MAMMA MIA! AUSTRALIA 2023 – Deone Zanotto, Elise McCann, Bianca Bruce. Photo: David Hooley
You can dance. You can jive, having the time of your life…
It’s pretty hard to write about this show without going the obvious route and quoting a song lyric, but really, it’s that familiarity that has made Mamma Mia! The Musical so successful. And if its triumphant opening night in Sydney is anything to go by, that popularity isn’t about to wane anytime soon.
MAMMA MIA! AUSTRALIA 2023 – Drew Livingston, Sarah Krndija, Tim Wright, Martin Crewes – Image: DAVID HOOLEY
MAMMA MIA! AUSTRALIA 2023 – Elise McCann – Image: GETTY IMAGES JAMES D MORGAN
The two thousand seat Lyric Theatre was reverberating with the timeless tunes of ABBA, matched with enthusiastic toe-tapping, shoulder-swivelling and applause (we are told before the show that we are not allowed to sing, otherwise that too would no doubt be happening).
This is a re-staging, give or take a few tweaks, of the 2017/18 production, with much of the creative team back again, including choreographer, Tom Hodgson and director, Gary Young. The cast is all new.
MAMMA MIA! AUSTRALIA 2023 – Jordan Tomljenovic and company – Image: GETTY IMAGES JAMES D MORGAN
MAMMA MIA! AUSTRALIA 2023 – Kadessa Honeyhill, Sarah Krndija, Nina Carmen – Image: GETTY IMAGES JAMES D MORGAN
Elise McCann fills the big sandals of Donna with admirable zest. Her voice is rich and exciting, and she has a lot of charisma on stage.
Bianca Bruce and Deone Zanotto are Donna’s friends, Rosie and Tanya respectively. Zanotto, as a shameless cougar, gets some great one-liners and one of the best numbers in the show, “Does Your Mother Know?”
Martin Crewes, Drew Livingston, and Tim Wright complement each other extremely well as the three potential fathers: Sam, Harry, and Bill.
MAMMA MIA! AUSTRALIA 2023 – Elise McCann and company – Image: GETTY IMAGES JAMES D MORGAN
MAMMA MIA! AUSTRALIA 2023 – Sarah Krindija – Image: GETTY IMAGES JAMES D MORGAN
Sarah Krndija as Sophie, has the range to carry the character from a flighty ingenue to a young woman who makes a mature decision in the end. Sophie’s fiancé, Sky, is played with energy and knowing sensuality by Lewis Francis.
It’s a fluffy musical, built for fun and as a vehicle for 22 beloved ABBA tunes. The first half of the show is a little thin on content and highlights but the second half has much more in the way of whiz-bang production and story depth.
MAMMA MIA! AUSTRALIA 2023 – Sarah Krndija, Lews Francis – Image: GETTY IMAGES JAMES D MORGAN
With the inevitable encore of ABBA’s two or three most danceable songs, this musical ends on a real high with the audience wanting more, guaranteeing that it will be always repeating itself.