A few flaws can't spoil the fun of 'Mamma Mia!'

Posted January 20, 2010 10:00 pm

By Dave Brencic

Mamma mia! Can a production get any more loud, boisterous and dare I say it ... fun?

The national tour of the mega musical known as "Mamma Mia" again comes to town for a brief weeklong stay at the Rosemont Theatre. The musical not only has enjoyed seven sold-out years on Broadway, but has played in more than 40 cities around the world continuously ringing up royalties for Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and the Swedish band ABBA.

I have to admit that I'm a "Mamma Mia!" novice. I took a pass on the 2008 movie version with Meryl Streep and warbling Pierce Brosnan, which boasts of being the most successful movie musical ever. I also have to admit that I've never been a big ABBA fan, despite their huge popularity. "Dancing Queen" almost always sends me scurrying to change the radio station.

This is a show that knows its audience and caters to its predominately female fan base (be it adolescent girls or middle-aged moms) with catchy, pulsating songs, a woman-centered story and hunky beef cake - the perfect chick trifecta.

The story is a simple one. Donna is a single mother who owns a struggling hotel on a Greek island. Donna's daughter Sophie is getting ready for her wedding and secretly invites three men from Donna's past, hoping to discover the identity of her father. Also invited are Donna's two best girlfriends from her one-time girl group Donna and the Dynamos.

All this makes for a lot of rollicking musical numbers, characters recalling their younger days and ugly outfits reminiscent of the '70s.

This latest production in town has a few annoying flaws, however. From the opening chords to the curtain call, the music was overpowering. While the cast was able to hold its own in the bigger production numbers, by the end I felt a little sorry for the singers who seemed like they were straining to be heard above the pounding synthesizers and guitars.

It was most noticeable in Michelle Dawson's first number "Money, Money, Money," which turned into a muddled mess. It was hard for Dawson, who plays Donna, to be understood, especially since the song requires singing in a lower register.

Another annoyance was the set design. While the rotating sets were multifunctional, creating the atmosphere of a beach hotel in Greece, the setup left a gap between set pieces. At least from where we were sitting, it was distracting to see stage hands and actors waiting in the wings.

It's the supporting cast that really boosts this production. Rachel Tyler and Kittra Wynn Coomer, who play Donna's friends Tanya and Rosie, are a delight in every number they're in. Despite my disdain for "Dancing Queen," Tyler, Coomer and Dawson are hysterical as they relive their old singing days using hair dryers, brushes and snorkels as microphone props - something we've probably all done at least in the privacy of our own homes.

Tyler and Coomer also excel in their own featured numbers "Does Your Mother Know" and "Take a Chance on Me."

Liana Hunt, who plays Sophie and is making her national tour debut, brings a fresh-faced energy to her role. Michael Aaron Lindner and Martin Kildare are solid as Harry and Bill, two of the potential fathers.

Where "Mamma Mia!" really comes together is in the big production numbers like "Voulez-Vous," which closes out the first act, and the rousing reprise with its gaudy, glitzy costumes ... think outfits worn by the rock band KISS, but in orange, red and chartreuse.

"Mamma Mia" isn't high drama, and it may not be considered one of the theater's most endearing musicals. But its continuing popularity proves it is certainly enduring by the number of devoted cheering fans dancing in the aisles, singing along and having an all-around good time.

"Mamma Mia!"

Rating: ★ ★ ★

Location: Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont

Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21; 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23; 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24

Running time: About two hours with an intermission

Tickets: $30-$80

Parking: Nearby pay garage

Rating: For teens and older

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