“Mamma Mia!” has finally made its way to Delran.
After a year of campaigning by students, director Cara Davis finally gave in.
“’Mamma Mia!’ was selected because the kids bothered me so much about it last year,” Davis said jokingly. “They have been dreaming about doing it.
“Last year, any time that I would walk into a room, the students would have music from ‘Mamma Mia!’ playing and they always ask, ‘Hey Ms. Davis, what do you think about this?’ They also had some parents give me some heavy hints, so without having anything else planned, we chose ‘Mamma Mia!'”
According to Davis, the students wanted to do “Mamma Mia!” not just because of the story line, but also because of the catchy music, familiarity and the chance to be one of the first schools to do it.
“The music is so catchy,” said Davis. “I remember it being on Broadway in the ’90s and just everyone was flocking to it. Even if you weren’t a theater person, people were going because you knew the music.”
The story of “Mamma Mia!” revolves around a mother named Donna, from a female band called Donna and the Dynamos, and Sophie, Donna’s daughter. Sophie, who doesn’t know who her father is, is getting married.
After reading her mother’s diary, she discovers there are three men who can possibly be her father. She invites all three to the wedding. When they show up, the men and Donna realize something weird is going on. Throughout the story, the audience learns about the different relationships between Sophie, the men and Donna.
“When I first told people that we were going to be doing ‘Mamma Mia!,’ a few people were surprised that we were doing this as a high school show,” said Davis. “I think that’s because of the underlying themes in, but because the music and the way the script is written, the play is so well liked that it doesn’t feel like it’s a heavy conversation.”
According to Davis, after doing “Seussical the Musical” last year, “Mamma Mia!” falls perfectly in line with the type of show that she wanted to do next. Every other year, Davis tries to alternate between kid-friendly, family-oriented shows to heavier story lines, and since the students wanted to do “Mamma Mia!” so badly, they have truly taken to the story, Davis explained.
With just about two weeks left until showtime, the Delran High School Thespian Society Troupe 4646 is hard at work putting together the different parts of the show from costumes, set pieces, stage crew and set work.
“Mama Mia!” hits the stage Feb. 27, Feb. 29, March 6 and March 7 at 7:30 p.m. and March 8 at 2 p.m. in the Delran High School Performing Arts Center. Tickets can be purchased online at Showtix4u.com or in person one hour before each performance. Adult tickets are $12, and tickets for seniors and children under 10 years are $10.
