Paolo Montalban and Kendra Kassebaum to Lead Revamped MAMMA MIA! at The 5th Avenue Theatre

This February The 5th Avenue Theatre will stage a new production of Mamma Mia!, the hit musical that features the songs of the beloved pop group ABBA. The 5th is the first theater company in the Pacific Northwest to be granted the rights to create a brand new original version of the famed production that has wowed audiences for nearly 20 years.

The 5th is delighted to welcome Paolo Montalban, best known for his portrayal of Prince Christopher opposite Brandy in the 1997 film version of Cinderella, who will make his 5th Avenue Theatre debut as Sam. Broadway's Kendra Kassebaum will return to The 5th Avenue Theatre stage to star as Donna, following her critically acclaimed performance as Mother in this season's Ragtime.

Montalban and Kassebaum will be joined by a fantastic cast of 5th Avenue favorites including Lisa Estridge (Singin' in the Rain, Company, Into the Woods) as Tanya, Sarah Rudinoff (How to Succeed in Business, Cinderella, On the Town) as Rosie and Matt Wolfe (Catch Me if You Can, Disney's Aladdin, A Christmas Story) as Bill. Making their 5th Avenue Theatre debuts are Cobey Mandarino as Harry, Eliza Palasz as Sophie and Jordan Iosua Taylor as Sky.

Mamma Mia! will be directed by 5th Avenue Theatre Producing Artistic Director Bill Berry (How to Success in Business, The Pajama Game, Broadway's First Date) and choreographed by Bob Richard.

Playing February 2-25, 2018 (press opening Friday, February 9, 2018), tickets for Mamma Mia! start at $29 and are on sale now. They can be purchased at www.5thavenue.org, by phone at 206-625-1900 or at the Box Office at 1308 5th Avenue in Downtown Seattle.

On the Greek island of Kalokairi, Sophie is preparing to marry her fiancé, Sky. She wants her father to walk her down the aisle but doesn't know who he is. She discovers her mother's old diary and finds entries describing intimate dates with three men-surely one of these men is her father. On the day before Sophie's wedding, her mother begins receiving guests at her taverna, and so the story of Mamma Mia! begins.

The non-profit 5th Avenue Theatre is the nation's premier incubator for new musical theater. Since 2001, the Seattle-based company has produced 18 new musicals. To date, nine (including the sensational hit Disney's Aladdin) have moved on to Broadway premieres, earning a combined 15 Tony Awards, including two for Best Musical (Hairspray and Memphis). The 5th Avenue Theatre is also known for its world class, critically acclaimed new productions of musicals chosen from both the contemporary canon and the Golden Age of Broadway.

Unique in its Chinese-inspired design, this exquisite theater opened in 1926 as a venue for vaudeville and film. Today, under the leadership of Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong, Managing Director Bernadine C. Griffin and Producing Artistic Director Bill Berry, this non-profit theater company attracts an annual attendance of more than 300,000, including over 20,000 subscribers-one of the largest theater subscriptions in North America.

In addition to its main stage productions, The 5th Avenue Theatre is also committed to encouraging the next generation of theatergoers through its extensive educational outreach programs. For more information about The 5th Avenue Theatre, its season and its programs, visit www.5thavenue.org.