Review: Four Seasons Theatre Company performs ‘Mamma Mia!’

ABBA has remained a band with top-notch music throughout the decades. From enjoying their music in “Mamma Mia!” to singing along in the car, I have always been drawn to their unique style. 

Four Seasons Theatre Company is a local group that provides musical entertainment to Cache Valley. I attended their performance of “Mamma Mia!” on March 24. ABBA has remained so relevant that the couple sitting next to me visited London to see holographic versions of them perform in concert. 

The musical creativity and incorporation of the hit pop group’s songs in “Mamma Mia!” is well-loved by many — myself included.

The show opened with a beautiful display of the company’s intricate set. Multidimensional buildings with working lanterns, dreamy string lights and interactive elements drew the audience into the world they created on the stage. 

The story focuses on a young woman named Sophie and her mother Donna as they prepare for the daughter’s wedding on an island in Greece. Sophie invites three men who could potentially be her father to the wedding without Donna’s knowledge, leading to many humorous misunderstandings and quips. 

Mother-daughter relationships are an underrepresented theme in modern media, and “Mamma Mia!” is a refreshing and relatable take on the struggles and wonders of family relations. The show brought to light the complicated pull women face between maternal values and personal independence as Donna struggled to face her past and future through powerful music. 

The actors blew me away with their enthusiasm and passionate voices. Celeste Baillio, who played Donna, perfected the character’s mannerisms and made hitting powerfully drawn-out notes seem like child’s play. After her performance of “The Winner Takes It All,” the audience was left screaming. 

The use of objects like chairs for Donna to walk across during songs like “Money, Money, Money” kept the choreography fresh and creative. Choreographer Katie Packard ensured the captivating movements flowed with the music — sometimes mesmerizing, and other times comical. 

The show’s themes were developed enough to give the story depth while keeping the energy lighthearted and amusing. This balanced mix engaged the audience, many clapping in time with the rhythm and bursting into laughter. 

Geoffrey Seamons, who played Sophie’s fiance, Sky, did a wonderful job portraying the beach heartthrob. His performance during “Lay All Your Love on Me” was full of romantic chemistry and humor as the ensemble danced in over-the-top snorkeling gear. 

The cast’s performance of “Voulez-Vous” stood out to me. The characters danced in a flurry of motion and color while Sophie’s potential fathers finally realize one by one why they were invited to the wedding. The chaos onstage highlighted how Sophie felt the situation was getting out of hand. Sudden pauses with bright white lights segmented the song when she spoke. The contrast highlighted her anxiety.

Small and well-thought-out details are what made this play excellent. Transitions from scene to scene were carefully orchestrated with dancing actors moving props on and off stage like a party in the dark. Glow sticks during party scenes left the audience with a fun surprise before intermission. Greek architecture detailing surrounded the stage — a touch that helped transport the audience across the ocean.  

The cast depicted a scene where Sophie had an anxiety dream to the sound of “Under Attack,” which I had never seen in a “Mamma Mia!” production. They perfectly articulated the strange surrealism one feels in a dream while people in masquerade masks tried to kidnap her. Donna added to the bizarre scene when she gave birth. Meanwhile, Sky danced with the three fathers in a wedding dress. “Mamma Mia!” is not the performance I would expect to find a jump scare, but the audience was certainly surprised at the loud confetti cannon during this scene. 

The costuming was bright, colorful and beachy. The orange and teal outfits for Donna and the Dynamos blew me away. Each was unique with their own shape and intricate designs but flowed together in a beautiful ‘70s fashion. When other characters wore similar outfits during the last song, I was in awe of the eccentric designs. 

The show ended with the audience on their feet dancing, clapping and singing along with the cast in what felt like a celebration of art and family, perfectly wrapping a bow on this emotional party of a show. 

Four Seasons Theatre Company will have showings of “Mamma Mia!” through March 29.