Moncton High ready to dazzle with Mamma Mia!

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Moncton High School is pulling out the sparkles and bell bottoms for their production of Mamma Mia! next month.

The show is a musical jukebox comedy featuring the songs of the pop group ABBA. Set on the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi, bride-to-be Sophie Sheridan reveals to her bridesmaids that she has secretly invited three men to her wedding without telling her mother, Donna. She spends the musical trying to find out which of the men is her father in hopes they will walk her down the aisle.

Director Becky Fanjoy said because of the popular movie starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried people of all ages are becoming familiar with the musical and the ABBA soundtrack, which has hit songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Super Trouper” and the title song “Mamma Mia!”

“We knew it would be a big-ticket seller. It’s sparkly and fun,” she said. “I think we’re going to have a big audience.”

After a successful rendition of Annie at Moncton High last year, Fanjoy’s team took the lessons they learned from that show into this year’s musical, including starting choreography and costume selection earlier in the year.

“We just feel like we know more about what a beast this type of show can be and we’re better prepared this year for what the expectations are,” said Fanjoy.

Alexa Deighton plays Donna, one of the lead roles. She is joined by Beatriz Hickel and Kennedy Bland who are portraying Tanya and Rosie, Donna’s two friends who make up the girl group Donna and the Dynamos. All three girls played roles in Annie in last year’s show.

Deighton and Bland were both familiar with the musical, while Hickel had to watch the movie after she learned Moncton High was putting on Mamma Mia!

“My family and I have seen Mama Mia so many times. It’s really funny this is my grad show,” said Deighton.

When asked about their characters, Hickel said she had to learn to act more proper, and even learn a few lines in Greek, while Bland had to work on playing a comedic role. She practiced her comedic timing on her friends.

Deighton, who played Annie in last year’s show, said Donna is a dramatic, emotional character, and she had to watch Youtube videos to learn how to cry on cue.

“The actor can have so much fun when the character has this high emotional state,” she said.

The trio said they are looking forward to performing in front of a live audience, and watching people singing along to the familiar songs.

“I hope they find we did justice to it,” said Hickel.

Leah Roberts, the show’s choreographer, said this year’s production has more complicated dance numbers than Annie.

One of Roberts’s favourite parts of working on the show was watching the students work together to run lines and teach each other choreography during breaks in rehearsal. Along the way the teenagers learned skills like leadership, accountability, and teamwork.

“That brings my heart joy,” she said.

Fanjoy said some of the students would like to pursue theatre or theatre technician after high school, and are getting experience working on Mama Mia!

“They’re making the magic and we’re just facilitating them,” she said. “It’s wild what’s going on here.”

The production will run from April 4-7 at Moncton High. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. The tickets cost $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and students.