Photo: Cast of Mamma Mia! Photo by Steven Sheldon
The Dexter High School Drama Club staged the Benny Andersson/Bjorn Ulvaeus musical Mamma Mia!, featuring the music of the iconic 1970s pop group Abba, in the Performing Arts Center at the high school. It was not a Broadway quality performance. But it was the best high school musical production this reviewer has ever seen.
Artistic Director Erin Palmer LaVoy, Music Director David Moan, Choreographer Amanda Webster and Orchestra Pit Director Brian Rose combined efforts to create a musical for the ages. This production was as close to perfection as I have ever seen. From the sets, costumes, choreography and orchestra, Mamma Mia! was a thing of beauty. Act I was sensational. Act II was even better.
A teenage performance of Mamma Mia! is different from how adults perform it. Teenagers bring a raw energy, unbridled enthusiasm, and a leaning toward the provocative, all of which combine to create something magical. And a special thanks to students Cam Arbour and Piper Gzym for their help and for creating an “immersive experience” for everyone.
Webster’s choreography throughout the show was inspired. She used the entire stage in the big dance numbers, and no matter where you looked, kids were dancing. Webster effectively used all cast members to create a sea of movement and motion. When featured dancers Caleb Drummond, Dane Lee, Dani Sherman, Lion Morse, Maddie Leach and Abbie Moraschinelli took over, they delighted the audience with their timing and uniform movement.
Echo Suino, an 11th grader, portrayed Sophie Sheridan, and Kate Rossow, a 12th grader, played her mother, Donna. These two actresses played their roles with precision and flair. The role of Donna is challenging, needing to display an array of emotions in her acting. Her singing is demanding. She needs to belt out a song while dancing, then stand alone, to sing a ballad. Rossow manages both with grace and compassion. She is fun to watch. And she evokes strong emotions singing “Slipping Through My Fingers,” followed immediately by “The Winner Takes It All.” The audience, made up of grandparents, parents, siblings, and friends, roared their approval following each song.
Suino faces different challenges in playing Sophie. She is a 20-something, set to marry Sky (played by Josh Treat). Sophie sets out to learn the identity of her father, inviting three possibilities to her wedding. That invitation sets up some funny scenes and tension between Sophie and her mother.
Suino and Rossow have a strong supporting cast. Donna’s lifelong friends of Donna are also invited to the wedding. Ella Smith as Tanya and Avery Meloche as Rosie, both 12th graders, are a hoot. In every scene they are in, they are funny. And they get to join Rossow in singing ABBA’s huge hit Dancing Queen. Their costumes sparkled as they sang and danced their way into the hearts of the audience. People watched the ladies, then joined in adding their voices to the music. And Meloche was unforgettable when she sang “Take A Chance on Me.”
Director Palmer LaVoy staged a very active Voulez Vous to end Act I. The guys are featured, singing and dancing in flippers and masks. The number included guys from the tech crew joining in the number, climbing onto the stage from the orchestra pit. The dudes from the crew were recruited to supplement the guys on stage. It worked.
Sophie’s potential fathers are played brilliantly by Adam DeGregorio as Sam, Aidan Zeglis as Harry and Cooper Thompson as Bill. The guys are funny, they can dance and they can sing. Three different characters, each carrying their part in the story so well.
As good as the guys were, like the group ABBA, this performance belongs to the ladies. From start to finish, the ladies are the backbone. They made hard work look easy. And fun.
Vocal Director David Moan used singers in the wings to provide background vocals on songs when there were only a couple of actors on stage. This technique was so effective. When Donna sang solo on stage, the background vocals added such depth to the music. It was a delight to hear the sopranos’ voices soar to the rafters. It added so much to the songs.
Like the pop group ABBA, Mamma Mia! is all about the happy ending. The directors ended Mamma Mia! in grand fashion, giving every kid their moment in the front to take their bow. It was fun. It was rousing. And it did exactly what Moan wrote in the program when he said: “So tonight, I invite you to let go of what is bogging you down, loosen your shoulders, take a relaxing breath, and get ready to smile.”
Mission accomplished.
8123 Main St Suite 200 Dexter, MI 48130
