Mamma Mia - Wed 24/3/99 Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 Got the tickets 2 weeks ago. I was slightly sick with a sore throat so phoned up sick for work believing it to be the onset of tonsilitis again. But as is the normal case I couldn't be bothered being sick so went shopping for the day instead. Amongst my travails and trasps around the city I decided to try to get early tickets for Mamma Mia, a new musical based around ABBA songs. http://www.mamma-mia.com The previews started from Tuesday 23rd-2nd April before the grand opening on the 3rd. Best tickets were 35 UKP, I got the cheapest which were 15 UKP. I managed to get cheap tickets on the second level and right up front in the middle-ish for the Wednesday !! Come the night and as usual I run through a tube turnstile (;-) and I am racing to get to the venue on time, The Prince Charles Theatre on Old Compton Road peeking out from behind Les Miserables on Charing Cross Road. Waiting for 10 minutes before Emma turns up from visiting an old friend at Covent Garden. Outside the usual hustle of bustle of an inner soho street rotates around. In front of a large poster and placard a couple with an SLR camera are posing and modelling. At the doors some guys are checking our tickets and referring out bags to be checked for recording equipment etc, important I guess cos these are the previews and they don't want any unauthorised photos. I grab a program for 2 quid - you know I'm a sucker for souvenirs and we head up to the Grand Circle. The theatre is smaller than I imagined and we get a great view looking down onto the stage from about 20 metres up. We can see the orchestra pit underneath the stage and at the usual assortment of empty seats in the expensive seats - imagining whether the owners has perhaps been held up in traffic or were racing here on a black cab. Next to us sits a glaswegian and his daughter who his shouting him to this show for his birthday. To the right of us are some europeans. Behind are a bunch of girls (Essex ? St Johns Wood ? Nurthumberland Scrubbers ? I can't discern so easily now). A little after 7:30pm the lights dim. And behind a curtain with blue light on it mimicing waves comes down. Behind it we see Sophia posting three letters of invitation to her wedding. Then it is the first song of the evening. I have a Dream Great voice and great arrangements, very similar to the originals but a few little bits thrown in. Every now and then during the night I look down and see the xylophonist, guitarists and keyboards perform their craft. Summer Night City With this song it attempts to set the (fun) mood, a few people start clapping to the spectacle of the people on stage inside a Greek taverna dancing around and with the chairs. The clapping is shortlived as we don't try to intrude too much on the singing. The setting is on a Greek Island, a taverna is run by 70s chick Donna who has raised Sophia by herself. Just Like That This never released ABBA song was supposed to be sung here according to the program but wasn't. Maybe when the show starts for good. Money Money Money It is here that it become sort of obvious that the story is [hate to admit it] written around the songs, and the story has certain entry points written into it to perform a song which as the show continues on, it becomes bleeding obvious and we all have fun trying to guess what is coming up next. This is Donna singing about well....money. Honey Honey Sophia tells her friends that she read her Mum's diary from 21 years ago when she was born and it in it states how she have relationships with 3 men so one of them is Sophia's father. The diary entries she reads make up the lyrics to this song. Sophia has sent off wedding invitations to these three men to find out who is her father. Thank You For The Music The men arrive and one of them recalls a song he used to sing back in the 70s while on the island..... One of the actors was the guy that got killed by Darth Vader in one of the Star Wars movies, and if I recall an english guy I know helps run his fan club ! Mamma Mia Unfortunately Sophia sent off the invitations pretending they were from her mother, when all three men appear at the traverna starts to sing this song. The actress really gets to shine for first time here with a great bold voice. Chiquitita Donna is now in her room with her two old female friends. One is a Dawn French Lookalike the other looks like a blonde Belinda Todd. Donna is upset so her friends ask her to tell them what is the problem. Dancing Queen To cheer up Donna the two women sing this song to remind her of what she used to be... Lay All Your Love On Me Sophia and Fiance Sky singing on the wharfside about love. Before he is whisked off to do macho things and the stag party. Super Trouper Set in a nightclub now the girls all cheer as Donna and her old band members come on stage in (naturally) platform shoes and spangly suits. Gimme Gimme Gimme All the women now dance around and sing this song. During this the men come back from diving for a pearl necklace as a matter of tradition. Name Of The Game The three fathers are here as well and during the course of the dancing Sophia dances and talks with each of them pulling them aside. Each man now realises or mistakenly believes him to be her father and books their place to take her up the aisle. The song here is a plea for honesty. Voulez-Vous The final song sung by the whole company to leave on a big bang. ................And then a big groan as the show had an amateurish feel to it. Time is now 8:45pm. We chat with our neighbours and grab a little ice cream (for a big price) and a bottle of scottish water. After 10-15 minutes the lights dim again....... ------ Under Attack Sophia is on her bed and having a nightmare. All the cast are present and it is a terrific set. At this point I realise that the show would be good if it was only not so well known ABBA songs. Thus, the audience is not held waiting for the songs as the highlights of the show. One Of Us Mother and daughter sing together. S.O.S. And here again. About this point the crowd who I assume think the same as me, have come to this show to have fun, sing and dance, so now we become more vocal and decide to make the most of it. Does Your Mother Know One of the young black men on the island takes a shine to Donna's older woman friend and she sings this song to him while he tries on some fancy dance moves to get her interested. Knowing Me, Knowing You Donna and one of the fathers are singing about their past life together. The crowd roars as it is a pretty obvious lead in into the song. He sings in a slight monologue so imagine Michael Caine singing this song and you can get a little idea. The crowd gets into it and claps and laughs and sings 'uh huh' during the chorus. Our Last Summer Donna and one of the fathers sing this song reminiscing about lost times. Slipping Through My Fingers Mother and daughter sing about the loss. Winner Takes It All Donna singing about her life. Take A Chance On Me One of the husbands talks with one Donna's friends while setting up the church and he mentions how he will always be single....but not if Rosie can help it......cue here for a flight along the pews... I Do, I Do, I Do The wedding - and it all comes out. (Bleedin' obvious innit ?) Sophia admits it was her who invited the 3 men; Sophia understands her mother's independence and decides not to get married and she and fiance Sky decide to travel the world; Donna and a father decide to marry as the breakup was an misunderstanding; the other father admits that he is actually gay, and the other runs off with Rosie........ I Have A Dream This is listed in the program but I don't recall this as the climax. At the end they all do their bows and sing a few bars of Mamma Mia whilst we all stand and clap along. As everyone files out the theatre the band plays a little medley ending in Dancing Queen. Which receives a warm rapturous applause from the last 10 people in the theatre ;-) Heading out the waiters or whatever ask if we enjoyed it and we grin. Outside the audience mills around and swedish tv is there interviewing people ! So anyway, if you are here you will probably have to go to say you have seen it, I don't expect a long shelf life for the production, unfortunately it seems to have a feel of an amateurish production and would look great if it was put on by a college ;-) If we had a REALLY up for it crowd it may have made a difference cos it probably would have increased audience participation !!! take care y'all ! Royal Gala Premiere will probably be next week ! A chance to spot the ol' ABBA members ! yay ! Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com