Mamma Mia! What a Mamma Mia! By Tina Arth

 

Ashley Moore, Jennifer Grimes, and Leslie Inmon

There are many reasons to love Forest Grove’s venerable community theater, Theatre in the Grove, but the one that really stands out to me is that TITG is fully committed to its mission to make theater arts accessible to the broadest possible community. The current production of Mamma Mia! Is a superb example – a crowd-pleasing musical for a wide audience that also gives scores (43 by my count) of stage veterans and newbies the opportunity to participate in the magic of making live theater. The lists of cast, crew, and orchestra include lots of locals, but TITG also takes advantage of talent from all over the Portland metro area (and the occasional exchange student!). Director Dorinda Toner and her production team have taken the unique abilities of this little horde of vocalists, actors, dancers, musicians, and techies, and molded them into a cohesive unit that has the audience singing and dancing (or at least clapping more or less on beat) by the end of Act II.

Although it was a smash hit when first staged in 1999 and remains wildly popular, Playwright Catherine Johnson’s jukebox musical built around the music of ABBA is, IMHO, fatally flawed as dramatic art by the disconnect between the book and the music – there are plot holes wider than the Bermuda Triangle. Remarkably, when produced with unabashed flair and the right sense of humor (and this Mamma Mia! most definitely is) it just doesn’t matter. As long as the orchestra is solid, solos bright, harmonies tight, costumes flamboyant, and dancers enthusiastic, the audience will have as much fun as the performers. It also doesn’t hurt if you like the music of ABBA, but are not so obsessive that occasional changes in lyrics or arrangements ruin the experience. 

In case you don’t know the basic story – Donna is a forty-something woman who has built a taverna on an unnamed Greek island. Daughter Sophie is getting married, and she would like her father to walk her down the aisle – but she doesn’t know who her father is (Donna had a bit of a wild youth, and the dad could be any one of three men). Unbeknownst to her mother, Sophie has invited Bill, Harry, and Sam (the possible sperm donors) to the wedding, thinking that she’ll know which one is really her dad when she meets them. Also on the island? Donna’s two best friends from the good old days, Tanya and Rosie. And of course Sophie’s fiancé Sky and her best friends Ali and Lisa, plus a couple of bartenders and a healthy dose of lively locals. Donna thinks Sophie is too young to marry, and Sophie thinks her mother should perhaps have considered marriage in lieu of promiscuity and the burdens of single parenthood. As they sing and dance their way through some 26 ABBA songs, the cast members work out their problems and (in classic musical comedy fashion) everything comes out just fine.

Theatre in the Grove newcomer Madeline Hui  is simply perfect as Sophie – she is a fine actor, and her lovely soprano voice is flawless from the opening number, “I Have a Dream,” through the celebratory epilogue. The other key role features TITG veteran Jennifer Grimes, a beautiful belter who was born to play this role – she has that brilliant combination of strength and vulnerability essential to the role of Donna, and her hate/love relationship with Sam (played by her husband, James Grimes) gives us the most intense emotional moments in the show.

With such a large cast, I can’t possibly recognize everybody who deserves it – but when you go watch for Donna, Tanya (Ashley Moore), and Rosie (Leslie Inmon) killing it with “Chiquitita” and “Dancing Queen,” the amazing “Super Trouper” (featuring the entire female ensemble), and some truly eye-popping chemistry between Moore and Max Marckel (Pepper) as well as Inmon and Nick Serrone (Bill).  The entire ensemble leaves it all on the stage in the many dance numbers, with a special nod to the younger ensemble members who contribute irresistible, uninhibited, and nonstop joie de vivre.

James Grimes’ set design is attractive and clever, allowing many scene changes with minimal delay. Ward Ramsdell and Sandy Cronin have done a marvelous job with complex lighting design, creating ocean waves, ‘70s disco magic, and a host of other special effects. Chris Byrne tackled the challenging task of costuming a large cast with occasional jumps between the 1970s and 1990s, including some quick-change surprises and some sparkly and truly memorable color combinations. And of course high praise for musical director/conductor Michelle Bahr and her unseen but not unappreciated orchestra as they drive the show from prologue to epilogue.

Mamma Mia! is playing at Theatre in the Grove, 2028 Pacific Avenue, Forest Grove through Sunday, May 1 with performances at 7:30 P.M.  on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 P.M. on Sundays.