Review: MAMMA MIA at Desert Theatricals

Winners of the 1974 Eurovision with their song Waterloo, ABBA had a flurry of catchy tunes that dominated the pop charts for 12 years. In 1992, Abba released their album Gold, which has sold over 30 million copies and is one of the best-selling albums worldwide.

In 1983, producer Judy Craymer worked with Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (the two "Bs" in ABBA) on the musical Chess, and when Gold was released she had the idea to turn their songs into what is sometimes called the first jukebox musical, Mamma Mia.

With a book by Catherine Johnson and original direction by Phyllida Lloyd, the three women, along with the blessing of Andersson and Ulvaeus, created a huge hit; audiences were clamoring for tickets. Since its 1999 debut, over 65 million people have seen the show, grossing $4 billion worldwide not including the blockbuster movie which brought in $611 million worldwide.

The musical has four strong female characters, plenty of laughs, some poignant moments, and those infectious ABBA songs. A crowd pleaser from the moment it opened on Broadway, Mamma Mia has become a favorite at regional theaters across the country.

And so it was with Desert Theatrical's recent production of the musical at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater. Directed by Ray Limon, with musical direction by Joshua Carr, the two founding members of Desert Theatricals once again had the crowd in the palm of its hands, and often up on its feet.

Here's the story: Donna (Dianne Kocher) is a former singer in a female trio. She now owns an Inn on a Greek island where she has raised her now 20-year-old daughter, Sophie (Lizzie Schmelling), who is getting married to her beau, Sky (Matt Tucker).

Sophie wants her father to give her away, but she doesn't know who he is. What she does know is that he is one of three men: Sam (Jim Hormel), Harry (Michael Hamlin), or Bill (Gilmore Rizzo). Her mother slept with all of them in the same 10 days almost 21 years ago. Sophie finds out by reading Donna's diary, and invites all the men to her wedding, while her mother works hard to keep them all apart. ABBA ensues.

Supporting characters include Donna's two former band mates Rosie (Mia Mercado) and Tanya (Jennifer Vigiletti), two of Sophie's best friends Ali (Bella Healy) and Lisa (Ava Sarnowski), and some of Sky's pals Eddie (Christian Fonti) and Pepper (Matthew Ryan).

Donna is the clear lead in our story, and although she could, Kocher never has to carry the musical alone. It is very much an ensemble piece, with pretty much everyone getting a chance to shine. When Kocher, Mercado and Vigiletti are on stage, there is magic. The three actors, especially when they do their production numbers, slay in classic 1970s costumes with strong vocals and a rich blend. While all three do a terrific job, it is Vigiletti's bouncy step, and sassy delivery of dialogue that draws you to her performance.

However, each of the leads have an opportunity to shine. Mercado's Rosie with the humorous Take A Chance On Me; Vigiletti, with the ensemble, brings the house down with Does Your Mama Know; and Kocher's Donna gives a terrific, poignant rendition of Winner Takes It All.

We'll get to Schmelling in a minute.

Of the three male leads, Rizzo (Bill), as usual, manages to find extra humor in his character. His knack for physical comedy always takes it a step above the written page. Hormel's Sam, the one that Donna has loved all these years, gives us reason to root for him; and Hamilin's clueless Harry rounds out the trio nicely.

With the exception of Sophie, the book doesn't give the younger characters much to do. Sky, the groom, is rarely on stage, the same goes for Eddie, Pepper, Ali and Lisa - and when they are, they don't really do much to push the story forward. However, all of the actors did a good job with what they had to work with.

The ensemble, Billy Franco (also as Father Alexandrios), Xavier Brown, Emily Rose Unnasch and Tori Alforque did a great job with the dance numbers and backing vocals, but I'd like to shout out Unnasch for the unbridled joy she brought every time she was on stage, and the energy she brought to the dance numbers.

Now we come to Sophie, played by Lizzie Schmelling. I love everything she does, and this was no exception. I have seen her play a multitude of characters over the past two years, each one wildly different. And she slays them all. Every. Single. Time. Casting directors take note.

It was a lovely evening under the stars, and I have nothing bad to say about the production, although I will note this: ABBA recorded 93 unique songs. It would have been nice if sound designer Dave Hobday's pre-show and intermission had only songs that weren't in the show, but maybe I am nitpicking.

Next up for Desert Theatricals is Annie Get Your Gun, followed by A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. Dinner seating sells out fast, with general admission not far behind, so get on it!

https://www.desert-theatricals.com/

https://ranchomirageca.gov/residents/culture-and-recreation/city-events/

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