MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless ones
MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless ones
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#1MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless ones
Posted: 5/23/07 at 12:29pm
Here's a little update on the upcoming film-adaption of the musical MAMMA MIA! for those who've been out-of-the-loop. Yes, I'm know most of this has been stated before, but just helping those unawared ones. 
MAMMA MIA, MERYL GETS TO SNOG BOND!
The Oscar-winning actress stars in the movie based on the mega-hit stage musical MAMMA MIA!, featuring the songs of ABBA in which Meryl plays free-spirit Donna, whose daughter, Sophie, decides to get married.
One of the musical's main strands involves Donna's three former suitors, each of whom could be Sophie's father. Former Bond, Pierce Brosnan will play rugged Sam and the film will focus more on his romance with Donna.
Colin Firth has been confirmed to play 'headbanger' Harry, while Stellan Skarsgard, a popular actor thanks to his Bootstrap Bill in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, is in final negotiations to play Bill. Interestingly, the part was ear-marked for his Pirates co-star Bill Nighy, but he has other plans. An executive on the picture observed: 'You'll certainly be able to tell that Donna slept with all of them'.
Meryl, a trained singer, will sing "SOS" with Brosnan, before going on to warble numbers with her character's close friends, and one-time pop-group members, being played by Julie Walters (Rosie) and Christine Baranski (Tanya). By the way, Ms. Baranski played the hard-drinking Maryann in the 90's CBS TV sitcom CYBILL (opposite Cybill Shepherd) and I recall MAMMA MIA! boss Judy Cramer, who is also producing the film, telling me how Maryann was the inspiration for some of Tanya's character traits.
Three songs from the stage show - still enjoying a money-making run worldwide - have been dropped - "Thank You For The Music", "Under Attack" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You", although the movie introduces another ABBA number, "When All Is Said And Done".
The cast has already recorded the playback score, including Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper, who play the engaged couple. Rehearsals are currently underway with director Phyllida Lloyd then ten weeks of filming at Pinewood in June, followed by five weeks' location shooting on a Greek island.
#2re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless ones
Posted: 5/23/07 at 2:33pm
Yeah, nothing super-new or surprising, but great to see something more official confirming things.
But strange that a major part is still being cast and they've recorded the playback score/soundtrack already.
I giggles when I say they're going have "ten weeks of filming at Pinewood in June." Logistically, that just sounds funny. 
#2re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless ones
Posted: 5/23/07 at 2:51pmI'm sad they cut "Thank You For the Music". That's one of my favorite songs from the show and on of my favorite ABBA songs in general.
#3re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless ones
Posted: 5/23/07 at 3:04pm"Thank You..." IS a nice song, but cutting "Knowing Me" was a real surprise and bummer for me. Especially considering it originally was #1 single in several countries in the 70s.
#4re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/23/07 at 4:34pm
I'm sad to see "Knowing Me..." cut, but I do like "When All Is Said and Done." I wonder when they would do that song. Well, actually, just like any of the other songs, it can be sung anywhere in the plot and it would make sense, haha.
~Steven
americanboy99
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/06
#5re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/23/07 at 4:53pmKNOWING ME KNOWING YOU is cut? How odd.
#6re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/23/07 at 4:56pm
I loved "Under Attack."
I'm a little upset they cut that song.
"I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about." - Oscar Wilde
millie_dillmount
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/04
#7re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/23/07 at 4:59pm
"Under Attack" looked pretty silly on the stage.
I liked the show though.
"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611
#8re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/23/07 at 5:15pmAs much as I like the song, Under Attack DID look silly onstage, as Millie said... Would look even more ridiculous onscreen.
#9re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/23/07 at 5:16pm
UGH-- how do you delete a post, beyond just editing it????? 
Updated On: 5/23/07 at 05:16 PM
fairygodmother
Featured Actor Joined: 4/30/06
#10re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/23/07 at 5:21pmi was recording something at air studios in london when meryl streep and the abba guys came out, obviously had been putting some tracks down. i thought it seemed v early, but they've got to have something to film to, i suppose.
Featured Actor Joined: 12/31/69
#11re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/23/07 at 10:33pm
I'm pretty shocked Knowing Me Knowing You is cut too--I know Thank You For the Music is a big UK hit (it was a hit again when some people covered it in the late 90s--and I remember hearing it everywhere in London that year) but is pretty much unknown over here (It is interesting that originally it's the end of a little "musical suite" The Girl with the Golden Hair or something--which they'd perform on stage as a mini play starting I believe with I'm a Marionette--silly stuff)
Under Attack is a brilliant song but doesn't work on stage for me and is one example where I think it really needs the original pop track's glossy sheen to sell it--though of course sound wise it would be easier for them to replicate that for a movie musical than on stage
Yankeefan007
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
#12re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/23/07 at 10:37pm
Many songs should be cut, especially from the second section. The show goes from book musical in act 1 to rock opera in act 2.
Thankfully, they cut the 3 songs that most didn't further the plot. Thank You For The Music is a character song, Under Attack is a traditional, peppy act 2 opener, and Knowing Me, Knowing You blends in with everything else.
#13re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/23/07 at 11:07pmas much as i love under attack, other than the bed moving around the stage, it looked VERY silly onstage. especially w/ the flower-covered swim caps. knowing me know you-big shocker. i love thank you for the music and am sad to see it go. even though the setting of the movie will be BEAUTIFUL, i dont see a strong stage-screen transfer for MAMMA MIA!
"I mean, sitting side by side with another man watching Patti LuPone play Rose in GYPSY on Broadway is essentially the equivalent of having hardcore sex." -Wanna Be A Foster.
"Say 'Goody.' Say 'Bubbi.'" ... "That's it. Exactly as if it were 'Goody.' Now I know you're gonna sing 'Goody' this time, but nevertheless..."
millie_dillmount
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/04
#14re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/24/07 at 12:07amAs much as I had fun at the show, a lot of the songs were presented ridiculously onstage. For example, during "Lay All Your Love On Me," the guys stomping in scuba gear just ruined the feeling of the song for me.
"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611
#15re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/24/07 at 12:17am
As ridiculous as it was, I thought it was very yummy.
~Steven
#16re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/24/07 at 12:58amI'm still mad that Cher as Tanya and Bette as Rosie didn't work out... But don't get me wrong, I'll be seeing this movie on opening night, or hopefully earlier, if possible!
If Lincoln were alive today, do you think he'd be pleased with his tunnel?
#17re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/24/07 at 1:08am"Under Attack" was the best song of the show.
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
#18re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/24/07 at 1:17am
"The show goes from book musical in act 1 to rock opera in act 2. "
THANK YOU, YANKEE! haha, yeah, i just remember Donna singing like ten million songs in a row, all sitting in the little bedroom with Sophie, Sam, and herself. id say the majority of Act II was spent with her just sitting in that bedroom...
anyways, glad theyre cutting those 3 songs, esp. "Thank You For the Music"
My 2007/2008 Season:
Grey Gardens (7/5)
110 in the Shade (7/6)
Mary Poppins (7/7)
Xanadu (7/7)
Deuce (7/8)
Spamalot (7/8)
Jersey Boys (8/25)
The Year of Magical Thinking (8/25)
Mauritius (11/2)
Young Frankenstein (11/3)
Rock 'N' Roll (11/3)
Pygmalion (11/4)
Mauritius (11/10)
Mauritius (11/21) Mauritius (11/21)
Sunday in the Park with George (3/6)
South Pacific (3/7)
Gypsy (3/8)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (3/9)
#19re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/24/07 at 1:17am
"The show goes from book musical in act 1 to rock opera in act 2. "
THANK YOU, YANKEE! haha, yeah, i just remember Donna singing like ten million songs in a row, all sitting in the little bedroom with Sophie, Sam, and herself. id say the majority of Act II was spent with her just sitting in that bedroom...
anyways, glad theyre cutting those 3 songs, esp. "Thank You For the Music"
My 2007/2008 Season:
Grey Gardens (7/5)
110 in the Shade (7/6)
Mary Poppins (7/7)
Xanadu (7/7)
Deuce (7/8)
Spamalot (7/8)
Jersey Boys (8/25)
The Year of Magical Thinking (8/25)
Mauritius (11/2)
Young Frankenstein (11/3)
Rock 'N' Roll (11/3)
Pygmalion (11/4)
Mauritius (11/10)
Mauritius (11/21) Mauritius (11/21)
Sunday in the Park with George (3/6)
South Pacific (3/7)
Gypsy (3/8)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (3/9)
#20re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/24/07 at 9:30am
Well, "Under Attack" might have looked silly on stage, but the lyrics definitely further the plot...It's a shame it was cut. It really gives voice to what Sophie is going through.
I am *SO* excited for the movie, though!!
"Years from now, when you talk about this - And you will - Be kind. "
justafan2
Broadway Star Joined: 3/25/04
#21re: MAMMA MIA! - The Movie Musical....a little heads-up for those clueless
Posted: 5/24/07 at 12:53pm
I really LOVE "thank you for the music"----it is one of my favorites---too bad they cut it!
