Friday, Feb. 28, 2003 | 8:54 a.m.
"Mamma Mia!," that's-a some-a kind-a show.
The internationally acclaimed production had a soft opening at the 1,700-seat Mandalay Bay Theatre Feb. 3 and has been luring in throngs of theater-goers ever since.
This lighthearted musical-comedy, which also is playing on Broadway, in London, Toronto, Tokyo, Hamburg, Germany, and next year in Seoul, South Korea, is an almost perfect fit for Las Vegas.
Who wants to come to the entertainment capital to be preached to by Arthur Miller or confused by Edward Albee?
Give us fluff, and lots of it -- something that makes our toes tap, our bodies sway, our lips move as we sing along with a cast that is singing familiar songs.
There is a lot of that going on at "Mamma Mia!" an ABBA tribute concert thinly disguised as a play.
To paraphrase Hamlet, in this case the play is not the thing.
The thing is the music.
At 2 1/2 hours, the production is long for what historically has been the taste of Las Vegas audiences, who are more in tune with a show that lasts no more than 90 minutes.
The exposition in the opening minutes of the first act is a bit slow, but once that is out of the way the story moves rapidly with song and dance, and the 2 1/2 hours fly by, especially if you are a fan of the Swedish rock group.
It almost goes without saying that if you don't like ABBA, you probably won't like "Mamma Mia!"
But what's not to like?
The production includes 22 of ABBA's most popular songs, among them "Mamma Mia!" "Super Trouper," "S.O.S.," "Waterloo" and "Dancing Queen."
Catherine Johnson wrote the story for the musical, which was produced by Judy Cramer.
Johnson cleverly weaved the two-act production around songs written by former ABBA members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus.
The formula was brilliantly conceived, and at Mandalay Bay superbly executed by a cast that includes Tina Walsh in the lead as Donna Sheridan, Nick Cokas as Sam Carmichael (Donna's hottest old flame), Jill Paice as Sophie Sheridan (Donna's daughter) and Victor Wallace as Sky (Sophie's fiance).
The action takes place on a Greek island the day before Sophie's wedding.
Sophie is illegitimate. She has found the names of three men in her mother's diary who might be her father -- including Sam, Bill Austin (Mark Leydorf) and Harry Bright (Michael Piontek).
According to the diary, Donna Sheridan broke up with Sam 21 years earlier and then had two quick flings. One of the three liaisons resulted in the birth of Sophie, who wants to know which man is her father.
Without her mother's knowledge, Sophie invites the trio to her wedding.
The story, filled with comedy but tinged with sadness, revolves around the events growing out of Sophie's clandestine search.
"Mamma Mia!" has an excellent supporting cast, with Jennifer Perry (Rosie) and Karole Foreman (Tanya) highlights of the show. Perry developed her comedic timing during her years spent performing in New York City comedy clubs. Foreman has an extensive background in theater.
An interesting aspect of this highly successful formula is that the recipe could be used with almost any popular singer or singing group that has had dozens of hit records, some of which might be molded into a story.
The plot of "Mamma Mia!" -- a mother who is not sure who the father of her daughter is -- begs for a country music interpretation featuring the hits of Tammy Wynette or Loretta Lynn.
Instead of a Greek island resort, put mamma in a country bar in Texas, the three potential fathers in pick-up trucks with gun racks in the window and the supporting cast in blue jeans and cowboy boots, and you have another hit.
