Knowing Mia, knowing you

Friday, Jan. 31, 2003 | 9:12 a.m.

Anyone feeling left out of the "Mamma Mia!" craze need only head toward the nearest onramp and hit the pedal.

All major North American roads lead to the musical based on the songs of former Swedish pop group ABBA.

Broadway gobbled up the production two years after its highly acclaimed 1999 London debut. Toronto brought the production to its Royal Alexandra Theatre in 2000. Two U.S. tours are traveling the country.

Mandalay Bay's soft opening of "Mamma Mia!" Monday begins the show's indefinite Las Vegas run (the grand opening is Feb. 14). Casino executives show no concern "Mamma Mia!" will be overexposed in Las Vegas.

"We knew that people were seeing the show two and three times, even though it's playing in two and three parts of the country," said Glenn" rehearsal. "The music is timeless."

Though highbrow theater critics shunned the lighthearted show, the concept for "Mamma Mia!" is clever: Write a simple story and use the catchy, melodramatic songs of the 1970s rock group ABBA to move it forward.

The timing seemed perfect following the release of "ABBA Gold," dozens of ABBA tribute bands taking stage, and the popular '90s films "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" and "Muriel's Wedding" which generously referenced the group.

British playwright Catherine Johnson created the light storyline - a concept developed by producer Judy Cramer who worked on the musical "Chess" with former band members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus.

Soon after newspapers and magazines reported that "Mamma Mia!" was selling out at the box offices and launching audiences to their feet.

But as the production was making its way across the Atlantic to Broadway, at least one person had yet to hear of the musical: a tall, trim, low-key, classically trained Las Vegan with a powerful singing voice.

Tina Walsh was vacationing in Malibu when she first came across the curious soundtrack and found the concept interesting.

While driving back to Las Vegas, she saw the billboard for the touring production.

"I've got the music on, I saw the billboard, I thought, 'I'd love to see this,' " Walsh said.

Little did she know that two years later she would open the Las Vegas production as the lead, Donna Sheridan, a fortysomething single mother who moved to a Greek Island several years prior while traveling Europe.

"I am ecstatic," Walsh said. "I couldn't be more happy, joyful, blessed to be where I am right now. The part itself, it's (enormous). For any actress, it's an incredible challenge to do this role.

"The company, cast and crew and management are very fabulous, connected, gifted, talented people. Everybody is very happy to be there."

In the production, Donna's daughter Sophie (played by Jill Paice) is about to be married. Longing to know who her father is, Sophie rummages through her mother's diary, finds the names of three former suitors and invites them to her wedding.

Meanwhile Donna has invited two old friends from "Donna and the Dynamos" (Jennifer Perry and Karole Foreman), the girl group she sang with during the late '70s.

The whimsical story unfolds as if the ABBA songs, including "Dancing Queen," "Chiquitita" and "Take a Chance On Me," were written for the production.

With the show's wide appeal, Walsh, a former "EFX" and "Jubilee" performer, said the part is somewhat of a dream role and also somewhat surreal.

"In an interesting way, it really is," Walsh said. "It wasn't something I had really planned for. They always say, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

"I have diligently working on my voice for a long time. It seems like I've been working for this without really knowing. "

Walsh moved to Las Vegas from her hometown of Dallas in the 1980s to sing chorus for "Donn Arden's Jubilee." She stayed with the production for several years.

In 1995 Walsh originated the character of Bess Houdini in "EFX" starring opposite Michael Crawford. She left the production the following year, then returned in 1998 to appear in the with Tommy Tune and stayed during Rick Springfield's tenure.

"I came back because I wanted to work with Tommy Tune," Walsh said. "I thought, 'I would love to work with him being he's nine-time Tony Award winner, a Texan as well.' "

Singing Vegas

Well-liked by others in the entertainment industry, Walsh, who, rather than give her age, says simply "I'm old enough," is known to readily volunteer her talents for local fund raisers.

She's performed with other Strip entertainers for several community productions, including the Performing Arts Society's Brown Bag Concert Series and the 2001 USO benefit concert at Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Walsh also performed in Asylum's "Lost Vegas Series" and three years ago she directed the musical productions "Closer Than Ever" and "Songs For the New World" for Golden Rainbow. She's even performed musical comedy for the now-defunct "Catch a Rising Star."

Though she trained in ballet as a child, Walsh's ability to sing well was a surprise to her.

"I didn't know I had a voice until I auditioned for 'My Fair Lady' in high school," Walsh said. "And I got the lead."

She continued performing musicals and in college at the University of Texas at Dallas.

When Walsh got notice last spring that "EFX Alive" was closing, she said she began auditioning for work in New York and Los Angeles. Then she heard "Mamma Mia!" was coming to town.

"I thought, 'I'll audition, why not? I'll go for a supporting role or understudy,' " Walsh said, explaining that because of the magnitude of the production, she assumed the role of Donna had already been filled.

She impressed producers at the audition. At a call back she sang, "The Winner Takes It All" and was told a few days later that she was cast as Donna. The timing couldn't be more perfect.

"At this time in my life, I'm vocally and emotionally prepared to sing that song," Walsh said, referring to the 11th-hour "The Winner Takes it All."

Walsh sings 12 songs in the musical, including a stretch fondly referred to as the "Donna Marathon." Being a mom to son Austin, she said, helps her connect to the character.

"I know what it is to be a mom," Walsh said. "You plan all these things growing with a child, and that time has passed."

One of her favorite ABBA songs from "Mamma Mia!" is "Slipping Through My Fingers," a mother's song to a child.

But, she said, "Every song has powerful meaning."

Critics and fans say the songs are the reason for the show's universal appeal. One of the most commercially successful bands of all time, ABBA sold more than 350 million records worldwide.

"People usually want to share the show," Nina Lannan, North American producer, said. "It has a very infectious spirit. They fall in love with the music and want to come back with the kids.

"Eleven- and 12-year-olds now know what ABBA is partly because of its release of its "ABBA Gold CD" and songs that were picked up by other bands," Lannan said.

At the performances, she said, "You see an entire audience up, all having a great time and dancing."