Mamma Mia!

I am a passionate fan of musical theater, and more than a little bit bitter that I wasn't blessed with singing ability. If it were up to me, I would be a Broadway star. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I just confessed my deepest, darkest secret. I want to be a STAR. For any of you who have not seen my previous theatrical performances, I'm a decent actress. I'm not a terrible dancer. I am NOT a singer. There is a reason I have never been cast in a singing role, people. When I performed in the musical Chicago, the director cast me in the only non-singing speaking role. The lively film adaption of stage phenomenon Mamma Mia! proves that it really doesn't matter if you can sing or not.

I was fortunate enough to see the stage version of Mamma Mia! a few years ago at the Fabulous Fox in St. Louis. I have seen more musicals than I can count on my fingers and toes put together, and I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mamma Mia! was one of the most enjoyable shows I have ever watched. People who know me well know that I am an obsessive fan of Rent and Wicked. As much love as I have for those musicals, they weren't fun to watch like Mamma Mia! At curtain call, the entire sold-out audience was up dancing and singing along (even my husband Jamie, who I'm sure will be mortified to learn that I shared that with everyone). It was a blast.

Mamma Mia! is a musical that uses songs by Abba to move the action along. The plotline is just as cheesy and fun as the music. It's about Donna, who runs a hotel in Greece, and her daughter, Sophie. Sophie is about to get married, but she wants her father to walk her down the aisle. The problem? She has no idea who he is. When she finds her mother's journal, she discovers that there were three potential fathers, all of whom she secretly invites to the wedding. They all show up, and of course, chaos ensues.

I was excited when I heard it was being adapted into a film. I became even more excited when I heard the cast announced. Meryl Streep as mom Donna, Christine Baranski and Julie Walters as her friends and former backup singers, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skaarsgard as the potential dads, and relative unknown Amanda Seyfried from HBO's Big Love as Sophie. If performers of that caliber wanted to do it, what could go wrong?

Well, a lot. I have an issue with the casting, because clearly most of the performers were chosen for who they are, not how well they sing. I know it's a movie, but it's a musical. Singing ability should be a prerequisite. I was astonished to discover that the amazing Meryl Streep is not infallible. She can't sing a note. Pierce Brosnan makes her sound like Julie Andrews, though. Every time he sang, I found myself wondering if the fat pockets he got out of the deal made up for the embarassment he has to feel over his vocals. I would imagine he has given up on singing in the shower after hearing himself in the film. Amanda Seyfried is really the only one who is worth listening to. In addition to the singing, the choreography was pretty dreadful. The poor choreography mixed with the subpar singing should've ruined the movie.

Somehow, it really didn't matter that much. Mamma Mia! was still a blast. Watching actors who have no business being in musicals while sitting on my couch with a fever didn't compare to seeing it live with a giddy audience. Still, I had a good time with it. And so what if the actors sort of blew it? It seemed as if they were fully aware that they were miscast, and chose to enjoy it anyway. I know that some reviews were unkind. Some people downright hated this movie. It's a musical, and if you don't like musicals, you won't like this. It's hard to adapt stage musicals to screen. There are few that have done a decent job of capturing the experience of seeing it onstage; Chicago is the only one that stands out in my mind. If you don't like musicals, don't bother. If you do, accept the fact it's not going to be as good as a live experience. And go with it. Just enjoy it. And remember, "You can dance, you can dance, having the time of your life...." All together, now! "Dancing queen...."