‘Mamma Mia!’: The wedding of the year that no one wants to miss
«If you ever think about making the movie, give me a call». These were the words of Meryl Streep. The Oscar-winning actress wrote a letter of thanks to the entire team of the musical Mamma Mia! when leaving the theater, after seeing the performance. The rest is more than known. The performer starred in the 2008 film version, which ended up dazzling fans of the genre.
Since then, up to 440 cities have programmed Mamma Mia! and the musical has been translated into more than 16 languages, including Swedish, Japanese and Korean. But what is the secret of the success of this musical?
Songs that the whole audience knows
In 1999, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the triumph ofABBA at Eurovision with waterloowas born Mamma Mia! The door was thus opened to the creation of musicals built from the catalog of a well-known band: the so-called musical jukebox. Some years would have to pass to see other phenomena like We Will Rock Youwith songs from Queenor the state I can’t get up todaywith themes of Mechanic. The formula worked: take already existing musical creations, successfully tested by the general public, and build a story around them. Spectators already knew what they were going to hear, they could sing and dance, and the theater became a big party.
ABBA has sold more than 400 million records worldwide. Up to twenty times it has reached the top of the US sales charts, and the reception of the Hispanic public was so good that the group recorded an entire album in Spanish. The success of the band was a sure bet for the success of the new musical, but there are more ingredients that make this romantic comedy with songs an irresistible show.
A wedding, a musical trio and a Greek island
Weddings work – the audience knows what it’s like to attend such a party, they know they’re going to have a good time and get excited. The number of guests who cry at ceremonies is endless, and sometimes the most unexpected ones do. Overcoming stories are also key to a successful plot, ia Mamma Mia! there is one It’s easy to empathize with everyday heroines; everyone knows how hard it is to be a mother and raise a child. This is the story of Donna, the protagonist. Their daughter, Sophie, is getting married on the idyllic Greek island where they have lived since she was born. There, Donna has built a hotel from scratch, left behind her singing career and raised her daughter all by herself.
But the bride, in a drive to discover her roots, secretly invites the three men who could be her father. The mess is served when all three land at the same time in Greece. If we add to this the story of an unfinished love and the visit of Donna’s old bandmates, the Dynamos, the comedy is round.
A wedding gives a lot: picturesque guests, bachelor parties, unexpected flirtations, moments full of excitement and, of course, party. The team defines the function as a “tribute to mothers and their daughters, to love and to old friends”. If the music is essential in a link and in a production like this, the choreographies are no less. This is why Iker Carrera has been trusted to create a “one hundred percent new” movement score for the dance company: “it is not based on previous productions or the film”, points out the choreographer. The cast is made up of very young artists who have the power and energy that this new production, directed by Juan Carlos Fischer, needs.
A renewed staging
The year 2004 Mamma Mia! arrived for the first time in Spain with a cast led by Nina and well-known faces of the time. A long tour was added to his seasonal success. That production was faithful to the London original; for twenty years exact replicas have been made around the world, until now. “This is the first time that a renewal of the staging has been allowed”, he explains Marcos Camerawho produces the show along with Pilar Gutiérrez i Juanjo Rivero. “That they have allowed us to innovate in choreography, costumes and direction of actors is very important, because it means that Barcelona is a focus in the production of musicals”, points out the producer.
Cámara assures that this production contributes to giving its own identity to the way musicals are produced in Barcelona and adds that its “goal is to make the audience happy from minute one”. To achieve this, one of the largest and most complex scenographies ever seen in this musical in the world has been built. More than 2000 square meters of vegetation decorate not only the stage, but the entire theater, to welcome the viewer to the wedding of the year. Up to 400 costumes and costume compositions have been created for the show, with more than 6000 crystals hand-stitched into each of the final Dynamos costumes.
The show has 100 speakers installed and the largest lighting equipment mounted so far in a SOM Produce production, based on the latest LED technology and placing special emphasis on color reproduction. “All together to achieve a more complete experience”, indicates the team. “If the previous productions brought a piece of a Greek island to the viewer, in this one they have chosen to take the viewer directly to this island”, comment the producers.
Everything is set for this SOM Produce bet to be one of the big events on the next season’s billboard. Mamma Mia! will arrive at the Tivoli from September 26 to November 8, 2026. More information, images and tickets at:
