Mamma Mia! Here I Go Again...

Disclaimer: I was not an ABBA fan.

When I was in grade six however, I loved the Seventies. My parents showered me with stories of bell-bottoms, theme parties, wallflowers, group dates, chaperones and disco, and I lapped it all up like a thirsty puppy.

I soon discovered the ultimate theme song for my disco diva reveries. The moment I heard the opening oohs of ABBA’s Dancing Queen, I was automatically intrigued. By the second verse, I was hooked. I wanted to be young, sweet, and only seventeen, to go out on Friday nights and dance the night away. Whenever I heard it, I wanted to sail across a dance floor below a shimmering disco ball, have the time of my life while everyone watched that scene. Other disco songs like YMCA and Play That Funky Music found their way to my playlist, but it was Dancing Queen that held the top spot in my heart.

However, as much as I liked the song, I was never interested in listening to more ABBA songs. I guess at the time my attention was divided by two rising groups called the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys.

Seventeen has come and gone (cue music: "I learned the truth at seventeen, when love was meant for beauty queens…") and so has my obsession with the Seventies. Until today though, I still wear flared jeans (because they make me look thin) and I still love Dancing Queen. I’m always amazed how it can draw everyone to the dance floor, even if it’s from the era of polyester. Whatever the hottest trend in dance music is – may it be rave, ballroom, or line-dancing to the Macarena – that song is always going to be the quickest way to drag everyone to the floor.

Most people tell me it’s the same case with other ABBA songs, but I never thought songs like The Winner Takes It All and Money, Money, Money could ever appeal to me. Now those were songs that I categorized under the boring Seventies oldies. When my mom told me that the musical we were going to watch on Broadway this last summer was based on ABBA songs, I was skeptical. Dancing Queen I can take, but Money Money Money? Thank You For The Music?

All that changed when I finally watched Mamma Mia!. And last June, I found myself jumping at the chance to watch Mamma Mia! again in Hong Kong. I was thrilled that big names like Cathay Pacific and the Hong Kong Tourism Board were bringing one of the world’s most fantastic musicals to Asia. If all the musicals you’ve ever wanted to watch are The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, and Les Miserables, you’d better add Mamma Mia! to your list. Bonus: You probably already know the lyrics to most of the songs.

The Swedish singing group ABBA was wildly popular in the Seventies, with several of their hits like Dancing Queen (of course) and Take A Chance On Me catapulting to the Top Ten charts all over the world. Yet their music continued to entertain and delight people after their breakup in 1982. Producer Judy Cramer took notice of how universal and timeless ABBA music really is and conceptualized a refreshing new musical with ABBA songs woven into it. Taking the idea to two of the original ABBA members, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, and to playwright Catherine Johnson, the idea began to grow to become concrete plans for an original musical. With several talented people like director Phyllida Lloyd and production designer Mark Thompson on board, Mamma Mia! was truly on its way to becoming a huge success. When it finally opened in April 1999, huge success it was.

I fell absolutely in love with Mamma Mia! the first time I watched it. The story is centered on a mother and daughter, and the men that make their hearts soar and sore at the same time. Sophie, the daughter, has no idea who her father is. Upon reading the diary that Donna, her mother, kept when she had Sophie, she discovers that she has three possible dads. Without telling Donna, she invites all three men to her wedding, certain that she’ll know who her dad is. But when her prospective dads arrive, she’s more confused than ever – but not as confused and shocked as Donna was to see her three sweethearts again! Watching the story develop scene after scene was terrific. It’s quite a love story, but it also depicts life-long friendships and the unbreakable mother-daughter bond. There’s not a dull moment in the play, especially with all the unique and hilarious characters put together.

The set was incredible as well. The majority of the musical takes place in a taverna on a Greek Island, and immediately you’ll be impressed with the rustic-looking pieces and the cool blue background of the set. Even more impressive are the transitions from one scene to another. From a restaurant in taverna, the stage is transformed into a bedroom just by turning the major pieces of the set around and adding essential props. The musical becomes even more alive with the vibrant lights and the fantastic costumes. My eyes feasted on cool blues, neon greens, and hot pinks throughout the musical. One of my favorite scenes has to be the wedding. It was absolutely delicious. Candles around the taverna gave it a soft glow while the guests, all in hot pink and bright orange, were the ones who lit up the stage. It wasn’t at all gaudy and I’m seriously considering pink and orange for my wedding someday.

And the music. It’s amazing how the songs fit perfectly into the story that you almost forget they’re ABBA songs. Almost. The ABBA effect is undeniably there – once you recognize the music and hear the first lines of the songs, a grin spreads on your face and you’ll be dying to dance. Like I said, I never liked ABBA, but I learned how to appreciate their music after watching Mamma Mia!. Practically everyone leaves the theater an ABBA fan. Older people are probably reliving their memories, but for the younger ones like me, we are just starting to discover how great the music is. I think everything about the musical – the appealing story, the memorable characters, the wonderful set – just manifests the spirit of the music. ABBA has sung about several things, from heartbreak to dancing to love to dreams. Yet everyone can always somehow relate to the songs and find themselves at the very least humming the tunes. Watching the musical showed me how music can break barriers. At the end of each show, everyone stands up and starts dancing and singing along. I’ve seen a lot of standing ovations in musicals, but nothing quite like this. In fact, I wouldn’t call it a standing ovation. The finale becomes one huge party. And when the curtain starts to fall, the audience doesn’t clap. The people roar with applause.

It was like love at second sight when I watched Mamma Mia! again at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. And like they say, it’s sweeter the second time around. The musical is absolutely breathtaking and exhilarating, and I’m not exaggerating at all. You will not be able to get enough of Mamma Mia!, and you will never forget it either. You must, must watch this musical. Mamma Mia! premiered in Hong Kong this June and will continue running for a limited time only. Experience the magic and the music for yourself.

* * *

Next week: Behind the scenes in Mamma Mia!