Play review: ‘How can I resist ya?’
‘Mamma Mia!’ brings life, love and ABBA to National Theatre.
It’s a story about a wedding, but the mother and daughter relationship takes top billing in the lively production of “Mamma Mia!” playing at National Theatre in Washington through July 13.
Set on a small island off the mainland of Greece, “Mamma Mia!” centers on the nuptial preparations of 20-year-old Sophie Sheridan (Rose Sezniak) and her fiancé Sky (Geoffrey Hemingway). Three months before her big day, Sophie, in a quest to learn the identity of the father she never knew, invites three possible “fathers” to the ceremony — sure she will know right away which one should walk her down the aisle. But things, of course, are never that easy, and Sophie’s journey shifts from that of dad-discovery to one of self-discovery.
Sezniak, a recent graduate of Catholic University, is sweet and endearing in the role of Sophie, but it’s Susie McMonagle (in the role of Sophie’s mother, Donna) who makes the show her own, belting out heartbreak in “The Winner Takes it All” and filling “Slipping through My Fingers” with all the emotion of a mother saying goodbye to her only child.
Sown together by the songs of ABBA — the world’s second biggest selling band of all time, surpassed only by those guys from Liverpool — “Mamma Mia!” was made for those who grew up listening to the Swedish band in the ’70s. The encore, which includes reprises of “Mamma Mia” and “Dancing Queen,” and a performance of “Waterloo,” ensures viewers leave the theater with a skip in their step.
The rich supporting cast includes John Hemphill, Martin Kildare and Michael Aaron Linder as possible dads Sam, Bill and Harry, and Kittra Wynn Coomer and Michelle Elizabeth Dawson as Donna’s friends Rosie and Tanya. Coomer and Dawson, in particular, incite laughter with their quirky personalities and physical comedy.
Possible parental concerns: some minor on-stage promiscuity and explaining how one girl could have three fathers.
National Theatre’s “Mamma Mia!” is part of the U.S. Tour, one of 10 productions of the show currently playing in cities worldwide — including London, New York, Moscow and Seoul. It first opened in London in April 1999.
Gretchen R. Crowe can be reached at gcrowe@catholicherald.com.
If you go
For ticket information go to nationaltheatre.org.