Blaine High School performs ‘Mamma Mia!’

The Blaine High School Theatre Arts Program’s opening night performance of “Mamma Mia!” will occur at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 18 at the Performing Arts Center, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.

The musical is based on the smash Broadway comedy/musical, which was later adapted for the big screen in 2008 starring Amanda Seyfried and Meryl Streep, featuring covers of Swedish pop group ABBA’s greatest hits. 

BHS drama teacher Olivia Theilemann will direct the show, with musical direction by Andy Marshall and choreography by Renee Scheib.

The musical is set to be one of the largest shows ever taken on by the Blaine theater arts program, featuring a cast of 33 performers, a pit orchestra of eight musicians, and a backstage crew of roughly a dozen, Theilemann said. 

“I knew this show would get the community out to watch,” Theilemann said. “I knew that I could do a really big cast. One thing the kids are really into is comedy and being silly and dancing around. It’s an easy show to fall in love with.”

“Mamma Mia!” is a two-act musical telling the story of a young bride-to-be, performed by senior Ava Freeman, who seeks to find out which of her mother’s (played by senior Lucy Dahl) three past suitors is her father. Set on a fictional Greek island, the musical features ABBA familiars like “Dancing Queen,” “Money, Money, Money” and “I Have a Dream.”

Besides the performances from Blaine’s young thespians, another big draw for “Mamma Mia!” is the massive Mediterranean set, built over the course of three months by three parents. 

“I’ve heard there’s never been a set that can hold a candle to this set,” Theilemann said.

Everything about the production – like the musical itself – seems big, loud, bright and exciting. After the fall showing of “The Crucible,” Theilemann said she wanted to go in a lighter, more comedy-centric direction, and knew “Mamma Mia!” would be the perfect fit. 

“One of the fun parts is [teaching] the comedy, watching kids grow and make really fun choices,” Theilemann said. “For certain kids, [comedy] is really irresistible and addictively fun. To watch them develop a fresh relationship with performing is one of the most fun parts for me.”

Performances will be held Thursday-Sunday, April 18-21 and April 25-28. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the door or at bit.ly/3VY6kf9.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the time doors open for the opening night show. We regret the error.