience, asking that we embrace its pleasures, holds a very special place in my heart. I was never tempted to go back. That weeknight, the warm, still air in Times Square fouled still from the unspeakable tragedy, we all walked out and maybe -- only maybe --  thought: "we will get through this."  "Mama Mia" went on to represent many other things.  Yet for some, it remains a healing part of an era unlike any other.  Farewell, impact not forgotten.   

Updated On: 9/13/15 at 09:21 PM

[rdsport323]

Posted: 9/13/15 at 9:44pm

For those that were there, was there any professional recording going on?  I saw a lot of cameras during the waterloo/ending.  Were they filming throughout the show or just at the end?

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 9/13/15 at 10:30pm

rdsport323 said: "For those that were there, was there any professional recording going on?  I saw a lot of cameras during the waterloo/ending.  Were they filming throughout the show or just at the end?"

I was in the mezzanine and i did not see any cameras up there. one could only hope they filmed it!!!! i would love for them to release a copy some day of their final show, as Rent did.

[rdsport323]

Posted: 9/13/15 at 11:23pm

Hairspray0901 said: "rdsport323 said: "For those that were there, was there any professional recording going on?  I saw a lot of cameras during the waterloo/ending.  Were they filming throughout the show or just at the end?"

 

I was in the mezzanine and i did not see any cameras up there. one could only hope they filmed it!!!! i would love for them to release a copy some day of their final show, as Rent did.

 

"

There was an afterparty after the show.. did you go to that?

 

https://instagram.com/p/7jYBhUMHpS/?tagged=closingnight

some of the cast even took pics like these.

https://instagram.com/p/7j2k7zGzCX/?tagged=mammamia

[haterobics]

Posted: 9/14/15 at 2:08am

rdsport323 said: "was there any professional recording going on?  I saw a lot of cameras during the waterloo/ending.  Were they filming throughout the show or just at the end?"

 

At most final shows, the stage swarms with professional equipment at the end like that. Those are the people who will provide the content that will probably appear on Playbill, BWW, Broadway.com, and elsewhere. And the show may very well have filmed the ending/sig-a-long to post on its social media, etc. It is unlikely that is indicative of what went on the rest of the night. Also, final shows are often the worst shows to film, since they are very off compared to a normal performance. Long ovations, mid-show standing ovations, etc.

 

"There was an afterparty after the show."

 

That does sound like the appropriate time to have it.

Updated On: 9/14/15 at 02:08 AM

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 9/14/15 at 8:04am

rdsport323 said:" There was an afterparty after the show.. did you go to that?

https://instagram.com/p/7jYBhUMHpS/?tagged=closingnight

some of the cast even took pics like these.

https://instagram.com/p/7j2k7zGzCX/?tagged=mammamia

"

As I mentioned in your previous thread about the after party, I will remind you that they are only open to the cast/crew/family/friends of the company. So no, I did not go.

Side note - The one thing that I was at least hoping for was something like Hairspray's closing - where all of the alum joined on stage for a final you can't stop the beat. I felt the megamix gave people the perfect opportunity for that but alas, nothing. Oh well.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 9/14/15 at 9:49pm

Surprising especially after shows like "Hairspray". I did not even find a youtube clip for the final bow which is also different from most popular musicals that close.

[mmFan]

Posted: 9/14/15 at 9:55pm

There's a great video 12 min video on YouTube called  'MAMMA MIA! tribute to 14 fantastic years on Broadway!'

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 9/14/15 at 10:07pm

Hairspray's closing was incredible - special playbills plus, I will never forget watching the alumni flood the stage for a speech and YOU CAN'T STOP THE BEAT! I sort of thought Mamma Mia would do something similar, being that they have the megamix and all...or maybe have the alum on stage to sing thank you for the music...but...nothing. sigh.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/15/15 at 1:43am

I don't understand this disappointment in not having 14 years worth of alumni on the stage. Yes, Hairspray did that and it was a fun moment, but do tell me how one would expect Mamma Mia to flood that many people on stage, where there is no direct and easy access to the stage from the seats and where the entire MegaMix is specifically choreographed and includes very specific bows with very specific staging, let alone how empty that would leave the house.

it is a final performance. The final performance in and of itself is absolutely special and allowing the current cast and all alumni there to expert erence that show one final time, with the heightend emotions and the genuine love radiating from everyone there, and hopefully a thank you from the producers and / or creatives is all the "special" that a final show celebrating a monumental run requires. Again, Hairspray is a special exception because there was direct and easy access to the stage, and the moment whee the alumni were invited up was minimal and not dependent on people being in the right place at the right time. There were a LOT of people on that stage, and Mamma Mia would likely have more.