Review Roundup: MAMMA MIA! Launches 25th Anniversary North American Tour

The 25th Anniversary North American Tour of Mamma Mia!, the ultimate feel-good show based on the songs of ABBA, officially opened with The Denver Center for Performing Arts on November 2nd and is currently playing to audiences accross the country! 

The sunny, funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads on a Greek island paradise, all unfolding to the storytelling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs, has now been seen live on stage by 65 million people across the world and turned into two record-breaking movies – Mamma Mia! The Movie and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Read the reviews for the new tour of Mamma Mia! below!

Sandi Masori, San Diego Jewish World: Unlike many musicals that have a song or two that everyone in the audience knows and go crazy for, when the entire soundtrack is made up of pop hits, it’s a different game all together. Every song seemed to have a little extra accompaniment from the audience as they couldn’t stop themselves from humming, singing a few bars or otherwise joining in on the songs- especially the more fast-paced ones. And for the biggest hits, like “Mamma Mia,” “Dancing Queen,” and “Money Money Money,” you could see the audience trying to restrain itself from an all-out sing along. But don’t worry, the wise producers and directors of the show knew this would be an issue and ended with a 20 min sing-and- dance-along curtain call that to the delight of the audience just kept going and going.

Linda Hodges, BroadwayWorld: This delightfully witty and truly hilarious musical rom-com was written by award-winning British playwright Catherine Johnson whose book threads itself through the Swedish pop group’s megahits (written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus). You don’t need to know ABBA’s music or be a big mega-fan to fall in love with the show. That said, ABBA fans are guaranteed to be swept away on a wave of collective nostalgia that is the cherry on top of this frothy, bouncy story.

Tyler Hinton, BroadwayWorld.com: Christine Sherrill as Donna (who last played the role in the Las Vegas residency) and Alisa Melendez as Sophie (Broadway’s ALMOST FAMOUS) lead the group with spunk and passion. Victor Wallace was the final person to play Sam on Broadway, and the honor is well deserved. He gives a riveting performance. Fellow Broadway vets Rob Marnell as Harry and Jim Newman as Bill are equally well cast.

Nancy Van Valkenburg, Gephardt Daily: Christine Sherrill is a strong as Donna, whose past has caught up with her. Sherrill has a strong voice, but a few times seems vocally to be slightly behind the instrumentals. It seems to be a stylistic choice, but is problematic with an audience that came to hear the exact sound of ABBA.

DC Felton, BroadwayWorld: One of the things I enjoy about shows returning to the Civic Center is seeing which elements you see differently. One of them that stood out to me more this time was the excellent lighting of Howard Harrison. I love how intertwined in the show the lighting becomes. It's something you don’t always get to see sitting up close to the stage. I found it especially fun seeing how the lighting invites the audience in at the top of the show during the overture making the curtain look like it is flowing water. It also brings the audience in at the end for the curtain call and lets the audience know it is ok to join in the fun.

Christine Howey, Scene: But let's make one thing perfectly clear. Don't think if you've seen the movie Mamma Mia! you've seen enough. This lively, sleek production directed by Phyllida Lloyd and choreographed by Anthony Van Last is a smooth, fast-paced and engineered to get you dancing in your seat.

Rohan Preston, Star Tribune: But as I watched Tuesday's opening of the rah-rah 25th anniversary national tour that runs through Sunday at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, I was struck by a quaint idea: it's not always damning for something to become a parody of itself.

Sofia Ascorbe, BroadwayWorld: In this production, Donna (Christine Sherrill of Wisconsin) and Sophie (Alisa Melendez) share tears, fights, laughter, and a lot of love amidst the comedic silliness that most of the numbers deliver. Joining them are Donna's friends and former 'the Dynamos' girl group members Tanya (Jalynn Steele) and Rosie (Carly Sakolove), who provide some of the most entertaining physical and musical comedy the show sees. The three 'potential' biological fathers, played by Jim Newman as Bill, Rob Markell as Harry, and Victor Wallace (another Wisconsin resident) as Sam, are equally as funny and vibrant in their roles. Also characters of their own are the costumes, at times as bright and dazzling as their musical numbers, and at others as white and blue as the hot Greek sun.

Taylor Clemons, BroadwayWorld: I think the key to making this show work is an extremely talented cast that radiates joy. In those regards, the current national tour company is firing on all cylinders. I’d venture to say there’s not a single weak link in the bunch. This cast is led by Christine Sherrill as Donna. Christine brings so much warmth and relatability to the role, and vocally is one of the best I’ve ever seen play Donna. Her “The Winner Takes it All” late in the second act is a bonafide showstopper. Alisa Melendez as Sophie does a wonderful job as well. Sophie isn’t the most interesting role on paper, but Melenzez infuses her Sophie with spunk and agency, while showcasing some amazing vocal chops along the way.

Alan Portner, BroadwayWorld: The 25th Anniversary Tour opened in Denver on October 31, 2023, and still retains the cast excitement and energy that is essential for this kind of show. Everybody in this company is excellent.

Dylan Shaffer, BroadwayWorld: With familiar hits like “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Honey, Honey,” MAMMA MIA! has a leg up on most musicals: audiences already know the songs. But to surmount and overcome the expectations of audiences is no easy feat. The 25th Anniversary Tour of MAMMA MIA! blows all expectations out of the Grecian waters!

Victoria Davis, The Cap Times: The hit ABBA jukebox musical is relentlessly impressive, shocking in all the right ways, and just plain fun. The laughter is earned, as are the tears. Every actor and background dancer looks like they are having the time of their life, especially during “Chiquitita,” which got lots of cheers from the audience.

Casey Carter, The Pitt News: The performance starred Christine Sherrill as Donna Sheridan and Alisa Melendez as Sophie Sheridan. Sherrill and Melendez were strong female leads, adeptly portraying the mother-daughter relationship between Donna and Sophie. However, for me, the dynamic duo of Donna’s friends Tanya and Rosie shone in every scene they were featured in. Tanya, played by Jalynn Steele, and Rosie, played by Carly Sakolove, captivated the audience with their performances, inserting humor and energy into their respective roles. Their onstage chemistry was outstanding — it was impossible not to smile whenever this duo took the stage.

Jason Davis, BroadwayWorld : Led by a stellar cast, including Alisa Melendez as Sophie and Christine Sherrill as Donna, the production bursts with girl power, showcasing the strength and talent of its female leads. Melendez's portrayal of Sophie impressively combines maturity with feistiness, adding a new dimension to the character.

Michael Rabice, BroadwayWorld: Guilty as charged. I openly admit I really enjoy the ABBA musical, MAMMA MIA! There is a time and place for all kinds of entertainment, and the birth of the jukebox musical can almost certainly be attributed to kind of show MAMMA MIA has become. Now 25 years after it's opening, the national tour that is playing at Shea's Buffalo this week has audiences happily enraptured with a musical comedy that serves solely to entertain. And it most certainly succeeds.

Gail Golden, Buffalo Rising: If you are an ABBA fan, you are in luck! The show has lots of songs and very little dialogue. It is more like a pop opera than a musical. Many of the songs are superfluous – they don’t advance the plot or help us understand the characters better. In fact, some of the song choices seem downright inappropriate – the daughter sings a love song to her father, the father sings a “break up” song to his daughter.

Constance Beulah, DC Theater Arts: While I adored the glitzy, shiny costumes that Associate Costume Designer Lucy Gaiger put together — exactly what you expected to see for “Dancing Queen” — each number was special and done with profound care. My favorite duet, “The Winner Takes It All” — sung by Donna exquisitely portrayed by Christine Sherrill and a most talented actor, Victor Wallace, who dreamily played Sam Carmichael — was sheer joy. The emotion that reverberated through the room listening to their voices reach beyond the raptors brought me close to tears. Their chemistry was apparent throughout the show but in this duet, their voices became the epitome of sad, lost love fighting to gain a foothold in the present. The audience was utterly mesmerized by them to the point of a standing ovation.

Gary Graff, The Oakland Press: And 25 years later the show — at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre through Sunday, April 28 — it still reigns as one of if not the best of its ilk, turning “here we go again” into a rallying cry for anyone with a taste for glitter, sequins, camp, indelible pop songs and a twisted, geometrical love story.

Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune:

Adrienne Proctor, Oklahoma City Free Press: The national touring production of Mamma Mia! makes its latest stop in OKC through May 26th featuring the music of the legendary disco-pop group ABBA.

Elizabeth Cortes, BroadwayWorld: Although this is the same recognizable production that’s been put on worldwide, the fresh new cast of both Mamma Mia! veterans and newer talent is itself a reason to see this tour. Leading as the titular “mamma” Donna and her bride-to-be daughter Sophie is Christine Sherrill, of the show’s Las Vegas company, and Alisa Melendez (Almost Famous).

Maria Silveira, Boca Magazine: Sakolove and Steele’s performances of “Chiquitita” and “Dancing Queen” stole the show and made me want to dance right alongside them. While their performances together were dynamite, separately they both had the audience in an uproar of laughter, especially throughout “Take a Chance On Me” and “Does Your Mother Know”.

Mary Damiano, Palm Beach Daily News: Honestly, it would be hard to do a bad production of “Mamma Mia!,” the grandmama of modern jukebox musicals, if even marginally talented people were involved. The ABBA songs and the story are so masterfully shaped around each other that if one did not know better, they would believe that the songs were written for the musical. And the audience is so taken by the ABBA songs — they don’t just walk out of the show singing the songs, they go in singing them, too — that they’re already in a happy, upbeat mood.

Rich Lopez, Dallas Voice: Despite a lively prologue medley of familiar ABBA songs, the show started off rather tepid with low energy. The first number, “I Have a Dream,” isn’t a banger, but Amy Weaver, as Sophie Sheridan, initially kicked off the show with a lukewarm vibe that lasted for about the first three numbers. Christine Sherrill kickstarted the show with the spirited “Mamma Mia” and then was bolstered by the appearance of Jalyn Steele and Carly Sakolove as Tanya and Rosie amping up the place with “Dancing Queen.” The show found its footing and the rest was all dynamic merrymaking.

AniKatrina Fageol, BroadwayWorld: It's a smash hit but what makes it so popular? It might be the iconic tunes, featuring the music of pop sensations ABBA, or the themes of female empowerment, or the bright and fun costumes, or toe-tapping choreography. All of these elements make it one fun night of theatre for the whole family! The first few notes of the opening song are as recognizable as the joyful bride in the show poster.

Jamie Flowers, West End Best Friend: Besties, this is one of the most entertaining shows that we have seen in a long time. There are over ABBA 20 songs sprinkled through two acts. The spectacular choreography by Anthony Van Laast brings hilarious dance moves with wet suits, fluid movements in the ballads and risqué movements in songs such as ‘Does Your Mother Know?’ and ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’. It makes for a frolicking good time!

Ken Kemp, BroadwayWorld: Of course, with a jukebox musical it's really all about the music. The ABBA catalog provides a rich vein of songs, and this cast really delivers on the music and the storytelling, with sterling performances from top to bottom. Highlights of the performance included Donna, Tanya (Jalynn Steele) & Rosie (Carly Sakolove) belting out Dancing Queen while singing into curling irons and blow dryers, in a scene that is reminiscent of everyone's teenage years, and Sophie and Bill (Jim Newman) singing a poignant The Name of the Game. Steele delivers an absolute show stopper with the energetic Does Your Mother Know - it showcases both her tremendous vocal chops and incredible dancing ability. It's definitely the high water mark of the second act.

Em Skow, DC Theater Arts: Setting the evening’s events in motion was the headstrong but drifting Sophie Sheridan, played by Alisa Melendez. With a silky and powerful voice, her presence and vocals were the perfect combination of strength and sensitivity for the young woman searching for answers outside of herself. From “I Have a Dream” and “Honey, Honey” with best friends Ali (Haley Wright) and Lisa (L’Oréal Roaché) to her standout (and trippy) interpretation of “Under Attack,” Melendez’s lyrically fluid alto tone was stunning throughout. “Lay All Your Love on Me” with fiance Sky, played by Grant Reynolds, was also particularly charming, showcasing the intensity of young love and a playfulness of youth that was central to the production.

Ana-Brit Asplen, BroadwayWorld: However, good casting only goes so far as the resulting chemistry, and this production of Mamma Mia! has loads of it. From the friendly trios of Donna, Rosie, and Tanya and Sam, Bill, and Harry, to the romantic passion and tension of Donna and Sam, as well as Sophie and Sky, and to the endearing familial relationship of the mother-daughter duo of Donna and Sophie, every collaboration brings something different. The supporting ensemble also elevates the show greatly, and it truly wouldn’t work without the incredible ranges of their talents. It’s a show based on community, and it’s greatly felt all throughout the show.

Makenna J. Walko, The Crimson: From start to finish, “MAMMA MIA!” is an electric night of ’70s music and all-out revelry that sweeps viewers off their feet and keeps them coming back, time and time again, to laugh, dance, and sing along. The best word to describe the show is simply “fun” — at its heart, “MAMMA MIA!” feels like one big party that welcomes each audience member with open arms.

Ilana Lucas, BroadwayWorld: As well, some of the show’s content feels like a turn-of-the-century time capsule, such as when Sky tells Sophie, “you don’t need a father, you have me,” or the preponderance of numbers just this side of uncomfortable where one or several sexed-up characters chase down a rather reluctant love interest. On the other hand, the message to live life freely and go for what you want without shame holds up just fine from 1999.

Liam Donovan, NEXT: For the show that launched the jukebox musical fever of the 2000s, an epidemic that’s yet to let up (Moulin Rouge!, another one with an exclamation point in its title, starts performances at Mirvish next month), Mamma Mia!’s treatment of ABBA’s music is surprisingly varied. The numbers are occasionally heightened and surreal, barely pretending to be part of the story (Money, Money, Money). Other times, they’re genuine conduits for plot (Does Your Mother Know), or bizarre portraits of a character’s psyche (Under Attack). And sometimes they’re even seemingly written by the characters, who are themselves apparently undercover pop stars (Super Trouper).

Christopher Verleger, BroadwayWorld: While ABBA enthusiasts revel in the nostalgia, non-fans and first-timers will find it impossible to resist the production’s contagious energy, tender storyline, and playful style. The Greek island backdrop further enhances the celebratory atmosphere, as though the audience were on vacation with the cast.

Frank O'Donnell, What's Up Newp: There were a couple of stand-out performances by Tanya (Jalynn Steele) and Rosie (Carly Sakalove) that brought the house down. Steele wowed the audience in “Does Your Mother Know” as a much younger man tried to get into her good graces. Her choreography was complicated and stunning, including one high kick worthy of a Rockette. Sakalove was hilarious in “Take a Chance on Me,” where she chased Bill Austin (Jim Newman) around the chairs set up for the wedding. Both Steele and Sakalove earned thunderous applause at the curtain call.

Average Rating: 79.4%