Feature: GRAMMA MIA! at Cote Saint-Luc Dramatic Society

When I first heard the title of Cote Saint-Luc Dramatic Society's upcoming show, Gramma Mia!, I couldn't help but to smile and give a little chuckle. Gramma Mia! is touted to be a unique spin on ABBA's jukebox musical Mamma Mia, and just happens to coincide with the cinematic release of Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again. Well played, Cote Saint-Luc; well played.

Cote Saint Luc Dramatic Society has built up a repertoire of Broadway musical parodies performed by the 55+ crowd as part of its Senior Summerworks Project, a group that brought us The Wizard of Oy (based on The Wizard of Oz), Florida (based on Chicago), and Grannie (based on Annie). Now before you start groaning at that last series of punny titles, might I point out that Broadway aficionados have been enjoying comedic musical parodies since the early 1980s, largely due to Gerard Alessandrini's award-winning Off-Broadway revue, Forbidden Broadway. Alessandrini has written countless variations of the show which resulted in thirteen albums, and most recently wrote Spamilton (a parody of Hamilton). With that in mind, Gramma Mia's writer and director, Ari Sterlin, might consider sending her libretto to Alessandrini.

I asked Ari Sterlin about how such a young person came to be so involved with with a cast of seniors singing music of the 1970s. Here's what she had to say:

"I am an absolute Broadway fanatic so getting the chance to work with material I love is a dream. The idea originally came from a night in with a group of fellow theater fans. We noticed that there were almost no musicals that existed that could accommodate a cast of all seniors, and then discovered the comedy gold that could exist when you took popular musicals and gave them a senior citizen twist. As the Dramatic Society continued to grow, we quickly realized that finding shows with significant parts for seniors was almost impossible; a serious problem in a community with a heavy senior population. These parodies give our cast the opportunity to sing showtunes they already know and love, plus they get the chance to play leading roles, a rarity in regular theater."

Sterlin's passion for Cote Saint-Luc's Senior Summerworks project is certainly insurmountable. I wouldn't be surprised to see Rock of Old Agers, Come From Oy Vey, or The Bubbies' Visit in years to come.

Along with Ari Sterlin, the production team also includes Sam Boucher as musical director, and Elisabeth Nyveen as set/costume/props designer. Gramma Mia! takes the stage at the Harold Greenspon Auditorium (5801 Cavendish Blvd, Côte Saint-Luc) from August 23 to 26. General admission tickets ($15.00) are available at CSLDramaticSociety.com, or in person at the Côte Saint-Luc Library (5801 Cavendish Blvd, Côte Saint-Luc) or the Côte Saint-Luc Aquatic and Community Centre (5794 Avenue Parkhaven, Côte Saint-Luc).