I'm a Journalist in Korea 8: Mamma Mia: The Musical
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Mamma Mia: The Musical
Mamma Mia: The Musical
Review
by Kim Miso aka Rahel Limor
I
have to admit that I was determined not to enjoy this musical. Why?
The music is not necessarily to my personal taste. I was never much
of an ABBA fan.
The good news is that, even though it was a Korean language
production (and my Korean is at best at kindergarten level), I walked
away loving Mamma Mia,
the songs, the acting, the story – the works!
This musical has been around for twenty
years. The music even longer. The idea to create a musical based on
the songs written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of the
Swedish pop/rock group, ABBA
(1972-1982),
came from producer Judy Craymer in 1983. After a meeting with the
songwriters Craymer enlisted Catherine Johnson to write the book and
Phyllida Lloyd to direct the show. The musical debuted in London in
1999 at the Prince Edward Theater. Since then it has become a
world-wide hit with no end in sight. It’s been translated to
sixteen different languages with over fifty productions and has
grossed billions at the box office.
The story-line is actually quite enticing.
A young twenty-one year old named Sophie, the daughter of a single
mother named Donna, is about to get married. She chooses an idyllic
setting on a Greek island and invites many guests. She’d like to
have her father there but she actually doesn’t know who he is. Her
mother, who had been a member of a very successful girl-group back in
the day, “Donna and the Dynamos”, never talked about the birth
father. One day Sophie finds her mother’s diary which reveals the
names of three different men, one of which is her real father. The
problem for Sophie is that it doesn’t say which one. Unbeknownst to
her mother, and the men, Sophie invites all three men to the wedding
in hopes of learning the truth. Which of the three is her real
father? You can’t go wrong with a love story. This one ventures out
in a few different directions which make it a bit more interesting
then most. It’s a story that is well written and keeps us wondering
right up to the very end. Much like a mystery novel.
The set design is very simple. I liked the
way the space behind and around the set was used as various
characters came in and out of the story. It gave way to very smooth
scene transitions. The actors actually moved the set as they melded
into the next scene. The choreography, dancing and singing were all
highly dynamic and emitted a contagious energy that reeled the
audience in and kept our attention. We laughed, clapped, hooted and
hollered. “Donna and the Dynamos” were fabulous. In my opinion
their performance was the best scene in the entire show. The audience
clearly agreed. The hearty applause at the end for the three revealed
their approval. In fact, it seemed to me that women, especially the
older mature characters portrayed, were definitely the winners in
this musical. Men played a minor role in comparison though they
played it well! There was no lack for eye candy either. An extra
treat!
Twenty two of ABBA’s greatest hits were
featured in this performance: Chiquitita,
Dancing Queen, Gimme Gimme Gimme, Knowing Me Knowing You, Mamma Mia,
Money Money Money, Take a Chance on Me and
The Winner Takes it All to
mention a few.
The final
word? Go see it. You won’t be disappointed. Mamma
Mia is
playing until September 14th
at the LG Arts Center, 679
Yoeksam 1 Dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Tickets
can be reserved by phone: 02-2005-0114, Fax: 02-2005-1538, or Email:
arts2005@lgart.com.
Website: www.lgart.com.
Recommended for age 8 and above.
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