ABBA's hits tell the hilarious story of a young woman's search for her birth father. This sunny and funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago.  A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you'll never forget! 

Music and Lyrics by: Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson  Book by: Catherine Johnson

rights provided by : Music Theatre International

423 West 55th Street, 2nd Fl.

New York, NY 10019

©MTI Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Set on a beautiful Greek island and filled with the iconic music of ABBA, Mamma Mia! is a story about love, identity, family, and the friendships that carry us through life’s most joyful—and sometimes most complicated—moments. While the show is full of laughter, dancing, and songs that many of us know by heart, it also reminds us of something deeply human: none of us have life completely figured out, especially when we’re young.

One of the most meaningful themes in this story for me is the idea that we all make mistakes in our youth (and of course as adults)   Almost all of the characters in Mamma Mia! look back on their younger selves with a mixture of joy, nostalgia and maybe even a little embarrassment?  I personally believe that these are the moments that help shape us into the people we become. More importantly, and if we are lucky, these moments can also show us the power of true friendship—the kind of friendships that can make it through the best and the worst parts of life and stand the test of time. 

Working with high school students makes this lesson feel especially meaningful. Theater isn’t always the most popular “sport” to be involved in AND it’s a place where these brave young people are forced to take risks while they try new things!  Lots of times they stumble before they succeed. Lot’s of times they look and feel really stupid until they don’t!   They make a lot of mistakes!  BUT Over the past 7 weeks they have not just learned their lines, learned all 28 songs, the choreography and blocking…over these past 7 weeks they have also learned to support one another!  They have learned to genuinely celebrate each other's victories and they have learned to  laugh (and sometimes cry) together through all of the mistakes and the chaos that comes with putting on a musical. Watching this cast and crew build those friendships and grow in confidence together has been one of the best parts of this experience! 

Most of all, I am just SO proud of these students. Their heart, humor, and willingness to learn—from both their successes and their mistakes—is exactly what our program at Royal  is all about.

So I invite you to sit back, enjoy the awesome music of ABBA, and let yourself be transported to a sunny island where friendship, love, and a few youthful mistakes remind us that life is always worth celebrating.

–Miss Suzy