“Mamma Mia!” review: My, my, how can we resist the ABBA musical’s charming return to Broadway?

Here we go again! Almost a decade after its original run, Mamma Mia! has officially returned to Broadway.

The beloved ABBA musical has been a cultural phenomenon ever since it first opened on Broadway in 2001, drawing in flocks of theatergoers around the world with its charming premise, dreamy Greek island setting, and absolutely banger-filled soundtrack comprised of the Swedish pop group’s biggest hits like “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” and “S.O.S.” Two film adaptations starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried have only further cemented its legacy as one of the most popular musicals of all time and ushered in a new wave of fans equally eager to hop onboard for their own “Mamma Mia! summer.”

Now, they’ll get the chance to do just that as the musical returns to its original home — the Winter Garden Theatre — for a six-month-long limited engagement that may not reinvent the material, but is still every bit the dreamy, endlessly endearing experience that fans know and love.

It all starts because of a wedding. Specifically one between Sky (Grant Reynolds) and Sophie Sheridan (Amy Weaver), a starry-eyed 20-year-old who doesn’t know her father but dreams of having him walk her down the aisle. Desperate to know the truth, she steals her mom Donna’s (Christine Sherrill) diary and finds three potential suitors — wild child travel writer Bill Austin (Jim Newman), rocker-turned-banker Harry Bright (Rob Marnell), and ‘the one that got away,’ Sam Carmichael (Victor Wallace) — that she invites to the ceremony.

What could go wrong? Only everything. Sophie’s plan quickly spins off the rails as she discovers that it’s much harder to deduce which of the trio is her real dad than she previously anticipated. Meanwhile, Donna must come to terms with the genuine nightmare that is having three of your exes — whom she never told about their potential daughter Sophie — suddenly turn up at your front door and asking questions she’s not emotionally prepared to answer. With the ceremony fast approaching, Sophie and Donna are both forced to face the music.

The production is spearheaded by a joyous ensemble — many of whom are making the leap to Broadway for the very first time from the Mamma Mia! 25th anniversary tour — that fully commits to the wonderful absurdity of Catherine Johnson’s book with gusto, kicking their flippered feet high into the air as they sing “Lay All Your Love On Me” one moment and then transforming into a swirling vortex of writhing partygoers on the entrancing “Voulez-Vous” the next.

Aided by Anthony Van Laast’s disco-inspired choreography, they succeed in whipping the crowd into a full-on ABBA frenzy by the end of the musical’s two-and-a-half-hour-long runtime, with multiple theatergoers visibly having the time of their lives as they danced, sang, and cheered along from their seats.

Weaver, in her Broadway debut, manages to make both Sophie and her cause feel sympathetic, which is no easy feat given that the bride-to-be has basically elected to blow up two of the most meaningful relationships in her life on her relentless quest for the truth. Her crystal clear vocals are a highlight on dreamy tracks like “I Have A Dream” and “Honey Honey,” but it’s the spaces where she gets to tap into Sophie’s fury (“The Name of the Game”) and fear (“Under Attack”) where she truly shines. 

Meanwhile, Sherrill, who previously played Donna in the show’s Las Vegas production, delights audiences with her quick wit and expertly timed physical comedy as the certainly frazzled, yet well-meaning mother of the bride. However, her emotional performance was a bit more subdued than one would typically expect from a dynamo like Donna, and her delivery of instant tearjerker tracks like “The Winner Takes It All” and “Slipping Through My Fingers” lacked a sense of deep grief that would’ve taken them from solid to extraordinary.

Carly Sakolove and Jalynn Steele are absolute scene stealers (pun fully intended) as Rosie and Tanya, soaking up every single second that they’re under the stage lights and delivering two of the most electric performances of the evening with their knockout renditions of “Take a Chance on Me” and “Does Your Mother Know.” Newman and Marnell, as the adventurous Bill and gentlemanly Harry, respectively, fully embrace their kooky characters and revel in their eccentricities, while Wallace imbues an affable nature and optimism to Sam. 

It’s clear that Mamma Mia! has been sparsely updated — outside of perhaps taking a few stylistic cues from the movies — in the years since it left Broadway. And while it’s important not to mess too much an already stellar production, it feels like a missed opportunity to not have capitalized on the show’s big Broadway homecoming and taken its romantic island fantasy to the next level with updated set pieces and costuming. Just think of what those Donna and the Dynamos looks could’ve been!

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Still, one blessed inclusion that has carried over is the show’s live band, which really brings ABBA members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulbaeus’ legendary music and lyrics to life with every ringing electric guitar riff and tinkering piano chord. That being said, it was at times difficult to properly hear the actors singing over the band’s rocking performance.

It’s been over 25 years since Mamma! Mia first took to the stage, and it’s abundantly clear that the fervor surrounding it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. And it’s easy to see why: The show is pure sunshine baked into a musical and dressed in disco balls, sequins, and feathered boas. My, my, how could we resist this? Grade: B

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