‘Mama Mia’ takes stage in BP
Natalie Winzenburg, left, and Jannis Baltazar lead a song during a recent rehearsal of “Mamma Mia!” The entire cast, including ensemble actors, has many singing roles. Staff photo by Kay Fate
Student actors have set the stage – literally – for a musical full of familiar songs and a storyline to keep the audience guessing.
Blooming Prairie Intermediate and High School will present “Mamma Mia!” at 7 p.m. Nov. 6-8. A dinner theater performance is set for Nov. 8.
The production is under the direction of Kari Bottin and Tamzen Johnson, with music provided by Tanya Fennell and Aaron Fennell.
The story centers around Sophie Sheridan, a young woman preparing for her wedding. Longing to have her father walk her down the aisle, Sophie secretly invites three men from her mother Donna’s past: Sam, Harry and Bill, hoping to discover which one is her biological father.
Donna, a spirited single mother and former lead singer of the girl group “Donna and the Dynamos,” is shocked when all three men arrive unexpectedly. As old flames rekindle and secrets unravel, Donna is forced to confront her past while Sophie begins to question her future.
With the help of Donna’s best friends Rosie and Tanya, and Sophie’s bridesmaids Ali and Lisa, the island becomes a whirlwind of emotions, laughter, and familiar musical numbers like “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” “Take a Chance on Me” and “The Winner Takes It All.”
Addison Haugland, a senior at BPHS, is a fan of musicals, but said she was only familiar with the most popular songs from the show – and there are a lot of them.
“I think what really surprised me is how much everyone sings all the time,” she said of the play. “I think we have 22 songs,” compared to the usual 14-17.
“Usually, an ensemble gets a few lines,” Haugland said. “If you don’t get assigned a main character, you usually get to pick up a line, but you don’t really sing as much. We don’t have any throwaway lines – you sing every single song.”
Before the musical was announced, she hadn’t seen the 2008 film, but has since watched it “many times.”
“Typically we got over to Tammy’s house – she has a lovely house and she has amazing pizza,” Haugland said, “and we usually watch the movie” the fall musical is based on.
Her favorite scene is the wedding, “because it’s when everything comes together and everyone’s like, what? Everything’s revealed: I’m surprised, Sophie’s surprised, the dads are surprised … ” Haugland said, but stopped short of a spoiler.
She was hoping to land the role of Donna – and did.
“I just feel like out of the main leads, she’s the most sassy, fun,” Haugland said.
Tanya, played by Emmy White, gives her a run for her money, though.
“I definitely took a lot of inspiration from the movie Tanya in my voice,” White said. “I have a good understanding of how her type of character works and how they would act in certain situations. She’s a rich cougar.”
A junior, she “loves comedy characters,” and is impressed by how well her younger castmates are doing.
Sophie, the bride-to-be, is played by sophomore Natalie Winzenburg.
The cast is making quick work of learning lines, songs and dances, Johnson said, and is ahead of the pace of past musicals.
“I think it’s because of our own dedicated space,” she said, referring to the performing arts center. “We share the space, but we have it for most practices, and that makes a huge difference.”
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BP Fall Musical
What: “Mamma Mia!”
When: 7 p.m. Nov. 6-8; Dinner Theater at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 8
Where: BPHS Performing Arts Center
Tickets: Adults, $10; Students, $5; Dinner Theater $30 and $25, respectively
Reserved seating: https://gofan.co/app/school/MN19540
BP Fall Musical Cast
Donna Sheridan: Addison Haugland
Sophie Sheridan: Natalie Winzenburg
Tanya Cresham-Leigh: Emmy White
Rosie Mulligan: Sophia Esplan
Sam Carmichael: Tyler Anderson
Harry Bright: Damien Koning
Bill Austin: Drew Reinke
Sky: Carter Sorenson
Ali: Natalie DeVries
Lisa: Jannis Baltazar
Pepper: Hayden Pettey
Eddie: Colin Meiners
Father Alexandrios: Isaac Stoen
Ensemble: Gracelyn Anderson, Jayden Wencl, Avry Hoffman, Annika Schwarck, Haley Schlichter, DeAnna Schaub, Leah Watson, Ava Haugland, Karly Reinke, Lacey Root, Addison Winzenburg, Valerie Winzenburg, Mavrick Schlichter, Shelby Schultz and Cameron Wencl.