BWW Blog: Mamma Mia - The Ultimate Movie Musical

The fearless leader of the BroadwayWorld.com bloggers, Taylor, has done it again with her weekly prompts (they really work!) Favorite movie musical? Say no more.

I can't disregard the "first thing that comes to mind" technique: Mamma Mia. At first, I thought it was too basic, everyone's seen it, and maybe it's even a victim of being overplayed (coming from a large Broadway and movie musical fan). But here's a timeless picture of me and my sister in front of the OBC marquee in Times Square. There was confetti (I have no idea why) everywhere and it's a memory I recall vividly. Now all of the internet has this glorious picture of us - worth it for the context of the story.

For those that have somehow escaped a viewing of the 2008 classic, quick recap. Think Greece, think *literally* twinkling waters, think rustic European getaway. Then add a dash of parental confusion, several adoring sidekicks, a supa-cute love interest, a bunch of famous actors, and a whole handful of ABBA classics, and you have yourself Mamma Mia.

1. The Location

   Even if you're like my anti-movie-musical roommate, you can't deny that the Greek island of fictional Kalokairi isn't by itself enough to make you want to sit down with some popcorn, or more likely, get on the next flight to Athens. To scratch your travel itch (when it's safe, of course), there are even tours on the island of Skopelos, where the original film was shot.

2. A Perfect Movie-Musical

   What I wouldn't give to be in the room where Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus weaved a heart-warming story with 18 classic ABBA songs to create such summer cinematic perfection? While I'm typically impartial to movies that were originally on stage, the Mamma Mia film does the 2001 jukebox musical more than justice.

3. A Cast for the Ages

   Every time I see one of the Mamma Mia actors in another movie, it always yields an excited squeal that goes like, "Oh! Oh oh! They're in Mamma Mia!" Take for example my rapid-fire texts to my on-call Marvel friend when Dominic Cooper showed up as a young Howard Stark in the first Captain America -- I was in. And when I finally got around to watching all of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Stellan Skarsgård was there as Bootstrap Bill Turner (although I had a hard time unseeing him as Bill Anderson). Don't get me started on Meryl Streep and Christine Baranski in Into the Woods, and Colin Firth in Love, Actually? That's all that needs to be said.

4. Grab Your Besties

   While Amanda, Ali, and Lisa's adorable handshake-in-the-form-of-a-song greeting at the beginning of the film will randomly get stuck in my head from time to time, there's nothing like the trio that is Donna and the Dynamos. This feel-good friendship between Donna, Tanya, and Rosie only makes me want to squeeze my besties a little tighter, and more importantly hope that we are chic enough to pull off Go-Go boots as we trek around a Greek island in our fifties (can't decide if I'm Donna or Tanya though...).

Maybe I'm biased because I sang "Honey, Honey" as an audition song for a musical once and totally nailed it, but probably not. In my experience, Mamma Mia is one of those movies that causes a harsh reaction towards those who say they've never seen it (if this is you, I'm not personally going to reprimand you, but I suggest you get on this like, right now). Even if we can't hop on a plane to Greece right this second, the story, the love, and the music will have to do. BRB while I go watch it for a triple-digit number of times.

(Dear Hairspray, Into the Woods, Grease, An American In Paris, RENT, La La Land, Newsies... uhh. You were all close seconds.)

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