Overview
Synopsis
On a small Greek island, Sophie dreams of a perfect wedding — one which includes her father giving her away. The problem? Sophie doesn’t know who he is! Her mother Donna, the former lead singer of the 1970s pop group Donna and the Dynamos, refuses to talk about the past, so Sophie decides to take matters into her own hands. Sneaking a peek in her mother’s old diaries, she discovers three possible fathers: Sam, Bill, and Harry. She secretly invites all three to the wedding, convinced that she’ll know her father when she sees him. But when all three turn up, it may not be as clear as she thought! Told through the legendary music of ABBA, Mamma Mia! has become a worldwide sensation that has audiences everywhere dancing.
Show Information
- Book
- Catherine Johnson
- Music
- Benny Andersson , Björn Ulvaeus
- Lyrics
- Benny Andersson , Björn Ulvaeus
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1999
- Genres
- Jukebox/Revue
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- a twenty-four hour period during the summer of 1999. the fictional greek island of kalokairi.
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Rock Combo
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- Music Theatre International
- Ideal For
- Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Mamma Mia! was conceived by producer Judy Craymer. Craymer, a fan of ABBA, believed the pop group’s music had certain theatrical qualities and the work would transfer well to the stage. She first met Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA when the two were writing the musical Chess in 1983. In 1997, more than a decade after her initial idea, Craymer hired playwright Catherine Johnson to write the book for the musical. The following year, Phyllida Lloyd was brought on to direct.
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to read the context for Mamma Mia! and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Prologue
The musical opens at a post office. Sophie, a young woman of 20, enters the stage alone bearing three letters. She reads the names of the addressees: “Sam Carmichael, Bill Austin, and Harry Bright.” She kisses each of the letters before posting them in the mail (“I Have a Dream”).
Act One
Sophie sits on the beach by herself. It is a beautiful summer day, the day before her wedding. Her two best friends, Ali and Lisa, enter, newly arrived to Kalokairi just in time for
to read the plot for Mamma Mia! and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
Songs
Act One
- “Prologue: I Have a Dream” - Sophie
- “Honey, Honey” - Sophie, Ali, Lisa, Ensemble
- “Money, Money, Money” - Donna, Tanya, Rosie, Company
- “Thank You for the Music” - Sophie, Sam, Harry, Bill
- “Mamma Mia!” - Donna, Company
- “Chiquitita” - Tanya, Rosie, Donna, Ensemble
- *“Dancing Queen” - Tanya, Rosie, Donna, Company
- *“Lay All Your Love on Me” - Sky, Sophie, Men
- “Super Trouper” - Donna and the Dynamos
- *“Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” - Sophie, Ali, Lisa, Company
- “The Name of the Game” - Sophie, Bill, Ensemble
- *“Voulez Vous” - Company
Act Two
- “Entr’acte” - Company
- “Under Attack” - Sophie, Ensemble
- “One of Us” - Donna
- “S.O.S.” - Sam, Donna, Ensemble
- *“Does Your Mother Know” - Tanya, Pepper, Ensemble
- “Knowing Me, Knowing You” - Sam, Ensemble
- “Our Last Summer” - Harry, Donna, Ensemble
- “Slipping Through My Fingers” - Donna, Sophie
- “The Winner Takes It All” - Donna
- “Take a Chance on Me” - Rosie, Bill
- “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” - Sam, Donna, Company
- “I Have a Dream (Reprise)” - Sophie, Company
- “Bows” - Company
Encore
- “Mamma Mia (Bows)” - Company
- “Dancing Queen (Bows)” - Donna, Tanya, Rosie, Company
- “Waterloo” - Donna, Tanya, Rosie, Sam, Harry, Bill, Company
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A song that uses short stanzas to tell a story about love.
The sequence of steps and movements in dance, also the orchestrated and rehearsed movements for actors, based on the script.
A genre of literature, film, and theatre that focuses on the emotional and/or moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood.
A activist of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.
A musical that features hit songs of a popular music group or genre.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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