MAMMA MIA, the famous Westend musical, which landed in Nigeria last year courtesy of local production outfit, “J” Productions, continues its run at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
Billed for 10 shows in five days ending Sunday, January 2, the feel-good musical since it opened December 29, has been attracting lots of family, most of them drawn by its rich musical contents and the stellar performance by the star-studded cast members.
Directed by Najite Dede with choreography by Uche Onah and music direction by Dupe Ige, the show is produced for this Yuletide by Jarin Seriki Productions, and sponsored by First Bank.
The musical drama is based on the songs of the Swedish band, ABBA, which from 1972 through 1982 became one of the most popular international pop groups of all time, topping the charts again and again in Europe, North and South America and Australia.
Since it opened, patrons have been giving positive testimonies. One of the promotres of te show, Ireti Bakare quoted a patron as having stated:
“If anyone is looking for feel good uplifting entertainment this season( and we could all do with tons of that) please go and see Mamma Mia if you’re in Lagos. It’s at Muson centre till 3rd January 2 shows a day at 2pm and 6pm. It’ll have you dancing away to all the immortal ABBA tunes and put a smile on your face. I went with some friends last night and from my friends 86 year old Mum to my 7 year old who had never heard of ABBA all were dancing away during the finale. My daughter is now instantly hooked on Dancing Queen and played it endlessly on You Tube afterwards. What a magical song. Go treat yourselves 💃🏽”
Mamma Mia! is described by Wikipedia as “a jukebox musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, members of the band. The title of the musical is taken from the group’s 1975 chart-topper “Mamma Mia“. Ulvaeus and Andersson, who composed the original music for ABBA, were involved in the development of the show from the beginning. Singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad was involved financially in the production and she was also present at many of the premieres around the world.
The musical includes such hits as “Super Trouper“, “Lay All Your Love on Me“, “Dancing Queen“, “Knowing Me, Knowing You“, “Take a Chance on Me“, “Thank You for the Music“, “Money, Money, Money“, “The Winner Takes It All“, “Voulez-Vous“, “SOS” and “Mamma Mia“. Over 65 million people have seen the show, which has grossed $4 billion worldwide since its 1999 debut.[1] A film adaptation starring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Stellan Skarsgård and Julie Walters was released in July 2008 and was followed by a sequel film in July 2018.
As of 2020, the show has productions in London’s West End, where it is the seventh longest-running show in West End history, as well as various international productions. Its Broadway incarnation closed on September 12, 2015, after a 14-year run, making it the ninth longest-running show in Broadway history.
