Mamma Mia!. Music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus . Some songs written with Stig Anderson. Book by Catherine Johnson. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd. Choreography by Anthony Van Laast. Production design by Mark Thompson. Lighting design by Howard Harrison. Sound design by Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken. Musical supervisor, additional material, and arrangements by Martin Koch.
Cast: Amy Weaver, Haley Wright, Lena Owens, Jalynn Steele, Carly Sakolove, Christine Sherrill, Grant Reynolds, Justin Sudderth, Ethan Van Slyke, Rob Marnell, Jim Newman, Victor Wallace, Blake Price, Sarah Agrusa, Caro Daye Attayek, Adia Olanethia Bell, Emily Croft, Madison Deadman, Jordan De Leon, Nico DiPrimio, Patrick Dunn, Makoa, Erica Mansfield, Jasmine Overbaugh, Blake Price, Dorian Quinn, and Xavi Soto Burgos.
Theater: Winter Garden Theatre
Tickets: Ticketmaster.com

Photo 1 Caption: Jalynn Steele, Christine Sherrill, and Carly Sakolove Photo by Joan Marcus

Nothing succeeds like success. And so it is with Mamma Mia!, whose initial Broadway outing began at this same theater in 2001 and, with a change in venue to the Broadhurst Theatre for its final two years, stayed around for a total of 14 years and close to 5,800 performances. Meanwhile, in London, it's never left, recently celebrating its 25th anniversary there.

So, yeah, here we go again.

First and foremost is the score, with music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, best known as members of the 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA (the group's manager Stig Anderson is credited with working on "some songs" with the pair). I'd venture to say that even if you were living a solo life on a remote island since then, your ears will perk up with familiarity with the songs that you didn't even know you knew. Songs like the title number, "Chiquitita," "Dancing Queen," "Money, Money, Money," "Super Trouper," "The Name of the Game," and "The Winner Takes It All," among others.

The current cast, especially Christine Sherrill in the lead role of the indomitable Donna Sheridan, consistently deliver the goods, while Catherine Johnson's book, in the time-honored spirit of a majority of jukebox musicals, manages to stitch together just enough of a plot so that the placement of the songs mostly makes sense in the telling of the story.

Jim Newman, Victor Wallace, and Rob Marnell Photo by Joan Marcus

The three possible dads, Harry, Bill, and Sam, are well played by, respectively Rob Marnell, Jim Newman, and Victor Wallace. And a delightful tag team of Donna's dearest and oldest friends Tanya (Jalynn Steele, quite a dancer in her own right), and Rosie (Carly Sakolove, a wry comic actress) are on hand to help keep things moving along.

While not exactly a sophisticated evening of Sondheim, this is a show that clearly knows what it is, having been kept under the watchful eye of director Phyllida Lloyd since its inception. It is generally fast-paced, features some excellent ensemble work, and offers up clever choreography (e.g. dancing while wearing swim fins) by Anthony Van Laast. Everything is clearly constructed to have a broad appeal to audiences of all ages as well as to international visitors, for whom a lack of English will not stand in the way of having a fun time. Such planning and consistency through the years has clearly paid off in drawing in the crowds of both old fans and newcomers.

Mark Thompson's rotating set design is far from lavish, but it, too, serves the production well while being pack-up ready for the next station stop. The decibel-sensitive should note that the sound design by Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken tends to fluctuate between loud and very loud. Beyond that, the only other trigger warning comes in a tongue-in-cheek announcement just before curtain rise, advising sensitive souls that "platform boots and white spandex are featured in this production."