Review Roundup: MAMMA MIA! Launches 25th Anniversary North American Tour

The 25th Anniversary North American Tour of Mamma Mia!, the ultimate feel-good show based on the songs of ABBA, officially opened with The Denver Center for Performing Arts on November 2nd and is currently playing to audiences accross the country! 

The sunny, funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads on a Greek island paradise, all unfolding to the storytelling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs, has now been seen live on stage by 65 million people across the world and turned into two record-breaking movies – Mamma Mia! The Movie and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Read the reviews for the new tour of Mamma Mia! below!

Sandi Masori, San Diego Jewish World: Unlike many musicals that have a song or two that everyone in the audience knows and go crazy for, when the entire soundtrack is made up of pop hits, it’s a different game all together. Every song seemed to have a little extra accompaniment from the audience as they couldn’t stop themselves from humming, singing a few bars or otherwise joining in on the songs- especially the more fast-paced ones. And for the biggest hits, like “Mamma Mia,” “Dancing Queen,” and “Money Money Money,” you could see the audience trying to restrain itself from an all-out sing along. But don’t worry, the wise producers and directors of the show knew this would be an issue and ended with a 20 min sing-and- dance-along curtain call that to the delight of the audience just kept going and going.

Linda Hodges, BroadwayWorld: This delightfully witty and truly hilarious musical rom-com was written by award-winning British playwright Catherine Johnson whose book threads itself through the Swedish pop group’s megahits (written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus). You don’t need to know ABBA’s music or be a big mega-fan to fall in love with the show. That said, ABBA fans are guaranteed to be swept away on a wave of collective nostalgia that is the cherry on top of this frothy, bouncy story.

Tyler Hinton, BroadwayWorld.com: Christine Sherrill as Donna (who last played the role in the Las Vegas residency) and Alisa Melendez as Sophie (Broadway’s ALMOST FAMOUS) lead the group with spunk and passion. Victor Wallace was the final person to play Sam on Broadway, and the honor is well deserved. He gives a riveting performance. Fellow Broadway vets Rob Marnell as Harry and Jim Newman as Bill are equally well cast.

Nancy Van Valkenburg, Gephardt Daily: Christine Sherrill is a strong as Donna, whose past has caught up with her. Sherrill has a strong voice, but a few times seems vocally to be slightly behind the instrumentals. It seems to be a stylistic choice, but is problematic with an audience that came to hear the exact sound of ABBA.

DC Felton, BroadwayWorld: One of the things I enjoy about shows returning to the Civic Center is seeing which elements you see differently. One of them that stood out to me more this time was the excellent lighting of Howard Harrison. I love how intertwined in the show the lighting becomes. It's something you don’t always get to see sitting up close to the stage. I found it especially fun seeing how the lighting invites the audience in at the top of the show during the overture making the curtain look like it is flowing water. It also brings the audience in at the end for the curtain call and lets the audience know it is ok to join in the fun.

Christine Howey, Scene: But let's make one thing perfectly clear. Don't think if you've seen the movie Mamma Mia! you've seen enough. This lively, sleek production directed by Phyllida Lloyd and choreographed by Anthony Van Last is a smooth, fast-paced and engineered to get you dancing in your seat.

Rohan Preston, Star Tribune: But as I watched Tuesday's opening of the rah-rah 25th anniversary national tour that runs through Sunday at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, I was struck by a quaint idea: it's not always damning for something to become a parody of itself.

Sofia Ascorbe, BroadwayWorld: In this production, Donna (Christine Sherrill of Wisconsin) and Sophie (Alisa Melendez) share tears, fights, laughter, and a lot of love amidst the comedic silliness that most of the numbers deliver. Joining them are Donna's friends and former "the Dynamos" girl group members Tanya (Jalynn Steele) and Rosie (Carly Sakolove), who provide some of the most entertaining physical and musical comedy the show sees. The three "potential" biological fathers, played by Jim Newman as Bill, Rob Markell as Harry, and Victor Wallace (another Wisconsin resident) as Sam, are equally as funny and vibrant in their roles. Also characters of their own are the costumes, at times as bright and dazzling as their musical numbers, and at others as white and blue as the hot Greek sun.

Taylor Clemons, BroadwayWorld: I think the key to making this show work is an extremely talented cast that radiates joy. In those regards, the current national tour company is firing on all cylinders. I’d venture to say there’s not a single weak link in the bunch. This cast is led by Christine Sherrill as Donna. Christine brings so much warmth and relatability to the role, and vocally is one of the best I’ve ever seen play Donna. Her “The Winner Takes it All” late in the second act is a bonafide showstopper. Alisa Melendez as Sophie does a wonderful job as well. Sophie isn’t the most interesting role on paper, but Melenzez infuses her Sophie with spunk and agency, while showcasing some amazing vocal chops along the way.

Alan Portner, BroadwayWorld: The 25th Anniversary Tour opened in Denver on October 31, 2023, and still retains the cast excitement and energy that is essential for this kind of show. Everybody in this company is excellent.

Dylan Shaffer, BroadwayWorld: With familiar hits like “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Honey, Honey,” MAMMA MIA! has a leg up on most musicals: audiences already know the songs. But to surmount and overcome the expectations of audiences is no easy feat. The 25th Anniversary Tour of MAMMA MIA! blows all expectations out of the Grecian waters!

Victoria Davis, The Cap Times: The hit ABBA jukebox musical is relentlessly impressive, shocking in all the right ways, and just plain fun. The laughter is earned, as are the tears. Every actor and background dancer looks like they are having the time of their life, especially during “Chiquitita,” which got lots of cheers from the audience.

Casey Carter, The Pitt News: The performance starred Christine Sherrill as Donna Sheridan and Alisa Melendez as Sophie Sheridan. Sherrill and Melendez were strong female leads, adeptly portraying the mother-daughter relationship between Donna and Sophie. However, for me, the dynamic duo of Donna’s friends Tanya and Rosie shone in every scene they were featured in. Tanya, played by Jalynn Steele, and Rosie, played by Carly Sakolove, captivated the audience with their performances, inserting humor and energy into their respective roles. Their onstage chemistry was outstanding — it was impossible not to smile whenever this duo took the stage.

Jason Davis, BroadwayWorld : Led by a stellar cast, including Alisa Melendez as Sophie and Christine Sherrill as Donna, the production bursts with girl power, showcasing the strength and talent of its female leads. Melendez's portrayal of Sophie impressively combines maturity with feistiness, adding a new dimension to the character.

Michael Rabice, BroadwayWorld: Guilty as charged. I openly admit I really enjoy the ABBA musical, MAMMA MIA! There is a time and place for all kinds of entertainment, and the birth of the jukebox musical can almost certainly be attributed to kind of show MAMMA MIA has become. Now 25 years after it's opening, the national tour that is playing at Shea's Buffalo this week has audiences happily enraptured with a musical comedy that serves solely to entertain. And it most certainly succeeds.

Gail Golden, Buffalo Rising: If you are an ABBA fan, you are in luck! The show has lots of songs and very little dialogue. It is more like a pop opera than a musical. Many of the songs are superfluous – they don’t advance the plot or help us understand the characters better. In fact, some of the song choices seem downright inappropriate – the daughter sings a love song to her father, the father sings a “break up” song to his daughter.

Constance Beulah, DC Theater Arts: While I adored the glitzy, shiny costumes that Associate Costume Designer Lucy Gaiger put together — exactly what you expected to see for “Dancing Queen” — each number was special and done with profound care. My favorite duet, “The Winner Takes It All” — sung by Donna exquisitely portrayed by Christine Sherrill and a most talented actor, Victor Wallace, who dreamily played Sam Carmichael — was sheer joy. The emotion that reverberated through the room listening to their voices reach beyond the raptors brought me close to tears. Their chemistry was apparent throughout the show but in this duet, their voices became the epitome of sad, lost love fighting to gain a foothold in the present. The audience was utterly mesmerized by them to the point of a standing ovation.

Average Rating: 80.0%

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