BWW Reviews: MAMMA MIA! National Tour at the Princess of Wales

Although Mamma Mia remains fun, it has lost a good deal of the freshness and snap that made the original North American premiere production in 2000 so winning. Catherine Johnson's book still cleverly serves as a framework to introduce two dozen Abba songs, setting the songs up in better fashion than many cotemporary musicals. The songs are as effervescent as ever, so that isn't the problem.

Phyllida Lloyd's original staging is recreated here and Anthony Van Laast's choreography is equally authentic. This touring version features a somewhat scaled down set, but it manages to serve the story telling well enough and you never have a sense that something is missing. Yet the moment the characters begin to interact with each other the problems begin to surface.

Isn't it funny how the same lines that were delivered with such sincerity and realism ten years ago are now thrown at us without any attempt at subtlety or characterization? Actually, it isn't funny. That's the problem.

From the moment Liana Hunt appears as Sophie the tone is set. The performances will remind you of a really good community theatre staging where everyone tries to be loud with the mistaken belief that it will somehow make the lines funnier.

Michelle Dawson is one tough cookie as Donna, but in no way conveys the range of emotion previous stars have brought to this role. As her sidekicks Rachel Tyler and Kittra Wynn Coomer give overly broad performances, constantly trying far too hard to land those laughs instead of letting them grow organically out of The Situation.

All the forcing creates tension in the audience. Throughout the first act everyone is trying too hard to have a good time and as a result the show begins to deflate only recovering when the musical numbers take over. It is here where the energy of the singers and dancers bubbles to the surface and you start to see something approaching the original.

The songs have always been the real star of Mamma Mia and fortunately this company delivers the vocal goods. The band, under the direction of Bill Congdon provides hefty support though the sound mixers occasionally often favor the instrumentalists over the vocalists.

Somehow things settle down a bit in the second half and by the time we get to Dawson's passionate performance of "The Winner Takes it All" there is some genuine emotion starting to creep into the show, and you find yourself caring for this woman and her situation. But soon after we're back to the braying and screaming.

It wasn't just that the premiere cast had star power, but that the cast knew how to modulate their performances. Without that control the seams really show.

Mamma Mia continues at the Princess of Wales Theatre until June 27. For tickets visit www.mirvish.com or call Ticketking at 416-872-1212.

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