At the end of the Chinese premiere of
Mamma Mia! in
Shanghai last Friday, the whole audience was on its feet swaying
along to the music. The moving story of a daughter who does not
know which one of three men is her father hit a chord with the
crowd, who were also taken by the music - a collection of ABBA's
best-loved songs.
Before the musical's tour of China, some wondered whether it
would be well received, because ABBA and their songs are not so
popular among today's Chinese people.
But Nick Grace, the associate producer of the International Tour
of the show, says that the show is about more than showcasing
ABBA's back catalogue.
"The original producers of Mamma Mia! were very clever
in avoiding the pitfalls of setting up a 'tribute show' to ABBA's
music," he says. "Mamma Mia! is very much not about that.
The audiences see an evening of a beautifully written plot,
directed with much poignancy and comedy, and performed by some of
the best singers and actors in the business."
"Not having produced a show in China before, I cannot be sure
whether Mamma Mia! will smash Beijing and Shanghai. But I do know
that Chinese people have mothers, have relationships with their
families, and want to live happy fulfilled lives, like every human
on the planet! You don't need to know the music to hear how well
composed it is."
The performance and audience's reaction in Shanghai have proven
Grace to be right.
"At the heart of the show is a warm story of family and
relationships, the witty and ingenious script weaves the famous
ABBA songs around characters you care about," says Wang Yuping, a
23-year-old student who watched the show.
"It is a production of tremendous warmth, vitality and technical
excellence that offers an evening of unbridled fun," says Yao Shuo,
manager with China Performing Arts Agency, the company presenting
the Mamma Mia! Beijing tour.
"The fun of this show lies in the skill and wit with which
ABBA's songs are fitted into the story, not just as decorations,
but moving it along, almost as if they had been written for it,"
comments Lun Bing, critic with Beijing Youth Daily.
"The creative team personalizes ABBA's songs in a fresh, vital
and immediate way that simultaneously retains their pop integrity
yet also does something more that is an essential requirement of
good musical theater: to advance an appealing story and comment on
it."
With music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and
choreography by Anthony Van Laas, Mamma Mia! is written by
Catherine Johnson and directed by Phyllida Lloyd. The sunny, funny
tale of family and friendship 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.
The production features 22 of ABBA's hits including: Dancing
Queen, The Winner Takes It All, SOS, Knowing Me, Knowing You, Take
a Chance on Me, The Name of the Game, Money, Money, Money and Super
Trouper.
The musical opened at London's West End on March 23, 1999.
Before the debut, the creative team "really had no idea how it was
going to be received," says producer Judy Craymer whose initial
concept in 1987 had been to use existing ABBA songs within the
format of a new, original musical. But happily, she remembers: "The
audience went wild. They were literally out of their seats and
singing and dancing in the aisles - and they still are. Every
night."
And now, they are doing so all around the world. It has become a
global entertainment phenomenon, with currently 11 productions
playing worldwide. Over the last two years, the International Tour
has already performed in many cities across the world and has been
seen by over 1.3 million people.
"I can vouch for the fact that everywhere we've been, the people
have taken Mamma Mia! to their hearts," says Grace.
"We're thrilled that the Mamma Mia! International Tour
is coming to Beijing and will play at the prestigious Beijing Poly
Theater. We hope that Beijing audiences will also embrace Mamma
Mia! and we very much look forward to visiting this exciting
city," says Craymer.
After the Shanghai run till August 2, the international tour
production with 75 tons of props will move to Beijing for a
two-week run at the Poly Theater from August 7 to 19.
(China Daily July 12, 2007)
