The final run of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ “Mamma Mia!” will come to IU this week.
The first show of this farewell tour took place Wednesday, and the second and final performance will happen at 8 p.m. Thursday at the IU Auditorium.
Maria Talbert, managing director of the IU Auditorium, said the show’s return was well anticipated.
“‘Mamma Mia!’ is a Bloomington favorite and consistently one of our most requested events,” Talbert said. “We are thrilled we were able to schedule them for one more visit during the tour’s farewell year.”
The show follows the story of Donna, single mother to free-spirited Sophie, who is preparing for her wedding. As Sophie prepares to walk down the aisle, she decides to embark upon a journey to figure out the identity of her birth father and eventually narrows the search to three candidates.
The role of Donna will be played by Betsy Padamonsky. Sophie is played by Lizzie Markson. The musical celebrates the music of ABBA with hits such as “Dancing Queen” and “Take a Chance on Me.”
Niki Badua, who plays Lisa in this production, says she has never performed this show at the IU Auditorium.
“I am very excited to perform here,” Badua said. “I am looking forward to the beautiful theater — I’ve seen photos, and the house looks gorgeous. I’ve also heard that the audiences are really wonderful at IU and that’s always fun for us because we feed off the energy of the audience.”
The farewell tour is one that leaves cast and crew with mixed emotions, Badua said.
“For one, we are so blessed to be part of something so iconic like “Mamma Mia!” and to be the last cast that gets to perform this version of it is really an amazing overwhelming sensation,” Badua said. “There is a little bit of sadness knowing that this is the last year, but because we know we’re all doing this together it feels like a huge celebration of years and generations of hard work on the stage every night.”
Badua said what she will miss the most about this show is its ability to take people on a journey full of nostalgia and an escape from the mundane.
“I think that what will be missed the most is the light and energy that a show like “Mamma Mia!” brings no matter where we go,” Badua said. “We could be in the middle of nowhere or in a big city and the happiness this show brings to the audience, even just for a moment, is a surreal experience.”
Talbert said the show is an all-around good time and engages the audience in a variety of ways.
There is incredible music and a heartwarming story of family bonding and connection, with the highlight being the ability to watch audience literally get up and dance during the finale, Talbert said.
The tour has given cast and crew the opportunity to see all parts of the United States and Canada, and Badua said she has appreciated the opportunities to discover new cities along the way.
“Some of my favorite highlights as we’ve traveled through the country is finding all these towns that I never knew existed and really falling in love with them,” Badua said. “It’s always the smaller towns that we’re in for one night or two that show us so much love. The audiences go crazy during the final bows and it always reminds me that I truly have one of the greatest jobs out there.”
