BWW Previews: AUDIENCE MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO SING, DANCE, PICNIC AT MAMMA MIA! at American Stage In The Park

If you enjoyed the 2008 and 2018 MAMMA MIA! movies, you are going to love the original musical from which the Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried-vehicle came. Running April 10 through May 12, featuring toe-tapping, danceable songs from the Swedish supergroup ABBA, American Stage has created the Greek island of Kalokairi at Demens Landing Park for its production of MAMMA MIA! under the direction of American Stage's artistic director Stephanie Gularte.

"It's a tremendous undertaking to not only produce a big musical outside but to create the venue and all of the staging infrastructure from the ground up. The amount of time and resources we put into a park production is about quadruple that of our largest mainstage show. Plus, with the variables of weather conditions, our process during rehearsals and performances do not always go as planned. That said, it's also a tremendously rewarding experience. Being outside, enjoying the beauty of the waterfront, working with artists at the top of their game, performing under the stars and then witnessing thousands of people of all ages come together to take it all in, jumping to their feet to dance and sing along....it makes all of the work worth it. It's magic."

If you don't know the story, MAMMA MIA! tells the tale of free-spirited, single-mother Donna, a hotelier in Greece. She's preparing for her daughter Sophie's wedding. Donna is unaware that Sophie has invited three lovers from her mother's past to the celebration to determine once and for all the identity of her birth father.

The musical celebrating its 20th anniversary features a cast of 20.

Alison Burns who plays Donna said that she has had fun getting to the character.

"There's so much more heart there than I expected," she said. "Theatre in the park is a different experience. It sort of feels like a rock concert."

With a catchy soundtrack featuring hits like Take a Chance on Me, S.O.S., Dancing Queen and of course, Mamma Mia!, the audience is encouraged to get up and dance.

Stephanie said, "MAMMA MIA! really was built to be performed live, so it will be a much more visceral experience for audiences than the movie experience."

Both Stephanie and Alison were drawn to the Slipping Through My Fingers as their favorite song in the production.

"It's hard to pick a favorite. There are so many fun moments and beautiful moments. Consistently though, when Alison sings Slipping Through My Fingers, it gets me. Really, that entire scene when Donna is helping Sophie get ready for her wedding holds a special place in my heart. A mothers love....a daughter, no longer a girl but not quite a woman, together learning to write the next chapter of their relationship...Julia and Alison bring so much heart and honesty to their onstage relationship, I think it's very special.

I have to add though, our choreographer, Shain Stroff has done such an amazing job that all of the bigger numbers are pure joy and I never get tired of working through Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, Voulez-Vous, or Under Attack," Stephanie said.

A five-piece band will play the infectious score.

"To be able to do this feel-good show during this time in the world, I think it's really needed right now. This show doesn't really have any bad guys. Everyone is good at heart and that's kind of rare to find in a show right now. It's been lovely to work on this. I resonate with Donna as I'm a mom of two girls and I was a single mom for seven years," said Alison. "To look through the lens of this mother figure on to this whole show, it's gives it so much heart. This speaks for why it was the longest-running jukebox musical because there's more than just the music. The audience gets to dance and sing along, but there's joy in the story as well."

Stephanie mirrored Alison's sentiment.

"With much of our work on our mainstage, I have hopes about the kinds of ideas that audiences might be discussing on their way home from a performance. With MAMMA MIA! I have a different kind of hope," she said. "This musical and this story offer so much joy and are such a celebration of love and family, my hope is that audiences head home for the night smiling and feeling a little closer to one another."

Alison said that the show offers a rollercoaster of emotions.

"It's fun, heartfelt, and funny. I want the audience to leave happier than when they arrived, with a pep in their step, humming the tunes from ABBA."

American Stage in the Park's MAMMA MIA! runs through May 12. Picnicking patrons are allowed to bring cooler, and non-alcoholic beverages. Food, beer, wine, and sodas are also available for purchase inside Demens Landing Park. Bring your own folding chair or blanket for seating. General admission lawn pricing starts at $20. Learn more at www.americanstage.org/park.