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'Mamma Mia!' Offers Bubbly Fun
But Will It Last In Vegas?
Rick Garman, Vegas4Visitors.com
Updated: 10:56 a.m. EST March 17, 2003 LAS VEGAS -- You would have to be a seriously cynical curmudgeon not to be swept up in the good-natured and frothy fun that is "Mamma Mia!" the Las Vegas version of the Broadway hit now playing at Mandalay Bay. I, of course, am a cynical curmudgeon but apparently haven't gotten my "serious" badge yet, because even I couldn't help but be amused by this candy-colored concoction that is at once the antithesis and the embodiment of Vegas entertainment. For those of you hiding under a pop culture rock for the last couple of years, "Mamma Mia!" is a feathery, lightweight musical inspired by and featuring the songs of 1970s disco super group ABBA. You don't really need to know their hits like "Dancing Queen," "Take a Chance on Me," or "Waterloo" to enjoy the show. In fact, a lack of knowledge may help in some ways. I have only a passing awareness of ABBA's music, but for the most part it was the songs that I didn't know that seemed to fit better into the plot. The big hits in many ways felt shoehorned. Despite what you may have heard, there actually is a plot, although it isn't exactly Shakespeare. The day before her wedding on a remote Greek island, young Sophie (Jill Paice) nervously awaits the arrival of three men, all of whom had affairs with her mother, Donna (Tina Walsh), at roughly the same time 21 years ago, and any of whom could very well be her father. Throw in a bunch of wacky sidekicks, a few misunderstandings, and a bunch of secrets, and you have the makings of an extended episode of "Three's Company." The first act plays like a slapstick sitcom, complete with pratfalls and lots of genial mugging from the talented cast. That's not really a criticism, since it falls completely in line with traditional Broadway musicals, all the way back to Busby Berkeley. It's fun and funny, so go with it. The second act bogs down a bit, as both the story and musical tone try to shift to become a bit more serious. Who is really Sophie's father? Will Donna and one of her old loves be reunited? Will the wedding go on as scheduled? You get the idea. The comedy bits of the plot work better than the attempts at drama but the plot is, for the most part, incidental to the music -- a bubbly confection of pop tunes that have been adapted for the stage with a great deal of style and originality. As mentioned, the more obscure ABBA tunes tend to work better than the popular ones since the rough fits in the adaptations aren't quite as glaring. However, there are a few standouts among those tunes that you may know, including cast members Jennifer Parry and Mark Leydorf's flirtatiously funny "Take a Chance on Me" and Tina Walsh's powerful rendition of "The Winner Takes It All." Speaking of the cast, they are for the most part excellent. Vegas veteran Walsh finally gets her due with this starring role as the independently minded Donna. She has a voice and a stage presence that rival anything playing in New York these days. Parry and Karole Foreman, as Donna's old singing buddies Rosie and Tanya, are a riot in the wacky sidekick tradition, often stealing the spotlight and the bigger laughs. Victor Wallace and Jill Paice as the betrothed Sophie and Sky make a cute and believable couple in two very underwritten roles, evidence of which came when Wallace's physique got more of a reaction from the crowd than any of his lines did. So it's undeniable that "Mamma Mia!" is crowd-pleasing fun and not a lot more, another thing that comes off sounding like a criticism when it really isn't meant as one. But is it a good fit for Vegas? I've taken a lot (and I do mean a lot) of heat for a quote that appeared in Newsweek magazine a few weeks back when I said that I didn't think "Mamma Mia!" would work in Vegas since lengthy, plot-driven shows have never done particularly well here. At 2.5 hours it is a solid 60 minutes longer than most Vegas shows, and it features a rare-for-this-town intermission. The good news is that it doesn't feel like 2.5 hours, and from what I could tell almost everyone came back from intermission instead of running off to the craps tables, so what do I know? But I still stand by my assertion that I question the long-term viability of this show. In addition to the New York version still playing, there is a touring company that has already hit most major cities and is now on the way to spots like San Jose. My feeling is that most people who come to Vegas with $100 to blow on a show will want to spend it on those "only in Vegas" experiences like "Mystere," "O," the upcoming Celine Dion show, or even "Siegfried and Roy." But all of that is at best an academic discussion and has little relevance to whether or not "Mamma Mia!" is worth your $65 to $85. I say if it doesn't preclude you from seeing one of the other Vegas spectaculars, then absolutely -- go, enjoy, dance, and don't admit to anyone how badly you want to be in those rhinestone-encrusted platform boots. Or maybe it was just me?
Mamma Mia
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