REVIEW: Mamma Mia! at Marriott Brings Greek Island Romance In The Round

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

MAMMA MIA!

It was our great pleasure to Catch The Marriott Theatre's Mamma Mia! last Thursday. This production is well worth the trek out to Lincolnshire! Creative use of their intimate theatre in the round staging by Set Designer, Scott Davis, gives audiences an actual island of stage space, surrounded by a functional water moat. This enables some creative choreography and circle dances that are a joy to see. Simple walls full of windows for the chorus at the back of each section complete the illusion of a larger playing space and open up exciting possibilities. The directing and casting are truly world class. This is a playful, fun night out, full of retro 70's charm and catchy, familiar songs, belted out beautifully by true pros. Danni Smith as “Donna Sheridan” is a standout, as are her long time friends, former suitors, and a host of chorus boys with personality to spare. The chorus girls' roles aren't as fleshed out, still the entire cast shines, and it's not just the silver lame´! Highly recommended.

The show's already been extended due to popular demand so book your tickets before they sell out! 

The global phenomenon seen by over 60 million people all around the world and one of Broadway’s longest running hits, MAMMA MIA!, kicks off Marriott Theatre's 2017 Season, running February 8th through April 16th, 2017 at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. Multi Jeff Award Winner Rachel Rockwell (World Premiere of October Sky and 42nd Street at Marriott Theatre; Ride the Cyclone at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and MCC Theatre, New York; and Brigadoon at Goodman Theatre), returns to direct the much-loved  piece, with music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA, and book by Catherine Johnson.  Rockwell, who has an extensive history with the show, having performed it many times including on Broadway, joins forces with longtime collaborators Set Designer Scott Davis, who will re-imagine the signature theatre-in-the-round space, and Costume Designer Theresa Ham who returns to the Marriott following the success of October Sky, along with Choreographer Ericka Mac and Musical Director Ryan T. Nelson.

“I’m really excited to put my spin on this exuberant celebration of music and friendship,” says Rockwell. “The show is a story of the enduring female relationships in our lives – mothers and daughters, women supporting each other. Paired with these songs that we all love, it brings such joy. It truly is a love letter to that ABBA sound."

MAMMA MIA! is the story of the dynamic relationship between independent and carefree mother, Donna Sheridan, and her spirited daughter, Sophie, who she has raised alone on an idyllic Greek island. While Donna invites her two best friends to her daughter's wedding, practical and no-nonsense Rosie and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tanya, Sophie has plans of her own up her sleeve. On a quest to find the identity of her father to walk her down the aisle, she brings back three men from Donna’s past to the Mediterranean paradise they visited 20 years earlier, hoping to build a bond with the father she’s never known. Chaos ensues over the next 24 hours as new love blooms and old flames are rekindled on this lush island full of possibilities. Fusing explosive dance numbers with timeless songs, including “Dancing Queen”, “S.O.S.”, “Money, Money, Money” and “Take a Chance on Me,” MAMMA MIA! will have audiences singing along to all the classic favorites in this feel-good story full of laughs, love, family and friendship.

MAMMA MIA! stars Danni Smith as “Donna Sheridan” (The Marriott Theatre: Man of La Mancha and City of Angels; Paramount: A Christmas Story; Porchlight: Chess), Meghan Murphy as “Tanya” (The Marriott Theatre: City of Angels; Drury Lane Oakbrook: Smokey Joe’s Café), Cassie Slater as “Rosie” (The Marriott Theatre: Man of La Mancha and City of Angels), Tiffany Tatreauas “Sophie Sheridan” (The Marriott Theatre: Sister Act and Spring Awakening; Chicago Shakespeare Theater/MCC: Ride the Cyclone), Peter Saide as “Sam Carmichael” (Chicago Shakespeare/Old Globe: Sense and Sensibility; Paramount: Oklahoma!; Las Vegas: Jersey Boys), Karl Sean Hamilton as “Harry Bright” (The Marriott Theatre: For the Boys and The Full Monty; Goodman Theatre: Wonderful Town; Chicago Shakespeare Theater/MCC: Ride the Cyclone), Derek Hasenstab as “Bill Austin” (The Marriott Theatre: How To Succeed…, Spring Awakening, October Sky; Lookingglass Theatre Company: Eastland), Russell Mernagh as “Sky” (The Marriott Theatre: Evita; Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Ride the Cyclone; The Mercury Theatre: The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes), Kayla Kennedy as “Ali,”Lillian Castillo as “Lisa,” Liam Quealy as “Pepper,” and Gerard Salvador as “Eddie.” Also featuring Ari Aaron, William Carlos Angulo, Aramie, Julie Baird, Nathaniel Braga, Colte Julian, Tommy Lucas, Ericka Mac, John Marshall, Jr., Zoe Nadal, Hanah Rose Nardone, Laura Savage, Colette Todd and Kylah Williams.

The production features set design by Scott Davis, costume design by Theresa Ham, lighting design by Jesse Klug, sound design by Bob Gilmartin, properties design by Sally Weiss, musical supervision and orchestra conducted by Patti Garwood.

The performance schedule for MAMMA MIA! is Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., with select Thursday 1:00 p.m. shows. Ticket prices range from $50 to $60, including tax and handling fees. Call for student, senior and military discounts. 

On Wednesday and Thursday evenings there are a limited number of FREE dinners available with the purchase of a full-priced theatre ticket, which can only be purchased through the Marriott Theatre Box Office. To make a restaurant reservation, please call 847.634.0100. 

Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets, please call The Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200 or go to www.ticketmaster.com. Visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information.

Day 2--The Great Pacific Northwest Adventure

Day 2-Friday, June 26th--

Mamma Mia, broken hands, traveling Docs, big chief Kno-Tah, double libraries and double playgrounds, and what ground score is never EVER to be used in an invention.

One day into our vacation and Dug has a broken hand and Sagezilla has blisters, from her too small traveling Doc Martens, that she insisted on wearing on one last journey!

This idyllic pond behind the big Hillsboro library is the scene of Dug's mangling. We were taking pixs while the kids made small boats of leaves and sticks to float over the rapids. Dug decided to hop across the narrow stream and underestimated the slipperiness of the moss covered rocks and took a plunge........... right on his butt.

Later, I felt horrible for laughing first and saying, "Are you OK?" after. Unfortunately, he broke his fall with his left hand and the rocks in turn broke his hand. Some of my optimism must be rubbing off on him, because he said "Hey, I saved my Blackberry and wallet."


Just prior to Dug's dunk in the creek, we had a great evening at a Mamma Mia movie/sing along at the local library. They really went all out with the kitch, even providing a snack "wedding buffet" complete with bride and groom ducks on a wedding cake! People were encouraged to dress as characters from the movie or in 70's ABBA style rock star attire.

We were endlessly amused by how serious some of the movie goers took things. We all even got a brown bag of movie props ala Rocky Horror Picture Show, that matched up with various songs. It included glow sticks, packets of honey, a clock depicting the time "after midnight", a tissue, and fake money.



Much earlier in the day, we made the acquaintance of Chief Kno-Tah, an enormous wooden Indian head, created by sculptor Peter "Wolf" Toth. It stands near a cool wooded play ground, next to the small Hillsboro library. He came to stand for Chief No-Touch, as we had one of those OMG parental moments, requiring extreme calm in the midst of an internal freak out.

My kids are constantly making inventions and recycled art works, so they like to walk and scavenge for invention pieces. For years this has yielded cool little gears, bits and pieces of cast off toys, broken electronics and funky possibilities. But today in the beautiful old growth forest of the Pacific Northwest, they were gathering invention pieces and picked up a syringe!

We had a calm, quick lesson about NEVER EVER picking up a syringe for an invention piece. I explained that people are sometimes sick and that the kids could get sick from pricking themselves with a needle someone else used. ACK! All our years of urban living in the heart of Chicago and the kids have never stumbled upon a syringe........

As I tried not to flip out and scream, it was a small comfort to know neither of the kids had gotten pricked. Maybe this unfortunate lesson will save them from a later encounter, where they might not be so lucky. We headed on in to the library where we checked out a bunch of books and movies, joined the local summer reading program and discovered the Mamma Mia sing along, slated for tonight at the larger local library. My sister and Dug had never seen it and in Dug's case he wanted to keep it that way. But the kids and I had seen it once and were jazzed to go.

We all did various degrees of 70's glam and punk dress, and I went as Meryl Streep, whom I've occasionally been told I resemble.

Sagezilla almost got left at home, when she threw a big old drama queen flurking snit, about having to wear shorts under her glam rock top. She pulled out of her funk just in time.

Here's Du-Jay in Greek fisherman/ 70's hippy garb--well camouflaged in Aunty Maia's green velvet chair.

We were amazed that the free movie included a pretty lavish spread of snacks and drinks, laid out to look like a wedding buffet. And we were amused that the front of the room was scattered with round, cedar dog beds, like we got at Costco, for people to lounge on. The kids happily piled up their plates and piled on the pooch pillows. We took the folding chairs in back.

My little sister, Maia, & husband, Dug, went as the black wearing, anti-disco rebel & metalhead, AKA: themselves.

The funniest moment for me was at the end of the show, when the little, old librarian toddled to the front of the room and after a big build up, excitedly told everyone to peer under their chairs to see who won the grand prize of a Mamma Mia DVD. It was the one person least likely to want to ever see the movie again... Dug! I'm so excited we can endlessly torment him with ABBA in the comforts of our own home. Mamma Mia indeed!

Zilla and I both wore our flowered Dr. Marten's punk/hippy boots. They were my youthful travelin' shoes and I've photographed them in weird and interesting places all over the world. I was elated to find a matching little pair for Zilla in a thrift store, a couple years ago. She's pretty muchly outgrown them, but was adamant about bringing them to Oregon for one last adventure. After this, she'll just have to grow into and inherit mine, and the little ones will be saved, in case of future generations.


The rest of the day, we just relaxed, blew bubbles and hit the local play ground. We are on vacation after all!