"Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" some more of this show! AP Shalick High School absolutely owned the stage for their production of Mamma Mia! With smooth choreography, bright lighting, and colorful costumes, they gave the audience a wonderful closing night performance!
The show begins with Sophie, a 21 year old soon-to-be-bride, sending postcards out to three men (Sam Carmichael played by Sam Decou, Harry Bright played by Joseph Viso, and Bill Austin played by Jack Darischuk) who she believes could potentially be her unknown father. Her mother Donna, played by Andrea Ellis, is already stressed that her daughter is getting married so young, so when all three men from her past arrive at the same time without her knowledge, chaos quickly emerges. Mamma Mia! is a very upbeat musical that follows the theme of reconnecting with the past, as well as growing out of your childhood and sprouting into adulthood.
Overall, the show was bright and beautiful to watch; there were no moments of awkward silences or visible mistakes; the entire cast knew what was going on and were present in every scene. Although the energy was a little slow-paced during Act 1, the cast quickly picked it up by putting their all into their Act 2 performance. Even their costumes were bright and colorful and helped aid into the illusion of a warm Grecian paradise.
From beginning to end, Andrea Ellis held her energy high; her vocals rang beautifully throughout the entire theater! Especially, during the song "Slipping Through my Fingers", the emotion in her singing towards Sophie, played by Sophia Kopreski, felt raw and real. Christian Harridan, who played Sky, shined through in his performance during "Lay All Your Love on me" his energy was fantastic; being lifted up off the ground and still being able to hold your voice together is tough, but Christian persevered, giving a wonderful performance!
The ensemble definitely helped hold this show together during their performance of "Voulez Vous". They all shined through with their facial expressions and ability to stay synchronized during their choreography. This entire ensemble knew what was expected of them and they did exactly that plus some more! Hope Campbell, who played Tanya, and Molly Wood, who played Rosie, gave us a great performance during "Chiquitita", keeping the audience entertained and laughing throughout the entire song - definitely a job well done!
The tech in this show was amazing! The costumes looked glorious under the bright lights during "Mamma Mia Reprise". The matching sparkly outfits the leads wore during the "Waterloo" performance were stunning as well. Everyone glistened with their shining dresses and suits. The lighting design throughout the show set the mood of each scene very well. Even during the Overture with the blue and purple kaleidoscope side lights, I was instantly transported to Kalakari.
All in all, Mamma Mia! at AP Shalick High School was a wonderful viewing experience that I will definitely keep in mind for years to come. Great job to the cast and crew!