Sara Poyzer, who plays one of the lead characters in the long-running stage musical “Mamma Mia!” which features the music of Swedish pop group ABBA, notes that men generally don’t like “Dancing Queen.” But she has seen how they end up loving the song when they hear it in the play.
“Mamma Mia!” debuted in 1999 at the West End and is currently playing at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London. Its Broadway production celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. It is said to have been seen by over 50 million people worldwide.
Written by Catherine Johnson based on 22 ABBA songs, the musical tells the fictional story of a single mom trying to resolve the dilemma of telling her daughter who her real father is on the eve of the girl’s wedding.
Poyzer and four other cast members of the musical’s international touring production met the press recently to promote the musical, which is set to open Tuesday at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
Asked to compare the stage musical with the film version (starring Meryl Streep), Charlotte Wakefield, who plays Sophie, the daughter, said: “I think the original stage version is more honest.” She pointed to scenes in the film that diverted from the story.
Poyzer, who portrays Donna, the mother, added: “As much as I love the film and Meryl Streep, the stage musical has live action and a live band, which makes it more spontaneous.”
Wakefield revealed that she initially failed to make it to the cast and had to re-audition eight times before she finally landed the role.
The CCP shows, which will run for four weeks until February 11, consist of the final performances of the production’s 14-month tour.
The cast said they welcomed the news that the tour would end in the Philippines, which they’re all visiting for the first time. They vowed to give Filipinos a show with lots of fun.
“There’s emotional depth in the story but it’s not like we’re doing Shakespeare,” said Wakefield. “We have a bloody good time onstage.”
Poyzer zeroed in on the music: “It’s all about the songs. People love ABBA. These are brilliant pop songs.”
Wakefield said that, among the songs she performs in the show, “Name of the Game” is her personal favorite, pointing out that it comes at a crucial part of the story.
Rosie Heath, another cast member, singled out “Knowing Me, Knowing You” which is sung by one of the three men who is Sophie’s real father.
Poyzer said she expects to see the audience at the CCP singing and dancing along, even as she told the Inquirer in an earlier interview before a performance in Manchester that ABBA became unfashionable in the 1980s—and that her personal faves then were Metallica and Megadeth!
Now this heavy metal fan sings “Dancing Queen,” among other pop gems by a group that has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.