“Thank You For the Music, the Songs I’m Singing” Mamma Mia at the Colonial Theater 11/28/07

I don’t have much to say about seeing Mamma Mia last night at the Colonial Theater. It was…Mamma Mia, a high-energy, tongue firmly in cheek jukebox musical set to ABBA songs. Since it was the first of this wave of jukebox musicals, I’ll forgive it for being a jukebox musical. The best joke about Mamma Mia is how they arrange ABBA’s greatest hits into a somewhat flimsy story. The joke is that they are using these popular songs and there are very few moments where the musical takes itself too seriously (which was the major fault of the awful jukebox musical All Shook Up). If you grew up listening to ABBA as I did, this is a very enjoyable show. If you don’t know ABBA or are a new fan, it is still enjoyable. If you hate ABBA, you will hate this show. Its made for fans.

And my God, there were fans at the theater last night. Old fans. Like grannies dancing in their seats, old guys busting a move. It was really funny to watch all these middle-aged and ederly people bobbing their heads and occasionally singing along with the actors. At the end of the show, they do a little concert-type thing with the songs “Mamma Mia”, “Dancing Queen” and “Waterloo” complete with the sequined spandex outfits that ABBA wore back in the 70’s. Its a lot of fun and most of the audience got up to dance and sing. I wanted to so badly but I was around all of my coworkers who were not dancing, so I thought it best not to as well.

It was so hard to sit through that show and not move or sing to the music, I know it so well from my mom being an ABBA fan to having seen the musical a number of times now. Oh well. It was fun. The Colonial needs to turn the speakers down though as it was way too loud. The background singing completely drowned out the lead actress, who had a very nice but quiet voice.

If you have a chance to see the show and are familiar with ABBA, it’s a good time and you’ll probably come away entertained. Just don’t expect depth, much emotion (except the song “Slipping Through My Fingers” which the mom and daughter sing and it gets me every time), or much in the way of spectacular sets or costumes.

Not including the spandex of course!