BWW Reviews: MAMMA MIA! at Kingsbury Hall is Crowd-Pleasing Fun
The national tour of Mamma Mia!, which played at Kingsbury Hall this past weekend, is a crowd-pleasing mix of enjoyable performances, appealing characters, and well-loved pop hits.
MAMMA MIA! (book by Catherine Johnson, music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and some songs with Stig Anderson) is a long-running jukebox musical about a hardworking single mother named Donna and her daughter, Sophie, who sends wedding invitations to three men she suspects may be her father. When all three arrive the day before the wedding, along with Donna's friends Rosie and Tanya, a whole lot of drama, fun, and ABBA music ensue.
The most enjoyable in a batch of winning performances is by Brynn Smith, who happens to be the understudy for Sophie. Her dulcet vocals and spunky, grounded scene work make her character the heart and soul of the show.
Also impressive are the emotional range of Georgia Kate Haege as Donna and the impeccable comic timing of Sarah Smith as Rosie and Bailey Purvis as Tanya.
The leading men of the cast are equally great. They include Eric Presnall as Sophie's fiancé Sky, Michael Colavolpe as Bill, Jeff Drushal as Sam, and Mark Harmon as Harry.
The production design by Mark Thompson, complemented by Howard Harrison's lighting design, presents a Greek island fantasy with just enough real life around the edges to make it feel genuine.
The execution of the choreography could be tighter and the sound mixing could lean less heavily on the instrumentals, but overall this is a strong iteration of a jubilant, feel-good musical.
For more information about future performances from Broadway Across America in Salt Lake City, visit www.broadwayinutah.com.
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus.
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