Review: Have The Time of Your Life with MAMMA MIA! at Broadway Palm

Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre's production of MAMMA MIA! brings the classic, fun-filled, musical story of Donna Sheridan, her daughter, Sophie, and Sophie's dream to find out who her father is before her wedding to life on stage once again. It is Broadway Palm's number one show of all time, and it was a delight to see it back again at their theatre.

Jennie Nasser plays Sophie, and she was absolutely wonderful. She captured Sophie's curious and fun spirit perfectly, and her singing was beautiful - her riffs made the audience burst into applause, and I could definitely hear why. I thoroughly enjoyed her chemistry with Sky (Kyle Southern) and thought the on stage bond she shared with Donna (Kate Turner) was very sweet.

Kate Turner's portrayal of Donna was fabulous. Her independent and adventurous personality was fantastically played, and her vocals were very strong. I loved her reaction as she realizes Harry (Victor Legarreta), Bill (Andrew Scoggin), and Sam (Nicholas Carroll) have all appeared at once, the day before Sophie's Wedding. Renée Reid and Shannon Conolly play Donna's best friends, Tanya and Rosie, and I loved their friendship. They were all so funny, and their support for Donna was heartwarming.

The rest of the cast did an amazing job. MAMMA MIA! has a lot of big musical numbers, and every single one of them had high energy throughout the whole show. From Mamma Mia! to Lay All Your Love On Me, Voulez-Vous, and beyond, they all gave excellent performances.

Amy Marie McCleary directed and choreographed this production of MAMMA MIA! and I have to give her credit for her incredible work. The choreography was wonderful in every part of the show, and you could see the joy and passion in the work put into this show from her as well as from the rest of the cast. It is no small feat to be producing a show like MAMMA MIA! while a global pandemic is still occurring, and I applaud the safety measures Broadway Palm has taken to keep their cast and crew safe. A couple references to COVID-19 were thrown in to the show as well, which I thought was a nice, humorous touch.

While Broadway Palm has done a great job at trying to keep audiences safe during this time, I did notice many audience members not completely adhering to the theatre's guidelines. Everyone is supposed to wear a mask when they move throughout the theatre as well as during the show, and I saw a number of people walking around without a mask, and only about a third of the audience put theirs on during the show. This was rather uncomfortable to see, so I encourage everyone to please read and listen to the theatre's guidelines regarding COVID-19 if you choose to attend the show. Support live theatre, but please do so responsibly and with respect to others.

MAMMA MIA! is the perfect show to see when you want to escape from the current events of the world for a couple hours, and I definitely recommend checking it out at Broadway Palm while it's running. With some fabulous music, an entertaining storyline, flashy and fun costumes (thanks to Costume Designer John P. White), and a superbly talented cast, it is not to be missed. I said this in my review of Broadway Palm's prior production of MAMMA MIA! and I will happily say it again: You will dance, jive, and have the time of your life!

MAMMA MIA! is playing at Broadway Palm now through November 14. Performances are Wednesday through Sunday evenings with selected matinees. Tickets are $48 to $73 with children and group prices available. Tickets are now on sale and can be reserved by calling (239) 278-4422, visiting BroadwayPalm.com, or in person at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.

To post a comment, you must register and login.