HURRICANE — When it comes to musical soundtracks, few hit the mark like Mamma Mia! After all, you just don’t get much better than ABBA’s world-renowned hits. Now, thanks to the vocal talent, eye-catching costumes, and high energy dance moves on display at Hurricane Theatrical, you get a community theater version of Mamma Mia! that feels, in many ways, like a semi-professional show.
Tucked in the heart of Hurricane in an unassuming community building, one might suppose this production to rely on little more than a healthy dose of small-town charm. But anyone entering with such tempered expectations is likely to be blown away by what they find: set pieces that appear to have been professionally built, lighting that sets the tone and focuses the eye, and a cast that is not only having fun on stage, but they’re also making it easy for the audience to have fun as well.
Under the direction of Kyle Myrick, assisted by Courtney Pearce and choreographed by Sammy Myrick, Mamma Mia! goes all in on the energetic music and movement inspired by the 1970s hit group ABBA, while telling a story that manages to take a head-scratching topic and make it heart-warming instead.
Twenty-year-old Sophie is just days away from her wedding to boyfriend Skye, but her blissful contentment is marred by the one thing lacking in her life: her father. Her mother has never spoken of her dad, but after reading her mother’s journals she learns there are three possible candidates. Throwing caution to the wind, she invites all three to her wedding — unbeknownst to her mother — in the hopes she will know him when they meet. Their unexpected arrival throws Sophie’s mother, Donna, into a tailspin, as the men — who are also in the dark about why they’ve been invited — begin to piece together the past and attempt to make things right in the present.
The story is weaved together with some of the best hits from ABBA’s collection in such a seamless fashion, it’s easy to think they were written for this purpose all along.
The pre-show music and overture give the entire auditorium a party-feel and provide a delicious contrast when Avery Jackson’s crystal-clear voice as Sophie cuts through the soundtrack like a hot knife through butter to open the show. Her sentiments on the “Prologue” are quickly added to by her energetic and equally talented friends, Ali, played by Britnee Rodgers, and Lisa, played by Annie Bearden, who learn all about Sophie’s plans to find her father in “Honey, Honey” and just like that, the story is off and running.
Jill Bearden’s version of Donna — Sophie’s mother/hotel owner/former member of her own 1970s musical trio — gets off to a great start in “Money, Money” where her rich throaty vocals portend of even better things to come.
Flanked by her two friends and former musical trio members, Tanya and Rosie, played by Paige Kennedy and Grace Wells, iconic numbers “Dancing Queen” and “Super Trooper” roar to life vocally but are unfortunately physically trapped by the confines of the set pieces wherein they are staged. The set itself is masterfully built, thanks to Nathan Merrill, and allows for several locations to be represented within the confines of the venue’s oddly constructed, and extremely deep-set stage.
One particularly impressive piece is a four-sided two-level structure that rotates to become the exterior of the hotel, Donna’s upstairs bedroom, an adjacent balcony, and the staircase leading to the second floor. The ability to spin this piece on a dime is impressive, and the idea of offering all four of these locations with such a small footprint likely has a certain appeal. However, the height of the second story room, and the restrictive size of that space, as well as the balcony, create an issue, compounded by the piece’s overall distance from the audience.
Watching poignant, and powerful moments of the show such as “Chiquitita,” “Slipping Through My Fingers,” as well as the aforementioned “Super Trooper,” and “Dancing Queen” unfold at such an odd height, (their heads appear to be just lower than the lighting tracks above the stage), and at such a distance, is a little like watching those portions of the show through an attic window from the street below. These talented women need some room! Even if they were to transition from the smaller space to center stage at some point, it might make up for the cramped bedroom quarters, and the audience would undoubtedly make allowances for the location change.
With regard to each character’s evident talent as part of an overall strong cast, Wells as Rosie was particularly fun to watch. Her voice was rich and full, and her attempts to seduce Bill, played by Tony Piersanti, in “Take A Chance On Me,” were fantastic. Equally delightful as her acting, were the costuming choices for Rosie. The layers of her past life juxtaposed with her present personality were perfectly symbolized in one particular element: her fanny pack. Something about that detail was so endearing; and when she emerged at the curtain call with the silver sparkly version… it was chef’s kiss, perfection!
Not to be outdone by their female counterparts, the men in the show did their best to step up, with several standouts emerging from the crowd. Mattix Espinoza as Pepper, for example, had all the swagger one would expect from a hormonal teen, as he strutted his stuff and attempted to engage with Tanya in, “Does Your Mother Know.”
Devin Neilson’s version of leading man Skye was strong — vocally as well as physically, the latter of which the choreography played to quite well — though there were times the chemistry between Skye and Sophie fell a little short.
Meanwhile, the three dad options each brought their own personality to the stage. Piersanti’s reaction to Rosie’s forward advances in “Take A Chance On Me” was delightful, and the earnestness with which Jared Washburn portrayed Harry was endearing. Mike Bearden’s depiction of Sam offered a commanding presence, but was, at times, a little too stiff, though he came to life a bit more in, “SOS”.
Both Harry and Sam struggled intermittently to be heard over the backing vocal track. Whether this is an audio balance issue, or the need for louder vocals is unclear, but can likely be finessed as the show run continues.
In the end, the power showcased on numbers like the tear-jerking, “Slipping Through My Fingers,” and the poignant, “The Winner Takes It All,” were eclipsed only by the energetic dance party mix that rounded out the show when the cast emerged in full ‘70s spectacle that simply has to be seen. When it comes to whether you want to experience Hurricane Theatrical’s Mamma Mia! the answer is definitively: “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do.”
Mamma Mia! is playing through May 9 at the Hurricane Valley Theatrical Company, 63 S. 100 West, Hurricane. For information go online to www.hurrricanetheatrical.com