Mama Mia : Review And Discussion

Recently I saw a civic theater production of  " Mama Mia" It also  has been quite some time since I reviewed a show and compared a filmed version of a show to the staged version, So today I decided
to talk about the " ABBA" inspired jukebox hit " Mama Mia" Now I mean the first film being compared to the staged version, as there is no sequel to the staged version, unlike the movie. As confusing as that is. Time for an updated take on, " Stage V.s Screen" That is slightly more compact and to the point, by also reviewing the show, killing two birds with one stone here we go.

Before we get into the review and comparison there is a question or two to be asked. Do you like the music of " ABBA" ? If yes then you will definitely enjoy the show, If not then it is probably a good idea to try listening to another show you are interested in , if you enjoy their works but you don't want a story, you are better off buying cd or watching music videos. If you are still interested then let me help you decide what version you may like more.

set on a resort island in Greece the story follows a girl named Sophie, right before her wedding as she tries to invite the three men, one whom she believes to be her father to walk her down the isl, without telling her mother about her three ex boy friends arrival, comedy and antics ensue in this very tongue and cheek, lighthearted show.

The writing is very quick and witty, and if a joke doesn't land, another one is not very far behind, if you need an upbeat show that you can just show up, and have fun, this would not be a bad pick, seeing it live, I found myself laughing more than I thought I would, but the show has a simple plot so it can be more crazy with the humor, and on plenty of occasions it works. Some parts are the story are basic and predictable, and sometimes the dialogue is a giveaway to what song they are going to use, but it is fun, so this complaint is minor.

When it comes to the music, the soundtracks are equals, unlike some movie adaptations, all the songs are kept in, which then leaves the comparison to the performances. In my case I preferred the stage version, yes the movie is easier to watch, but seeing it live felt more energetic feeling then just watching the movie, when the singing is lived and the actors are right in front of you, yes the movie had tons of work put into the choreography and singing as well, but I personally enjoyed it more live. Some of the actors in the film seems chosen more for their status as actors  rather than their ability to sing. In my opinion if you option to see it live then that is the version I recommend, or listening to the album of your choosing if you are unsure,for version that stands out to you more. If you are unsure, renting the film may be a safer bet then paying for a theater ticket, but as stated earlier, it all comes down to whether you want a musical using " ABBA" music in it.  For some recommendations on tracks if you just want to listen to the album, here are my favorite songs

Mama Mia

Thank You For The Music 

Dancing Queen

Under Attack

Voules Vouex

Take A Chance On Me



There are my thoughts, thank you for reading and I hope your day is a showstopper.

Sources

Mama Mia Movie Poster ( Google Search)

Mama Mia Broadway Poster ( Google Search)

Mama Mia Movie

Mama Mia Original Broadway Cast Album 

Judging A Show By Its Cast Album : School Of Rock

It feels like yesterday when I saw the movie " School Of Rock" starring Jack Black, I remember the film fondly, but when the musical adaptation was announced and being done by Andrew Loyd Weber I was intrigued. Time to give this a show a look, and see if I would see it based on the Broadway cast recording. 

The plot follows washed up wannabe rock star Dewey, posing as his friend Ned Sheebly at a very pretentious school, when he sees the kids playing music well, he tries to get them to cut loose, break from their norms, and compete in a battle of the bands. 

As you can tell this by the title most of the tracks are rock, but there are some breaks from the guitar strumming and head banging. The chorus and songs are mostly performed by Dewey and the kid, If you like shows that have big child casts such as " Annie" or " Matilda" I will Say the kids on this album did very good.

As the title also indicates the choice of instrumentation used, if you watched the film, the few songs that are played in the movie make a return among the original pieces. I found myself enjoying the show more in the second half, so much so that I found myself playing the second half on repeat, the soundtrack is mostly upbeat, but there re a few slow songs that are a refreshing change of pace. I am interested to see how some of the scenes play out, I do not know if I would see a Broadway tour right out the gate, I have seen many high schools and civic theaters putting this show on, so I may want to test the grounds there and see how the story plays out, if the dialogue is fun and fits the lighthearted nature well. But if you enjoy rock, then you may find yourself rocking along to the soundtrack.  Here are the tracks I enjoyed

Here At Horace Green

If Only You Would Listen

Faculty Quadrille 

Stick It To The Man (L)

Time To Play

Where Did The Rock Go?

Act 2 Scene 8 : Dewey's Bedroom

School Of Rock ( Teacher's Pet) (L)

If you are unsure about seeing a show, listening to the cast album is an easy way to test the waters before buying a ticket, until next time I hope your day is a showstopper.

Sources: 

School Of Rock The Musical Original Broadway Cast Recording 

Google Image Search: School Of Rock The Musical 

Movie Musicals

The next string of posts will be about movies that were made into musicals, musicals made into movies, adaptations. Lists, playlists, reviews, Grab some popcorn and settle in, as I discuss musical movies, movie musicals and everything in between .

Bands That Could Have Good Musicals

When thinking of shows like " American Idiot",  biographical musicals like " Summer, the Donna Summer Musical"as well as " Beautiful the Carole King Musical", and jukebox musicals such as " Head Over Heels" and " Mama Mia" what bands would I like to see get a musical? here are a few ideas, these musicians work could lend to a biographical piece or a jukebox musical.


Queen

David Bowie 

Barbara Streisand  

A Jukebox Musical That Used Songs From Multiple Artists In A Genre Or Era ( Similar TO Motown) 

Until next time I hope your day is a showstopper