Review: MAMMA MIA! at Keller Auditorium

A jukebox musical based on the music of ABBA, MAMMA MIA! knows exactly what it is and makes absolutely no apologies for it. It’s fun!

The plot: Sophie is about to get married. She's also just discovered, via her mother Donna's diary, that she has three possible fathers, and she invites them all to the wedding without telling anyone. Improbable? Absolutely. A little weird? For sure. If you look closely, you can find a quiet lesson in the chaos: that love doesn't have to follow any particular mold. There are many ways to love people and be loved in return, and they're all okay.

But let's be honest: the story isn’t the point. You're there for the music, and so is everyone else, judging by the full house of bopping heads (mine very much included) on opening night. It’s essentially the ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits album (minus "Fernando"), plus a few deeper cuts. My theatre companion arrived convinced she didn't know much ABBA. By the final number she'd realized she knew quite a bit. Because how could you not? And if the music weren't enough, there are the costumes. So shiny!

The cast energetically delivers. Jessica Crouch is appropriately fierce and vulnerable as Donna, and Juliette M. Ojeda has a beautiful voice for Sophie, as does Grant Reynolds in the role of Sky, the groom. Among the three possible fathers, Rob Hancock is endearingly awkward as Harry "Headbanger" Bright, Leland Burnett plays Bill Austin with sincerity, and Victor Wallace is all passion as Sam Carmichael. The show's comic heart belongs to Donna's two best friends. Jalynn Steele is fabulous as Tanya, stealing every scene she's in, and Alex Lanning (three cheers for understudies!) brings abundant comedy to the role of Rosie.

The men's ensemble is always one of the great joys of this show. They sing and dance in full snorkeling gear – flippers included! Standout among them is Dominic Young, who is absolutely wonderful as Pepper. The guy can move!

There’s a reason MAMMA MIA! has been touring for 25 years. It will send you out the door with a smile and “Dancing Queen” stuck in your head for the rest of the week. Pro tip: Don’t leave early! A lot of people bolt for the exits at the first hint of a curtain call, but here you'd be missing not only the chance to show your appreciation for the cast’s hard work, but also a mini ABBA concert. You came for the music. You might as well stay for it.

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