Muskegon Civic Theatre to Present MAMMA MIA!

The familiar songs of the pop music group ABBA will fill the downtown Frauenthal Theater when Muskegon Civic Theatre stages "Mamma Mia!"
MCT originally planned to produce the popular jukebox musical in 2020, but that show was shelved two weeks into rehearsal by the COVID-19 pandemic.

MCT will perform "Mamma Mia!" April 28 through May 1 at the historic (opened 1930) venue.
And the public will get a preview not only of the show but also of MCT's upcoming season.
From noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 23, a Mamma Mia! Pub Crawl will run from the Wonderland Distillery on Lakeshore Drive in the Lakeside neighborhood business district to the downtown Rake Beer Project, 794 Pine. Abba-style costumes are encouraged for participants.
Tickets for the pub crawl are $5, and they buy a drink and get a punch ticket for every establishment along the route. MCT will collect completed punch cards at the Rake Beer Project, to enter them in a raffle for three grand prizes. To sign up and purchase punch cards, visit the MCT website www.muskegoncivictheatre.org.

Halfway through the crawl, at 3 p.m., MCT will announce its 2022-2023 season at the open-air Olthoff Stage on Third Street across from the Frauenthal.

Tickets for the actual production are $28. They are available online at www.muskegoncivictheatre.org, at the Frauenthal Box Office, or by calling (231) 727-8001.

"Mamma Mia!" features such ABBA hits as "Super Trouper," "Lay All Your Love on Me," "Dancing Queen," "Knowing You," "Take a Chance on Me," "Thank You for the Music," "Money, Money, Money," "The Winner Takes All," "Voulez-Vous," "SOS" and the titular "Mamma Mia."
Written by British playwright Catherine Johnson who fashioned her storyline on the songs composed by ABBA founders Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, "Mamma Mia!" became a worldwide phenomenon. It is the sixth longest-running show on London's famous West End. In New York City it is the ninth longest-running show in Broadway history.

The current show includes some of the original performers in the same roles, some new performers, and some original performers in different roles.

The principal cast includes Rachel Williams, Stacy Dawe, Scott Roodvoets, Kevin Prince, David Riegler, David Hatter, Jamie McCool, Karen Ambs, Mackenzie Trowbridge, Cequoia Davis, Jakari Carlson and Spencer Klairter.

Ensemble members are Dustin Day, Calvin O'Leary, Seth Kauderer, Timothy Zinger, Sophia Kelley, Rikki Rideout, Gabi Tomes and McKenzie Pastor.

The show is again being directed by Penny Notter. The staff includes producer Shari Miranda, assistant director/stage manager Amy Lalick-Prinzi, music director Phil DeYoung, choreographer Malia Huffman, vocal coach David Inbody, accompanist Janie Glerum set designer Mat Moore, set construction/shop supervisor Dale Hartman, technical director Patrick Harker, and properties chair Tamar Erickson.