Photo Flash: First Look at MAMMA MIA! at the Ordway

Take a first look at the new production of MAMMA MIA!, the beloved international smash hit stage musical, which opened at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts just days before the release of the highly anticipated Hollywood motion picture, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Check out photos below!

More than 60 million people in 44 countries have experienced the musical; now a worldwide phenomenon. Set on an idyllic Greek island, MAMMA MIA! follows a mother, her daughter, and three possible dads on an unforgettable trip down the aisle.

MAMMA MIA! features some of ABBA's greatest hits like "Take a Chance on Me," "SOS," "Dancing Queen," and of course "Mamma Mia." Just this spring, the popular 1970s Swedish pop group announced that it is getting back together to create new music.

"You're ABBA-solutely going to love this production of MAMMA MIA!," said Rod Kaats, Ordway Producing Artistic Director. "We've assembled a group of artists from the Twin Cities and beyond who are nothing short of amazing. Our stage production opened just as the movie sequel premieres and with new ABBA songs coming out, it's like 'ABBA mania' is spreading across the country! But nothing leaves audiences feeling as exhilarated as a live stage musical - this show is so fun that it's gonna blow the roof off the Ordway!"

The cast of this production features a variety of Minnesota talent and national artists. Christine Sherrill, who was a part of the national tour and Las Vegas production of MAMMA MIA!, plays Donna alongside local favorites Ann Michels and Erin Schwab as Donna's longtime friends. MAMMA MIA! also includes Caroline Innerbichler as Donna's daughter Sophie, and Robert O. Berdahl, Dieter Bierbrauer and Aloysius Gigl as her three possible fathers.

This all-new Ordway Original production is directed by Martha Banta, the associate director for MAMMA MIA! on Broadway, and features choreography by award-winning London-based artist Mitch Sebastian. Both artists are making their Ordway and Twin Cities debut.

"What's particularly exciting for me about this production of MAMMA MIA! is that it is the first time I am directing a whole new version of the show," says Banta. "The Ordway's MAMMA MIA! is different than the Broadway version; with new staging, scenery and costume designs and choreography, but with the same touching story and that unforgettable ABBA music."

The Ordway Broadway Series is sponsored by Bremer Bank. MAMMA MIA! is sponsored by Travelers, with generous support provided by Marcia L. Morris.

For over 30 years, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts has been telling stories through theatre and other live performances that celebrate the human experience. Audiences have been transported to far-off locations, met iconic characters and embarked on exhilarating adventures. The Ordway, recognized as one of the U.S.'s leading not-for-profit performing arts centers, presents and produces a wide variety of performances throughout the year that encompass the finest in Broadway musicals, concerts, dance and vocal artists. In addition, each year the Ordway presents its Flint Hills Family Festival and serves over 62,000 children through its education programs. The performing arts center houses a 1,900-seat Music Theater, a 1,100-seat Concert Hall, two large rehearsal halls and magnificent lobbies. The Ordway is a proud member of the Arts Partnership, a collaboration comprising the Minnesota Opera, Ordway, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Schubert Club.

MAMMA MIA!, originally conceived by Judy Craymer, with music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (with some songs by Stig Anderson), opened on London's West End in 1999. The musical opened on Broadway in 2001, and is the ninth longest-running Broadway show and the longest-running jukebox musical in Broadway history.

Photo Credit: Rich Ryan

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