MAMMA MIA! Comes To Chanhassen Dinner Theatres

Grab your beach umbrella, icy beverage, and boogie board and get ready to ride the wave! MAMMA MIA!, the smash hit musical that's taken the world by storm, will hit the beach on Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' Main Stage in just a few weeks. MAMMA MIA! preview performances run from March 1-7, with official opening night festivities taking place on Friday, March 8.

Artistic Director Michael Brindisi, is excited to be producing MAMMA MIA!, "We've been patiently waiting to be offered the rights to MAMMA MIA! for what seems to be more than a decade, so we're happy to finally bring it to life for our audiences. We're excited to put our own stamp on it and make it a super-fun night in the theatre. It's got a big colorful cast, a lot of great laughs, and I'm confident we'll have people up on their feet."

Over 60 million people on five continents have seen MAMMA MIA!, which has grossed $2 billion worldwide since its debut nearly 20 years ago. The popular and joyous jukebox musical, based on the original songs of 70s Swedish pop-dance band, ABBA, were composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, both former members of the band. From 1972 to 1982, ABBA was regarded as of the most popular international groups of all time, with hits spanning the charts across Europe, North America and Australia.

Initially, Ulvaeus and Andersson were not enthusiastic about the idea for the musical but were eventually won over by the persistence of theatre producer Judy Craymer. Once Andersson and Ulvaeus gave Craymer "the green light," she recruited British playwright Catherine Johnson to write the book and asked Phyllida Lloyd to direct the original London production, which solidified MAMMA MIA! as one of the first successful female creative collaborations in musical theatre history.

MAMMA MIA! enjoyed its premiere in London in 1999, eventually landing on Broadway in 2001. At this writing, MAMMA MIA! continues to play in London, where it is the seventh longest-running show in West End history, and also includes various international productions. Its Broadway incarnation closed in September 2015 after a 14-year run, making it the ninth longest running show in Broadway history. Adding to its worldwide popularity was the July 2008 release of the feature film adaptation, which starred Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried and Christine Baranski.

The story...
20-year-old Sophie is planning her storybook wedding. All that's missing is a father to walk her down the aisle. Sophie sets out to discover her father's identity by reading through her mother's diary and narrowing it down to three possibilities. She brings the three men from her mother's secret past back to the sun-kissed Greek island they'd all visited 20 years ago. This sunny, funny tale is a guaranteed get-happy hit. And so, one mom - one daughter - three possible dads, and a trip down the aisle you'll never forget.

The story-telling magic of ABBA's timeless popular songs drive this delightful story of love, laughter and friendship. The musical features ABBAS greatest hits "Super Trouper," "Lay All Your Love on Me," "Dancing Queen," "Knowing Me, Knowing You," "Take a Chance on Me," "Thank You for the Music," "Money, Money, Money," "The Winner Takes It All," "Voulez-Vous," "SOS" and the beloved title track, "Mamma Mia!"

Brindisi leads a stellar cast and production team, which includes Tamara Kangas Erickson (choreographer), Andrew Cooke (music director), Nayna Ramey (scenic design), Rich Hamson (costume design), Sue Ellen Berger (lighting design), Russ Haynes (sound design), Paul Bigot (wig/makeup design); Dan Foss (production stage manager), and John Trow (assistant stage manager). Cast list on next page.

MAMMA MIA! will run through September 28, 2019. It will be performed eight times weekly with evening performances Tuesdays through Sundays, and matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Groups of 12 or more may secure tickets for any advanced date. Dinner and show ticket prices: Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday evenings $77; Friday $93; Saturday evening $93; Wednesday matinees $68 and Saturday matinees $73; Sunday $86. For reservations and information, call the CDT box office at 952-934-1525 or visit ChanhassenDT.com