Wednesday night the Saint John Theatre Company premiered their long-awaited production Mamma Mia! – its Main Stage season finale for the 2017-2018 year. The show has been highly anticipated for a number of months with ticket sales through the roof for this ABBA-inspired musical. The SJTC had to add additional performances for Mamma Mia! to cope with the high demand for tickets!
And it’s no wonder why! Everyone loves this story set in Greece about a bride, Sophie, who is looking to find out who her father is. The problem is, there’s three possible dads! Convinced she’ll know him when she sees him, she invites all three to her wedding while her mother Donna has no idea of the unexpected guests she’s about to receive! If you saw the movie, and who didn’t, then you know this show is a blast! All of ABBA’s hits somehow fit the plot of this story perfectly. No one will leave this show without tapping toes and maybe even singing along!
Last night there were a few audience members who couldn’t contain their urge to sing when the title score “Mamma Mia” reached the chorus. Perfectly acceptable! And while I can’t speak for the Imperial Theatre, the SJTC, or other audience members, I’m going to go ahead and encourage it! Just don’t drown out those stunning vocals okay? What makes this show is the audience participation and clapping along. It was apparent from start to finish that this sold-out crowd had a wonderful time!
The cast did a phenomenal job of bringing these colourful characters to life! Donna was played by one of Saint John’s most acclaimed vocalists, Theresa Patterson. Her voice is something to behold! She is no stranger to the theatre either; she played Mrs. Lovett for STJC’s Sweeney Todd and has performed with Symphony New Brunswick as a soloist. Playing her daughter, Sophie, was Alison Campbell. Alison is a graduate of York University’s Music Program and the Randolph Academy. Her transition to the role of Sophie is such a natural one. She had fantastic chemistry with her costar Cameron Secord, who played the groom Sky.
In the role of the three possible fathers were Bertis Sutton, Chad Humphries, and Scott Thomas. Each did wonderfully. Scott played the role of Harry. Or if you’re a Colin Firth fan, he played Colin Firth’s role from the movie. Playing Sam was Chad Humphries – Pierce Brosnan’s character from the film. And last but not least, Bertis played Bill – portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård in the film. All three were funny, charming and kept up with their female vocalists impeccably.
As Donna’s two visiting friends, Kizzy Kaye played Tanya – the cougar, if you’ll excuse the expression, from the film. And she did a damn fine job! She was such a natural on the stage and her stunning vocals were very complimentary for the genre. Lisa Hanson, too, as Rosie gave a stellar performance. It’s no surprise she worked so well with Theresa; the two currently sing together in the group Pandora.
There are so many other cast members who made this show such a phenomenal experience but there is simply not time to mention everyone. You’ll just have to go see it!
If you act fast, there are still very limited seats available at the remaining four shows. Opening night, tonight and tomorrow night are sold out. For Saturday and Sundays’ matinee (2:00pm) shows and the Saturday evening (7:30pm) performance, a grand total of 10 seats remain through the Imperial Theatre.