About the work
Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical that weaves the worldwide hits of the Swedish pop group ABBA – composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus – into an original story; the book is by Catherine Johnson. Following its 1999 London premiere, the Broadway premiere came in 2001. Sunny, exuberant and made for singing along, it became one of the greatest audience successes of modern musical theatre and the basis for two successful films.
Plot
On an idyllic Greek island, the young Sophie is about to be married and wants nothing more than to be given away by her father – except she does not know who he is. Secretly reading her mother Donna's old diary, she invites three of Donna's former lovers to the celebration, convinced that one of them must be her father. When the three men unexpectedly turn up, Donna's past is thrown into disarray, as are Sophie's certainties. Amid old feelings, a reunion of friends and turbulent entanglements, every character finds a surprising form of happiness in the end.
Cultural significance
Mamma Mia! launched the worldwide boom of the jukebox musical and proved that an existing pop catalogue can carry a full-length stage show. With indestructible ABBA hits such as "Dancing Queen", "The Winner Takes It All" and the title song, it regularly turns theatres into an exuberant party. The 2008 film starring Meryl Streep made the material a global phenomenon for good. To this day the show runs around the world and is regarded as the epitome of the feel-good entertainment musical.