‘The Winner Takes It All’ in Neuqua Valley’s spring musical ‘Mamma Mia!’
Travel to the sunny shores of Greece in Neuqua Valley Theatre’s spring musical “Mamma Mia!” More than 100 students are participating in the production of this jukebox musical featuring many of ABBA’s greatest hits.
Performances will be 7 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, April 23-25, at Neuqua Valley High School auditorium, 2360 95th St. in Naperville. Enter at Door 7.
Tickets, which are $20 or $10 for students, are available at nvhstheatre.com. It is highly recommended to purchase tickets ahead of time since the musical will likely sell out.
Director Johnathan Pontarelli answered some questions about the production.
Q. For those who aren't familiar, please describe the plot.
The magic of ABBA’s timeless music propels this enchanting tale of love and friendship while creating an unforgettable story of a young woman's search for her birth father.
On the eve of her wedding, Sophie’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the Greek island paradise they last visited 20 years ago.
“Mamma Mia!” celebrates the idea that families are not always defined by certainty or by traditional expectations. Instead, they are formed through love, support, and the people who choose to stand beside us.
Sophie’s journey teaches audiences that sometimes the answers we seek are less important than the relationships we discover along the way.
Q. How many students are involved with the production?
The cast alone is about 55 performers, with a 27-person pit band and over 30 kids on tech (set construction, lights/sound, and costumes). It certainly takes a small village to put on a production such as this.
Q. What did you find most rewarding?
Being able to collaborate with so many people to produce the best possible version of a show.
Between working with our vocal directors, Anne Kasprzak and Kailey Rockwell, pit band conductor, Brad Pfeil, and all the students involved in the show, it's immensely gratifying.
I'm always so impressed in how we are able to create something from our minds and make it a reality.
Q. What do you think audiences will enjoy most about this play?
The songs are incredibility catchy and very familiar because of the music of the pop/disco group ABBA.
Audiences are going to love our choreography (choreographed by Tiffany Krause) and will be enamored with the set design (set design by Steve Fleming and set construction by Nemo Keane) as we whisk you away to the magical Greek Islands.
This musical is a perfect precursor to summer.
Q. Anything else you'd like readers to know about this show?
To best quote marine life artist Robert Wyland, “The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination, and brings eternal joy to the soul.”
Our rendition of “Mamma Mia!” will do just that.