EHS Onstage production of Mamma Mia! debuts shortly

CAMPBELL RICHARDSON Staff Writer

EHS Onstage will have its final big production of the school year with Mamma Mia this March. In the USC during Chapel on Thursday, March 2, the crew will hold a brief teaser to give the whole school audience a taste of the musical. The first public performance open to all will take place the next day on Friday, March 3, at 7:00pm, with food provided. There will be additional performances on Saturday, March 17 at 7:00pm and a daytime matinee performance on Sunday, March 4, at 3:00pm. Tickets for attendance are completely free.

Following the production of Puffs and prior to Julius Caesar, the auditions for roles were held last year on September 24. Students presented their talents through singing, dancing, and acting. Roles were announced the next week after consideration.

The plot follows Sophie (played by Meredith Kinzel) a young woman awaiting her marriage to her fiancé Sky (Calder Tribble) at a Greek island resort owned by her single mother Donna (Lydia Berckley). Sophie never met her father, so she secretly invites three possible candidates, Sam, Bill, and Harry (Ethan Lahoti, Harrison Goytia, and Mark-Anthony respectively) to her wedding, but she cannot keep it secret for long as her mom quickly finds out. The other casted roles include Donna’s old friends Tanya and Rosie (Kyriaki Postolos and Tallulah Berckley), Sophie’s friends Lisa and Ali (Carina Garza and Olivia Jameson), Sky’s friends Eddie and Pepper (Mathieu Gay and Miles Patterson) and Father Alexandrios (Henry Harkins). Along with ensemble there are collectively 47 EHS students participating in the production.

Starting with music rehearsals in December, it has been a long journey for all involved, from learning the play to becoming more familiar with the inner workings of theater. For some freshmen this is their first musical production at EHS, making this a very special moment and exposing to them the opportunities offered by the school’s Theater Program and Arts Pillar. For seniors this is their last performance at EHS, giving them a chance to look back on their experiences throughout the plays and look to the future of possibly continuing to perform.

George Brock, Theater Program Coordinator, regarding the play, said, “Mamma Mia! is a lot of fun for audiences. It is still playing in London where it was first produced in 1999 and has since been produced in over 50 countries. There have been various supporting events including Mamma Mia! The Party at O2 in London, where for as little as 100 pounds, you can eat, drink and soak up the sounds of ABBA performed live on the set of the film in an immersive theatrical experience. You can go on a walking tour of Leister Square with a cast member and belt out the tunes at the top of your lungs. If you really love the show, you can travel to the Island of Skopelos and see the sights from the film version. In short, Mamma Mia! is not just a musical, it’s a phenomenon. So come see your fellow students take the show that started the phenomenon to new heights the first weekend in March!”

Brock, as well as Performing Arts Chair Garmon Ashby, Kristina Burgess, Paul Revaz, Jay Berckley, and plenty of other people have been a large part of this production.