Venice Theatre Presents Area Premiere Of MAMMA MIA!

Venice Theatre's MainStage Series will present the ABBA-themed musical Mamma Mia! Friday Oct. 25, 2019 through Sunday Dec. 1, 2019. Tuesday through Saturday performances start at 7:30 p.m. Sunday performances are at 2 p.m. During the week of Thanksgiving, there will be no shows on Wednesday, Nov. 27 and Thursday, Nov. 28. There is no evening show on Saturday, Nov. 30 due to the Venice Holiday Parade. There will be a 2 p.m. matinee on that day instead.

Adult tickets for Mamma Mia! begin at $36, college seats are $20, and tickets for students through 12th grade are $15. Discounted rates are available for groups of 15 or more. Tickets are available at VeniceTheatre.org or by contacting the box office at 941-488-1115. Mamma Mia! is generously sponsored by Gulf Coast Community Foundation; The Ehrhart Family Foundation/Jean Trammell, Trustee; Eric Styren & David Towne, Legacy Sponsor; James & Joanne Williams; Steve & Redenta Picazio; Dennis & Ruthanne Neeser; and Joe & Kathryn LaDu.

The book for Mamma Mia! is written by Catherine Johnson who weaves the hits of the Swedish pop group, ABBA, into a comic story about a young woman's search for her birth father. On the eve of her wedding, the daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. This sunny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise designed by Tim Wisgerhof with lighting by John Andzulis.

The bride, Sophie, is played by Booker High School senior Belle Babcock who has also starred in VT productions of Urinetown and Into the Woods. Starring as Sophie's mother, Donna, is Lisa Figueroa. Chris Caswell, Joseph Giglia, and Ken Basque play the potential fathers. The lively cast of 20 performers also includes Gabriel Trimbur as Pepper, Casey Berkery as Eddie, Lauren Wickerson as Ali, Melissa Pfoertner as Lisa, and an ensemble consisting of Jessica Babcock, Charlotte Crowley, Jack Kaiser, Julie Kulin, Jaden Lux, Cayman Mosley, Laura Swartzendruber, and Nethaneel Williams.

The talented production team includes Director/Choreographer Brad Wages who most recently directed Urinetown over the summer and Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific last Fall at VT. Michelle Kasanofsky is the musical director and Lisa Million is the stage manager. The design team consists of Tim Wisgerhof who is designing the beautiful resort on the Mediterranean, John Andzulis designing lighting, and Venice newcomer Summer Lee Jack designing the costumes.

Mamma Mia! premiered in London in 1999. It went on to Toronto, California, and Chicago before arriving on Broadway in 2001. It was nominated for five Tony Awards in 2002. Over 60 million people around the world have seen Mamma Mia! It has grossed $2 billion worldwide since its premiere. Having been translated into 14 languages, it is said that on any given day there are at least seven productions of Mamma Mia! running around the world. Enjoyed critics as well as theatergoers, reviews have said:

A lively cast of 20 performers, non-stop laughs, and explosive dance numbers choreographed and directed by Brad Wages will combine to make Mamma Mia! a guaranteed smash hit. Presales for the show are brisk with half of the seats already sold two weeks before opening. Ticket buyers are encouraged to purchase early if they want to be sure to see the show.

Tickets for Mamma Mia! and all Venice Theatre shows and events through June 2020 are available at the box office at 941-488-1115 or online at VeniceTheatre.org. A variety of money-saving subscription packages for the 2019-2020 Season are on sale as well. Venice Theatre is located at 140 Tampa Ave. W. on the island in Venice. Box office hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and one hour before showtime. Hours will be extended to 5 p.m. beginning Nov. 1, 2019.