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| Photo by Danny Alverez |
Oh, don’t bother with the alcohol. “Mamma Mia!”, which opened Friday at Little Theatre of Winston-Salem, has enough sparkle and bubble to make you feel like a dancing queen. The 100 percent natural and hangover-free high of “Mamma Mia!” is provided by a huge cast, a full orchestra and chorus; boatloads of energy — both youthful and not-so — and several bushels of sequins.
The irrepressible music of ABBA also helps. From “Dancing Queen” to “Money, Money, Money” and “Waterloo,” the hits just keep on coming, and this cast delivers them with gusto.
The plot is skimpy and convoluted, but ultimately sweet and funny.
Donna, the owner of a struggling taverna on a tiny Greek Island, had a daughter 21 years ago with somebody — either Sam, Bill or Harry.
Said daughter, Sophie, has summoned these three back to Greece on the eve of her wedding to Sky. Thus begins a 24-hour sprint to discover who’s her daddy. She wants her father to walk her down the aisle.
Donna is understandably flummoxed by the sudden appearance of these long-ago lovers, but she gets support from Tanya and Rosie. They all comprised a girl rock band back in the day, Donna and the Dynamos.
Jennifer deCoste is a lusty Donna, not at all subdued by time and financial struggles. She is a spitfire. DeCoste’s rich voice is particularly well-suited to the ABBA pop, which ranges from silly to soulful.
Jean-Marie Buckley as Tanya and Ruthie Tutterow as Rosie both display fearless physicality and great comic timing.
And, speaking of physicality, the Mutt and Jeff duo of Dru Billings as Pepper and Nic Zayas as Eddie are standouts. Stephen Gunter, a high school student at UNC School of the Arts, raises the performance level of the whole chorus.
The May-December flirtation between Billings and Buckley is delirious. He defines lanky, and she is petite and curvy. They are hilarious and outrageous together.
Graham Harrington is sweetly appealing as Sophie, giving lovely voice to “I Have a Dream” and “Name of the Game.” Andrew Duggins as Sky is a good match for her. Becky Koza as Ali and Meredith Brown as Lisa, Sophie’s friends, are frothy, buoyant and a joy to watch.
The three dads, Sam played by Troy Hurst, Bill played by Mark Flora and Harry played by Glenn Otterbacher, are all in, fully committed.
The creative team, Justin Bulla, director; Garrett Saake, music director; and Kacy E. Crabtree, choreographer, have really pulled off an amazing piece of entertainment. Crabtree has made dances that suit the performers — pushing the ones who can handle it to great heights. In a show that is about free spirits singing and dancing, anything goes — even snorkels and flippers on “Lay All Your Love on Me.” It’s a lark!
Justin Hall has outdone himself on the costumes — all complement the performers and the movement.
I almost never think a show moves fast enough on opening night, but I’ve got to hand it to Little Theatre: This one is ready for prime time.
Need a little getaway to a Greek island, a night of total escape and joy? “Mamma Mia!” is just the ticket.
