Mamma Mia

Belk Theater

July 28, 2009

The Deal: Mamma Mia kicked off its Charlotte performances with a sold-out show at Belk Theater last night.

The Good: Mamma Mia is one of those musicals that you just know, is going to leave you singing tunes, like the all-too-catchy “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” “S.O.S,” “Take a Chance on Me,” and lots more. But, without a grand cast to do the acting and singing, things could be very sour, even with the good melodies. This wasn’t the case at all last night though. The cast of Mamma Mia gave its all for an evening of sublime merriment. From the get go Liana Hunt, who played the young bride-to-be, Sophie, delivered a stellar solo. And then there’s Michelle Dawson, who played the part of Sophie’s mother, Donna. Dawson captured her part to a charm, along with sidekicks – Donna’s best buds - played by the charismatic Kittra Wynn Coomer and the lovely-legged Rachel Tyler. But, we can’t forget about the three lead men of the show, better referred to as Donna’s former lovers and the possible fathers of Sophie. Martin Kildare who played Bill, Michael Aaron Linder who played Harry, and John Hemphill who played Sam, were a jumble of humorous delight. Sophie’s future “hubby” Sky, played by Adam Jacobs, was a bit over-the-top along with his buds, but boy could they move in swim gear.

Crystal clear favorites of the evening were popular ditties “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” “S.O.S,” and “Take a Chance on Me,” but others in the mix didn’t stray from goodness. “Money, Money, Money” got a majority of the cast onto the stage at one time for some serious action, while “The Winner Takes All,” proved Michelle Dawson (Donna) doesn’t have trouble hitting high notes. In addition, “Under Attack,” was a surprising and innovative scene.

The entirety of the performance was excitingly energetic, leaving folks both caught up in the drama and the music. Audience members joined in with clapping on a few tunes, including “Take a Chance on Me,” and they even stood for the shows long and exciting grand finale.

The Bad: Well, I can’t say much for the show itself, but the weather last night was bad. It was a wet, wet night. Oh well, at least folks who left Belk Theater had the perfect tunes stuck in their heads for singing in the rain.

The Verdict: Mamma Mia is so much fun. How can you resist? Go see it. Performances continue through Aug. 2. Dates and times are as followed: July 29-30, 7:30 p.m.; July 31, 8 p.m.; Aug. 1, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Aug. 2, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. For more information, click here.