Detour Company Theatre to Present MAMMA MIA!

Detour Company Theatre will present the beloved musical "Mamma Mia!" on June 7-9 at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale, Arizona.

Detour Company Theatre provides theater training and performance experiences for adults with cognitive and physical disabilities, providing them authentic opportunities to develop artistry, demonstrate courage and collaboration, experience joy and participate in the sharing of musical theater with the entire community.

"Detour Company Theatre is about coming together as a family," said Sam, artistic director and founder of Detour, who only uses the single name. "'Mamma Mia!' is about family. Family is about love. Love is love is love!"

In this jukebox musical by Catherine Johnson, the songs of the Swedish pop group ABBA tell the hilarious story of a young woman's search for her birth father. Set in a Greek island paradise on the eve of her wedding, the daughter invites three men from her mother's past to determine which one might be her father. The storyline is punctuated with one timeless ABBA hit after another.

The actors from Detour may have disabilities including, but not limited to, autism, cognitive and physical challenges, deafness and blindness. Because of this, Detour productions require additional support and adaptive techniques. The goal is to create rewarding programming that supports the actors' existing skills and celebrates the development of new skills.

Detour Company Theatre stages its productions in June and January of each year at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, where Detour is a resident company. Natalie Marsh, director of Scottsdale Arts Education & Outreach, said it is a "true joy" to work with Sam and the rest of the Detour family on these productions.

"We are so proud to present two shows annually with Detour Company Theatre," Marsh said. "This partnership is the definition of accessibility and inclusiveness, and it demonstrates how organizations are stronger when they work together. The partnership not only allows Scottsdale Arts to provide accessible, high-quality arts experiences to people of all ages and abilities, but it also gives us the opportunity to help arts organizations from around the Valley achieve their missions."

Detour will have four showings of "Mamma Mia" at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. On Friday, June 7, there will be two showings, one at 1 p.m. and one at 7 p.m. On Saturday, June 8, and Sunday, June 9, the musical will begin at 3 p.m. Admission is free for all productions, but donations are accepted.

For information about the show, visit ScottsdalePerformingArts.org and DetourCompanyTheatre.org.

Photo: Detour Company Theatre is shown in a 2018 production of "School of Rock."
Photo by: Betty Hum Photography