TICKETS FOR MAMMA MIA! LAS VEGAS FINAL PERFORMANCES ON SALE
MAMMA MIA! will play its final performance at Mandalay Bay Theatre in Las Vegas on Sunday 4 January 2009. Tickets for the final performances went on sale at the end of September. After a long and successful run at Mandalay Bay Theatre, MAMMA MIA! will celebrate more than 2,100 performances and 2 million guests to date. It is the longest-running full length Broadway musical ever to play The Strip.
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR HELPS CHARITIES
The north American tour MAMMA MIA! company enjoyed 2 wonderful weeks in Chicago last month. In addition to sightseeing, architectural boat tours and enjoying a Chicago hot dog, cast members also organised and performed in a Charity Cabaret show benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Chicago's WGN Morning and Noon News also featured a performance of DANCING QUEEN with The Dynamos (Susie McMongagle, Kittra Wynn Coomer and Michelle Dawson) and Ensemble.
The company then moved on to East Lansing, where they were invited to volunteer at the cities local humane society. They met some of the residents there, and enjoyed walking/playing with the animals, but sadly couldn't take them home with them!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY POTSDAMER PLATZ!
On 4 October the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin celebrated its 10th birthday with a big event on stage.
MAMMA MIA! and the Theater am Potdamer Platz took part in the celebrations as the cast performed three times that day with a 6 minute medley of the show.
CAROLEE PAYS TRIBUTE TO SCHOENFELD
Two-time Tony Award nominated MAMMA MIA! star Carolee Carmello paid tribute in song to Chairman of the Shubert Organization, Gerald Schoenfeld along with his other favourite Broadway leading ladies Marin Mazzie, Donna Murphy and Leslie Uggams at a gala honouring him as the first recipient of the Schoenfeld Vision for Arts in Education Award at New York City's Waldorf Astoria Hotel on 6 October.
SEPTEMBER 2008
NEW NATIONAL TOUR OF THE NETHERLANDS TO START IN 09!
A national tour of MAMMA MIA! in the Netherlands is set to begin in 2009. The set and design will be optimised so that it works to the best advantage in the theatres on the Dutch national touring circuit.
The amazing success of the movie around the world - and of course in the Netherlands - has reignited a lot of interest in the show, which welcomed 1.2 million visitors in the Beatrix Theatre in Utrecht some years ago.
"We are delighted to respond to public demand and bring one of Holland's biggest musical hits on tour. Auditions will start this month so we'll have updates on casting in the coming months," says Erwin van Lambaart, director of Joop van den Ende Theaterproducties (who is presenting the tour in association with Littlestar).
"YOU CAN DANCE, YOU CAN JIVE, HAVING THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE..."
Due to high demand, a special sing-along edition of MAMMA MIA! - THE MOVIE has been released in the U.S. and U.K. in selected movie theatres for a limited engagement. Audiences at these specially selected cinemas are invited to bring friends and family to experience the movie musical in a whole new way by singing along to the songs they love.
MAMMA MIA!: The Sing-Along Edition will feature the lyrics to every musical number on the screen including familiar favourites like "Dancing Queen," "S.O.S.," "Money, Money, Money," "Take a Chance on Me," "Lay All Your Love on Me," "Voulez-Vous" and all the others from the film!
For details, check with your local movie theatre or click here.
AUGUST 2008
MAMMA MIA! PERFORMS AT THE RTL CONCERT
German radio station RTL 104.6 has its annual open air concert for listeners on 6 September 2008 - and this year, the Berlin company of MAMMA MIA! have been invited to perform! Other national and international stars who will appear on stage are Sarah Connor, Shaggy, Monrose, Klee, and Marquess. MAMMA MIA! will present a medley of "Super Trouper" and "Mamma Mia". Our German Dynamos Jasna Ivir, Betty Vermeulen and Iris Schumacher will also give an extra performance of "Dancing Queen".
The concert takes place at the Kindl-Bühne in Wuhlheide, and for the last 12 years the radio station has organised this concert for 17,000 of their music fans.
MAMMA MIA! BRINGS JOY TO THE US!
MAMMA MIA! - THE MOVIE surpassed a gross of $100 million in the U.S., passing Hairspray's previously held record, and becoming the 3rd highest grossing movie musical ever! After setting records in markets around the world, the film opened to the best weekend ever for a movie musical in America grossing $27.8 million, and has since grossed over $125 million in the U.S. alone!
The music of ABBA has also scored a triple play in the US - before reaching #1 on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog, the soundtrack to MAMMA MIA! - THE MOVIE, the original London cast recording and the "ABBA Gold" compilation all reached #1 on their respective charts (Soundtrack, Broadway and Catalogue chart) last month.
GET THE CAST OF MAMMA MIA! - THE MOVIE ON YOUR MOBILE!
RINGTONES now available in the US and UK for the MAMMA MIA! - THE MOVIE Soundtrack!
US:
Go to MammaMiaTones.com or see below to find the number to text directly from your mobile phone to get your MAMMA MIA! ringtones!
Ringtones cost $2.49 each. Standard text message rates and other charges may apply. Not available on all wireless carriers or mobile phones. For more information/questions, go to http://www.getmusic.com/help.
If you are an AT&T or Sprint customer:
Text MAMMA to 30303 to see a complete list of ringtones.
If you are a Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T or Sprint customer, text the following to 30303:
MAMMA2A for Honey, Honey
MAMMA2B for Money, Money, Money
MAMMA2C for Mamma Mia
MAMMA2D for Dancing Queen
MAMMA2E for Our Last Summer
MAMMA2F for Lay All Your Love On Me
MAMMA2G for Super Trouper
MAMMA2H for Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
MAMMA2I for The Name of the Game
MAMMA2J for Voulez-Vous
MAMMA2K for SOS
MAMMA2L for Does Your Mother Know
MAMMA2M for Slipping Through My Fingers
MAMMA2N for The Winner Takes It All
MAMMA2O for When All Is Said And Done
MAMMA2P for Take a Chance on Me
MAMMA2Q for I Have a Dream
UK: To get the official tones text MAMMA ITEMCODE to84477
For example to get 'Honey, Honey' realtone, text MAMMA HONEY to 84477
SONG
ITEMCODE
Dancing Queen
QUEEN
Does Your Mother Know
MOTHER
Honey, Honey
HONEY
Lay All Your Love On Me
LOVE
Mamma Mia
MIA
Money, Money, Money
MONEY
Our Last Summer
LAST
Slipping Through My Fingers
FINGERS
SOS
SOS
Take A Chance On Me
CHANCE
The Name Of The Game
GAME
The Winner Takes It All
WINNER
Voulez-Vous
VOUS
When All Is Said And Done
DONE
Realtones cost £3. Text messages you send, browsing wap pages and downloading content are charged at standard operator rates.
Terms & Conditions: 16+ only. Ask bill payers permission. Sent texts/GPRS downloads charged at normal operator rate. Wap must be activated. Support call 0870 896 4435 or email customer.service@newvisionsmobile.com. You'll be added to the Cast Of MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE mobile database, you may receive messages, at no cost, that are relevant to you. Opt Out instructions will be given. For full terms & conditions visit: www.newvisionsmobile.com/polydor.
MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE US PREMIERE
MAMMA MIA! - THE MOVIE premiered at the Ziegfeld theatre in New York on 16 July, 2008. Fans eagerly awaited the stars of the film, and cheered as Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and the rest of the actors arrived on the red carpet. There was a great turn out at the after party at the Boathouse in Central Park - many who danced the night away to the movie soundtrack!
CHANGE OF DONNA FOR THE SUMMER IN BERLIN
For the rest of this summer, the Theater am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin has a new Donna - Lone van Roosendal. Lone has already performed as Donna in the original casts of MAMMA MIA! in Utrecht, Belgium and in Essen (Germany).
In 2006 Lone won the Musical Award for best female actress for her role as Charity Hope Valentine in "Sweet Charity". Besides her stage performances, she has also played several roles on Dutch and Belgian television.
MILLION DOLLAR MAMMA!
Broadway's smash hit MAMMA MIA! settled into the Million Dollar Club on July 27, grossing $1,022,164. and topping the previous week's gross of $1,007,600. After setting records in markets around the world, MAMMA MIA! - THE MOVIE opened in the U.S. to the best weekend ever for a movie musical grossing $27.8 million.
MAMMA MIA! LAS VEGAS CELEBRATES THE MOVIE OPENING
The cast and crew of MAMMA MIA! joined in celebration on Sunday, July 13 to catch a sneak preview of MAMMA MIA! - THE MOVIE. Cast members from other shows around Las Vegas were also in the audience to show their support. Since debuting at Mandalay Bay in February 2003, MAMMA MIA! Las Vegas has seen three talented actresses grace the stage as leading lady Donna Sheridan and all three were there to hear Meryl Streep belt out the songs they know so well.
NEW ALTERNATE DONNA IN BARCELONA
The Barcelona cast introduces a new alternate Donna this summer - Montserrat Teruel. Mone made her debut in MAMMA MIA! on the 5 July, and is a very popular Catalan singer and actress, having been in Cal dir-ho, Company, Guys and Dolls, T´estimo, ets perfecte, ja et canviaré, Mals d´amor d´una gata francesa, Full Monty, Gaudí, Remena Nena and Into the forest.
BROADWAY DONNA SINGS THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AT THE SHEA STADIUM
Two-time Tony Award® nominated stage favorite Carolee Carmello, who stars as "Donna Sheridan" in the smash hit MAMMA MIA!, brought her signature Broadway belt to the world of baseball when she batted one out of the Shea Stadium at the Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies game on July 24 with her rendition of the National Anthem to open the game with flair.
JULY 2008
SPECIAL PERFORMANCE AT THE PRINCE OF WALES - 30 JUNE
There was an electric atmosphere at the Prince of Wales Theatre on Monday 30 June 2008, as the premiere of MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE was taking place 200 metres down the road at the Odeon Leicester Square, the London cast were giving their live stage performance to a full house of
MAMMA MIA! fans. During an extended interval there were screens around the theatre displaying clips from the film and interviews with some of the movie cast. With the champagne flowing and the knowledge that at the end of the show one lucky audience member would be winning a trip for 2 to New York to the US movie premiere, the audience took their seats for Act 2!
At the end of the show Linzi Hately (who plays Donna) opened the golden envelope to reveal that Christian Peterson from Spofforth was the lucky winner. He'd accidentally booked several seats online instead of a pair and had returned the others and kept the 2 seats he and his wife were sitting in because they were row K, and it was the first letter of his wife's name. He'd had also seen the show in 4 other locations around the world but had not seen it in New York so was very excited by the news he'd won. A fabulous evening and one that will be remembered in MAMMA MIA! history.
MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE - WORLD PREMIERE IN LONDON
MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE had its world premiere in London on 30 June 2008. Leicester square was turned into a Greek village with lemon groves, bourgainvillea and the Odeon cinema representing a Greek chapel. All the stars of the film arrived to fans and press on the aqua carpet, including Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan, as well as the producer, director and writer of the film and show - Judy Craymer, Phyllida Lloyd and Catherine Johnson.
STOCKHOLM MOVIE PREMIERE
Pop super group ABBA, Sweden's biggest export after Volvo cars, reunited for the first time in 26 years at the Stockholm premiere of MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE on July 4 2008. Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Faltskog last performed together in public in 1986. The premiere was said to be the biggest in Swedish history and the stars from ABBA and the movie had a large crowd to welcome them on the red carpet.
BERLIN DYNAMOS HIT GERMAN TV OVER THE SUMMER
On 13 July 2008, the Berlin Dynamos performed a medley of "MAMMA MIA!" and "Dancing Queen" for the TV Show "Aktuelle Schaubude". If you did not catch it, the show will be broadcast again later in the summer on 29 August 2008 at 4:30 PM (German time).
On 27 July 2008, from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM (German time), the summer feeling of MAMMA MIA! will be on the show "Immer wieder sonntags", live from one of Germany's biggest leisure parks - Europa Park in Rust - and there will also be a surprise in store for a guest from the audience...
CATCH THE BROADWAY CAST
To check out where you can see your favourite Broadway cast members in the press.
MAMMA MIA!'s Broadway "Dyamos," Carolee Carmello, Gina Ferrall and Judy McLane share backstage stories and the joy of performing ABBA's hit songs 8 times a week at the Winter Garden Theatre in a special "Access Hollywood" video: click here
MAMMA MIA!'s two-time Tony Award® nominated stage favorite Carolee Carmello leads Broadway.com fans on a tour of her favorite Manhattan haunts in a "My New York" feature: click here and is featured on Playbill Radio in a "Center Stage" segment with host Robert Viagas. Tune in to the pod cast now live at: click here
Finally, the "Dads" from the Broadway prodcution - Pearce Bunting ("Bill Austin"), Ben Livingston ("Harry Bright") and Christopher Shyer ("Sam Carmichael") - are featured on the cover the Summer 2008 issue of Broadway Magazine. The "male power" trio share how camaraderie they share on stage is mirrored in real life, and being in love with three "Dynamos" of MAMMA MIA!. Read the full feature online: click here
MAY 2008
LAST CHANCE TO SEE MAMMA MIA! IN ATHENS
After a successful tour throughout the world, the International Tour of MAMMA MIA! has finally landed in its birthplace, Greece, and more specifically at Badminton Theater, in the heart of Athens.
Since opening there, people from Athens and near-by cities have rushed in the theater and openheartedly enjoyed the show which embraces the summer season. With only days to go, make sure you don't miss out and book tickets here.
FRIDA FROM ABBA MEETS THE CAST OF MAMMA MIA!
Anni-Frid Lyngstad-more commonly known as Frida from the million-selling international super-group ABBA - caught a performance of MAMMA MIA! at the Winter Garden Theatre on April 24 2008.
Based on the ABBA songbook, the musical is now well into its seventh year on Broadway, and it still inspires audiences to sing along with evergreen hits like "Dancing Queen", "Take A Chance on Me", "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and "Super Trouper" night after night. After the performance, the cast had an audience of one with the woman who helped start it all. Hail, Frida!
Photos by Bruce Glikas/Broadway.com
BE THE FIRST TO SEE MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE!
This summer, the smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! dances onto the big screen and you could be among the first in the world to see it!
To celebrate, London's Odeon Leicester Square is hosting 6 days of celebratory screenings, exclusively at the Odeon leicester square from 4 - 9 July 2008. When you attend you will receive the official souvenir brochure and if you book your ticket online today at www.odeon.co.uk, you could win a fabulous trip to Greece!
Click here to book now or call the Odeon filmline on 0871 22 44 007.
MAMMA MIA! MOSCOW WINS EFFIE AWARD
MAMMA MIA! in Russia won the Best Brand in Russian Entertainment Industry for 2007 last month. The international marketing EFFIE AWARD was presented to the best brands in different countries and MAMMA MIA! was recognised and appreciated in the Russian business community for its efforts in branding.
"IT'S ALL VERY GREEK"
Following its record-breaking run in Glasgow, the International Tour opened in Athens on Tuesday 6 May 2008. The first night audience was populated with politicians, CEOs, models, reality TV stars, classical and rock musicians, and the great and good of Athens society. The references to their homeland in the show were met with raptuous applause and the minute the finale started they were on their feet with cheers of celebration. The first night party went on until 5am and the media haven't stopped talking about it since.
It's clear that with MAMMA MIA!'s story set on one of their own idyllic islands, the show has conquered the hearts of the Greeks.
WATERLOO DAY IN BERLIN!
On 6 April 2008 (Waterloo day) the Theater am Potsdamer Platz opened its doors to all tourists and residents of Berlin. The day saw over 10,000 visitors visit the theatre, and here are photos of some of the cast signing autographs!
MAMMA MIA! LAS VEGAS CELEBRATES 2,000TH PERFORMANCE
MAMMA MIA! marked another milestone as the longest-running Broadway musical on The Strip as the show celebrated 2,000 successful performances on Sunday 4 May 2008 at the Mandalay Bay Theatre.
The show sets the precedent for musicals in Las Vegas as no other Broadway show has ever enjoyed such enduring success on The Strip.
APRIL 2008
NEW MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE TRAILER RELEASED!
To see the latest international trailer for MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE, click here!
MAMMA MIA! KOREA CELEBRATES ITS 500TH PERFORMANCE ON 9 APRIL 2008
MAMMA MIA! Korea, the most successful musical in Korea, celebrates its 500th performance on 9 April 2008. In five successful years the show has played 3 limited runs in Seoul, and a limited run in both Daegu and Seongnam, and has been seen by more than 700,000 people in Korea alone. The show makes Korean musical theatre history as having played the highest number of performances to the most amount of people within the shortest period of time in the country.
To celebrate, there is "MAMMA MIA! Korea Festival Fortnight" from 25 March till 9 April 2008 with various events, including cast appearances and more!
THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC MOSCOW
See MAMMA MIA! in Moscow before it closes! The Russian language production is due to close on 30 April 2008, so click here to book your tickets now.
'MAMMA MIA! WE'RE BIGGER THAN KYLIE'...
...so says the Glasgow Evening Times! The International Touring production opened to rave reviews at the SECC in Glasgow - known locally as 'the Armadillo' - where it broke all previous box office records as the highest grossing production ever to have played there. MAMMA MIA! is the first production ever to run 4 weeks at this venue and it will play to over 90%.
Audiences went wild for the famous lyric 'when I called you last night from Glasgow' in Super Trouper! See Scottish actress Haley Flaherty, who plays 'Sophie', talking about opening night here.
On March 3 2008, a new cast had their first performance at the Prince of Wales theatre to kick off the 9th year of MAMMA MIA! in London. New cast members Richard Laing (Sam), Paul Ryan (Harry), Andrew Hall (Bill), Katie Brayben (Sophie), Oliver Hembrough (Sky), Jodie Read (Ali), Laura Selwood (Lisa), Giovanni Spano (Pepper) and Matt Wilman (Eddie) joined Linzi Hateley (Donna), Jane Gurnett (Tanya) and Joanna Monro (Rosie).
The month of March also saw Andrew Hall on BBC Breakfast talking about his role in MAMMA MIA!, as well as Ms Gurnett (Tanya) and Ms Monro (Rosie) taking the BBC on an exclusive backstage tour - click here to check it out!
MAMMA MIA!'S CAROL LINNEA JOHNSON KICKS OFF NASCAR UAW DODGE-400
Carol Linnea Johnson, who stars as Donna Sheridan in MAMMA MIA! Las Vegas, performed the national anthem at the NASCAR UAW Dodge-400 race on Sunday 2 March 2008 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for more than 150,000 fans.
In addition to the crowd, Johnson's traditional rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" was televised live on FOX to millions of viewers. At the end of her performance six United States Air Force Thunderbirds flew over head, erupting a stadium-wide standing ovation.
MAMMA MIA! ESSEN CELEBRATES WATERLOO DAY
On April 6 1974, ABBA won the Eurovision Song contest with their song "Waterloo". To celebrate this occasion the TV station WDR and Essen's Donna & the Dynamos are heading to the centre of the city of Essen to find the best singer of songs from MAMMA MIA!. The best interpreter will win 2 tickets to the show, so head to Essen to show off your singing talent!
WATERLOO DAY AT THE THEATER AM POTSDAMER PLATZ
....And in Berlin, on 6 April 2008 (Waterloo Day) the Theater am Potsdamer Platz opened it's doors to all tourists and residents of Berlin with backstage tours, a costume exhibition, autograph sessions, extracts from the show, live performances from the cast on the roof top stage, a costume competition and more!
VIP GUESTS AT MAMMA MIA! BARCELONA
MAMMA MIA! Barcelona saw an audience of some VIP guests during March. These included, as seen pictured here, Laia Tutzó (a famous sailor) and Nuria Feliú (the famous catalan singer).
MAMMA MIA! LONDON CELEBRATES IT'S 9TH BIRTHDAY AND HAS NOW BEEN SEEN BY OVER 5 MILLION PEOPLE!
On Sunday 6 April 2008, the London production of MAMMA MIA! celebrated its 9th birthday. The production continues to break box office records at the Prince of Wales Theatre and now over 5 million people have been to see the show in London. On several occasions, the musical has had the highest ever weekly gross taken in the history of the Prince of Wales Theatre. The original London production opened in 1999 and has grossed over £155 million at the UK Box Office.
MARCH 2008
HAPPY 5TH ANNIVERSARY LAS VEGAS!
MAMMA MIA!, the longest running, most successful Broadway musical to play the Las Vegas Strip, marked its fifth anniversary on 13 February 2008. To celebrate, several notable faces of Las Vegas took their chance as a spandex-savvy Dynamo. The celebrity Dynamos included Carrot Top, Robin Leach, Wolfgang Puck and Mayor Oscar Goodman.
The show opened in the 'entertainment capital of the world' on 13 February 2003 and set a new house record within a week of opening at the Mandalay Bay Theatre. In five successful years it has played almost 2,000 performances and been seen by more than 2,000,000 people in Las Vegas.
Carrot Top
Norm Clarke
Robin Leach
Mayor Oscar Goodman
Wolfgang Puck
INTRODUCING NEW CAST IN LONDON PRODUCTION...
Tonight, Monday 3 March 2008, Linzi Hateley (Donna), Joanna Monro (Rosie) and Jane Gurnett (Tanya) will be joined in the London production of MAMMA MIA! at the Prince of Wales Theatre by new cast members Richard Laing (Sam), Paul Ryan (Harry), Andrew Hall (Bill), Katie Brayben (Sophie), Oliver Hembrough (Sky), Jodie Read (Ali), Laura Selwood (Lisa), Giovanni Spano (Pepper) and Matt Wilman (Eddie). Melissa Jacques will continue to play Donna at certain performances. The new cast will celebrate the ninth birthday of MAMMA MIA! in London this April.
Some of you may spot a resemblance between Andrew Hall and Russell, the older son of Wendy Craig and Geoffrey Palmer, and Nicholas Lyndhurst's older brother, in the long-running TV series Butterflies (1978-1983). NORTH AMERICAN TOUR CELEBRATES 6TH ANNIVERSARY
The North American Tour of MAMMA MIA! celebrated its 6th anniversary on Tuesday 26 February 2008, the same week the tour played its 2500th performance! The tour opened in Providence, RI and since then has played more than 120 cities and grossed $160,000,000 at the box office.
The tour celebrated the occasion on the road this week in KALAMAZOO, MI at The Union Cabaret & Grille. Pictured (left to right) Ian Simpson, Milo Shandel, Allison Briner, Sean Allan Krill, Mary Jayne Raleigh, Vicki Noon, Tim Ware, Christine Sherrill. Photo: Kent Buchanan.
MAMMA MIA! ON GERMANY'S 'CARMEN NEBEL' SHOW
On 15 March 2008 at 8.15 PM ZDF presents the "Welcome to Carmen Nebel" show with national and international stars, with the MAMMA MIA! cast from Berlin appearing as one of the special guests on this popular TV show.
Jasna Ivir (Donna), Betty Vermeulen (Tanja) and Iris Schumacher (Rosie), together with the full cast from Potsdamer Platz will perform "Super Trouper", "Mamma Mia" and "Dancing Queen".
US TOUR PERFORM FOR A RECORD 5TH TIME IN FOX CITIES PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
5 years ago, the national tour of MAMMA MIA! was the first production ever to play the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton, WI. On February 5 2008, almost to the date of its original run, MAMMA MIA! opened in Appleton for the 4th time in the 5 year history of the performing arts center.
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, Susan Stockton, celebrated with the cast after the show saying, "what a thrill it is to celebrate the P.A.C.'s fifth anniversary with the wonderful cast and crew of MAMMA MIA!. This was the Broadway show that opened the P.A.C. five years ago and the show holds a special place in the hearts of our audiences. They say you never forget your first - and the Fox Cities knows that MAMMA MIA! will make them sing and dance and clap and laugh. Four engagements in five years - and MAMMA MIA! is still one of the hottest tickets at the P.A.C. Thank you!"
THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC
MAMMA MIA! is leaving Essen.
On 27 July 2008 "Thank you for the Music" will be heard for the last time in Essen. After its premiere on 6 May 2007, MAMMA MIA! took the region by storm attracting musical fans of all ages to come to Essen. However, a German-language production of MAMMA MIA! will still be thrilling audiences in Berlin.
Click here for more info. MAMMA MIA! BARCELONA CELEBRATES ITS 100TH PERFORMANCE!
All the cast of MAMMA MIA! Barcelona celebrated performance n° 100. The party took place in a local restaurant on Sunday 23 February 2008. The second Spanish-language production opened on 29 November 2007 at Barcelona Theatre Musical (BTM) after having broken the national record of advance sales for a musical.
FEBRUARY 2008
GIMME! GIMME! GIMME! A CELEBRATION FOR LAS VEGAS MAMMA MIA!’S 5TH ANNIVERSARY
MAMMA MIA! sets yet another benchmark for Broadway musicals in Las Vegas as the show celebrates its fifth anniversary at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on February 13, 2008. Due to popular demand MAMMA MIA!, which was previously scheduled to end in August after more than 2,300 performances, recently announced it will now play through January 4, 2009.
With more than 1,900 performances and two million guests to date, no other full-length Broadway show has ever enjoyed such enduring success on The Strip, and MAMMA MIA! has broken all box office records at the Mandalay Bay Theatre.
To see MAMMA MIA! productions around the world wishing Las Vegas a happy 5th anniversary,
click here!
NEW HARRY IN MAMMA MIA! BERLIN
Cusch Jung is now playing the role of Harry in the Berlin production, replacing Detlef Leistenschneider who goes back to Hamburg and his family, Cusch Jung is the laureate of the International Musical Award, Germany and Berlin has been his home for 22 years. Before he came to MAMMA MIA! he appeared in '3 Musketiere' at the „Theater des Westens” in Berlin, and also worked as a director of his own productions of classic musicals in Germany and Switzerland. Cusch Jung was also Sam in the Hamburg production of MAMMA MIA!.
MAMMA MIA! CELEBRATES 500TH PERFORMANCE IN MOSCOW
On 29 January 2008, MAMMA MIA! celebrated
its 500th performance in Russia. The production was recognised by the Russian Guinness Book
of Records as the musical which has played the most number of performances in a straight run within the shortest period of time in Russia,
and is noted as an outstanding achievement
in the Russian musical industry.
The event began with a small ceremony in the theatre where Russian celebrities and partners gave speeches, and Björn Ulvaeus sent a video greeting to the cast to pass on his congratulations.
At the end of the show, the representatives
from the Russian Guinness Book of Records awarded the productions with a certificate,
which was followed by an international cast performance of Dancing Queen by the Dynamos, featuring Elena Tcharkviani (Donna, Moscow), Elizabeth Vermeulen (Tanya, Berlin) and Maria Batallabarrachina (Rosie, Barcelona).
SALVADOR HOSTS FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS CONCERT
MAMMA MIA! Broadway cast member Gerard Salvador hosted the 3rd Annual Friends With Benefits concert at the Metropolitan Room on Monday 28 January 2008 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
DONNA AND THE DYNAMOS TEST THEIR KNOWLEDGE!
On 26 February 2008, Donna & the Dynamos from Essen's first cast will perform 'Dancing Queen' on the TV quiz show "NRW Duell" on the WDR TV station. The musical themed episode has invited different musical casts as candidates for a quiz game about the state North Rhine Westphalia.
Melanie Wiegmann, who plays Tanja in the Essen production, was chosen as a contestant and will have to prove her general knowledge skills in the quiz... Good Luck, Tanja!
JANUARY 2008
SPORT RELIEF 2008
On Tuesday 29 January 2008, Linzi Hateley (Donna), Joanna Monro (Rosie) and Jane Gurnett (Tanya) joined cast members from other West End shows for a press photocall in front of the Actors' Church in Covent Garden Piazza to raise awareness for this year's Sport Relief appeal. There was a great turn out of press and the tourists in the Piazza got an unexpected treat seeing so many West End stars out in their costumes and wearing runner numbers or Sport Relief socks!
The Sport Relief Weekend is happening from Friday 14 to Sunday 16 March 2008, culminating in the ultimate challenge of taking part in the Sainsbury's Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 16 March 2008 at one of the 200 events taking place in towns and cities across the UK. Sport Relief, organised by Comic Relief, is a UK-wide fundraising event that aims to harness the power of sport to bring people together, get active and have fun, whilst raising money for people living unimaginably tough lives in the UK and in some of the poorest countries in the world.
MAMMA MIA! LAS VEGAS ANNOUNCES THE SHOW MUST GO ON
MAMMA MIA!, previously scheduled to close in August 2008, will extend a record-breaking run at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino to 4 January 2009. MAMMA MIA! Las Vegas premiered on 13 February 2003 and will celebrate five years at the Mandalay Bay Theatre next month.
MOSCOW CELEBRATES ITS 500TH PERFORMANCE!
The Russian production of MAMMA MIA! celebrates its 500th performance on 29 January 2008.
MAMMA MIA! is the only musical in Russia that has played this number of shows in a consecutive run and within the shortest period of time - 500 shows in 475 days.
Over 440,000 tickets have already been sold breaking box office records for the Moscow production, and over 28,000 people attend MAMMA MIA! in the city every month.
MAMMA MIA! ON ICE
One of Berlin's biggest Christmas markets was placed in front of the Theater am Potsdamer Platz during December, and the MAMMA MIA! Berlin cast could notresist testing the skating rink.
Wearing red Santa Claus hats, the MAMMA MIA! company from the Potsdamer Platz showed that they were able to perform on the slippery ice as
well as on the stage.
'HANNAH MONTANA' STAR VISITS BROADWAY BACKSTAGE
Disney's "Hannah Montana" star and tween pop phenomenon Miley Cyrus was a "Dynamo for a day" when she brought dad Billy Ray Cyrus and the whole family to Broadway's MAMMA MIA!, and posed backstage with stars Carolee Carmello, Judy McLane and Gina Ferrall after the show. Check out photos in People, IN Touch, Life & Style, Star and National Enquirer Magazines and Broadway.com's full photo op at: www.broadway.com
2 MILLIONTH CUSTOMER VISITS MANDALAY BAY!
MAMMA MIA! welcomed its 2 millionth guest to the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Thursday 13 December 2007.
With more than 2,300 performances to date, MAMMA MIA! sets the precedent for musicals in Las Vegas as no other Broadway show has ever enjoyed such enduring success on The Strip.
DECEMBER 2007
SHARE THE MAMMA MIA! MOVIE TRAILER!
Now you can share the MAMMA MIA! movie trailer with friends and family! Check out the widget here and place it on your facebook or myspace page, or simply email it on!
MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE TRAILER
The moment you have been waiting for is here!
The first trailer for MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE goes live on the movie website today. Be one of the first to see it. Click below now!
Keep checking the movie website www.mamma-mia-themovie.co.uk over the next few weeks. You could be the lucky winner of a trip to the World Premiere in London this Summer!
INTERNATIONAL TOUR OPENS AT THE BRISTOL HIPPODROME
The International Tour of MAMMA MIA! entered its fourth year by enjoying another successful opening - this time at The Bristol Hippodrome. Bristolian writer Catherine Johnson joined the company for the opening night on the 3 December 2007, along with her family and friends, for a very special homecoming.
MAMMA MIA! is playing a nine week run at the Hippodrome until 2 February 2008.
Tickets are selling fast, so to get yours Click here
BROADWAY'S BACK MAMMA MIA! "danced and jived" back to Broadway on Thursday 29 November 2007 at the Winter Garden Theatre.
That night, the New York Times went backstage at MAMMA MIA! for an exclusive behind the scenes look at the process of putting the hit musical back on its platform-shoed feet after having been closed for 19 days due to the strike. Production stage manager Andy Fenton led the cameras through the historic theatre to visit with stars Carolee Carmello, Judy McLane and Carey Anderson, observe the cast's vocal warm up around the piano, and take a look at the technical aspects that make the magic of
MAMMA MIA! possible 8 times a week on Broadway.
WATCH ONLINE NOW
BARCELONA WELCOMES MAMMA MIA!
MAMMA MIA! opened in Barcelona last week on 29 November 2007. Sales for the show in Barcelona beat previous records set by musicals in Spain as more than 35,000 tickets were sold one week before the opening night.
Barcelona's Teatre Musical was refurbished for MAMMA MIA!'s opening, from the main lobby to the dressing rooms. MAMMA MIA! cast is led by Nina as Donna, who played the role in Madrid. The rest of the cast are from Barcelona, representing all the local talent from many professional acting and dancing schools.
GREECE BRINGS MAMMA MIA! HOME
From 6 May 2008, the International Tour of MAMMA MIA! will anchor in Athens, Greece at the spacious state-of-the-art Badminton Theater. Playing for the first time in the country where the story is set, the show is running there until 25 May 2008.
MAMMA MIA! GERMAN PRODUCTIONS HELP THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY
Three days before the successful opening night in Berlin, the cast from the Theatre am Potsdamer Platz performed at the ZDF-Gala (a big charity show on German TV), pledging to donate €40,000 to the 'Deutsche Welthungerhilfe e.V'.
All 3 German MAMMA MIA! productions helped towards this cause, so MAMMA MIA! was able to donate €42.5 thousand for the small village Burkina Faso.
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR CELEBRATES ITS 2400TH PERFORMANCE IN BOSTON!
Saturday 1 December 2007 was show number 2400 for the North American Tour of MAMMA MIA! in Boston at the Colonial Theatre. The Boston Globe says MAMMA MIA! is "still a knockout!".
After Boston, the tour heads to Canada - first stop: London, Ontario, followed by Ottawa, Montreal and Hamilton before it heads back into the US to Waterbury, CT.
Judy Craymer, Global Producer of the smash hit musical MAMMA MIA!, was presented with an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace in London at the end of October for her contribution to the music industry. Craymer's guests at the ceremony were MAMMA MIA! author Catherine Johnson and the musical's director, Phyllida Lloyd.
Judy commented, "I'm so thrilled to receive this honour, and extremely proud of the recognition it brings to the extraordinary impact MAMMA MIA! has had on the music and entertainment industry worldwide. I'm so glad that my two great friends and collaborators could be with me on this very special occasion".
ONCE IN A LIFETIME COMPETITION BLOG BY PATRICK O'DONNELL
Click here to read the blog of Patrick O’Donnell, the winner from our once in a lifetime competition to visit the movie set of MAMMA MIA! in Greece.
Read about his exciting time on the boat and on the islands, as well as meeting the cast and crew.
MAMMA MIA! FUKUOKA CLOSES
MAMMA MIA! Fukuoka opened on 19 May 2007 and closed on 30 September 2007, after 125 performances. Over 97,000 passionate audience members around the Southern Japanese city saw the show during this limited season of MAMMA MIA!
BROADWAY WELCOMES BACK MCLANE AND 2 NEW DADS
MAMMA MIA! welcomed Broadway favorite Judy McLane (Kiss of the Spider Woman, Chess) back to the Winter Garden Theatre as two new "Dads" made their Broadway debuts last night. Christopher Shyer (Canadian premieres of Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera) now stars as "Sam Carmichael" opposite Tony Award® nominee Carolee Carmello as "Donna Sheridan," and Ben Livingston joined the cast as "Harry Bright."
ANNA MONTANARO TAKES ON THE LEAD ROLE IN MAMMA MIA!
From 19 October 2007, Anna Montanaro took on the role of Donna in the third German production of MAMMA MIA! in Essen. Anna Montanaro has performed in the US, UK and throughout Europe in Cats, Swing Kids, Blue Jeans, La Cage Aux Folles and West Side Story.
These were followed by commitments as Sandy in the Dusseldorf production of Grease and as Velma Kelly in Chicago - a role that she toured with globally in Vienna, Berlin, London, Dusseldorf, Munich, Basel and Broadway. Back in Europe, she played Lucy in Jekyll & Hyde in Cologne, Maria Magdalena in Jesus Christ Superstar at the festival in Bad Hersfeld, Polly Baker in Crazy for you at the Graz Opera House, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes at the Kassel State Theatre and Marilyn Monroe in Marilyn - The Musical. MAMMA MIA! opened at the Colosseum Theater in Essen on 6 May 2007, following German productions of MAMMA MIA! in Hamburg and Stuttgart.
BROADWAY BREAKS RECORDS!
MAMMA MIA! celebrated the 6th Anniversary of opening on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre on 18 October 2007, and played its 2,500th performance on Saturday 20 October 2007. It also became the 18th longest-running show in Broadway history on Sunday 21 October 2007, sliding past Mel Brook's The Producers!
MAMMA MIA! is also currently playing record-breaking engagements in Las Vegas and on National Tour in the United States. The original West End production has played more than 3,500 performances, an international tour has played in over 30 cities, and the feature film of MAMMA MIA!, produced by Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman, will be released in the summer of 2008.
MAMMA MIA! SUPPORTS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
MAMMA MIA! was once again behind this year's Breast Cancer Awareness month in October. The exclusive MAMMA MIA! "Rock Chick Supremo" T-shirt, specially designed by MAMMA MIA! producer Judy Craymer, plays a leading role in supporting The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). "Dancing Queens" everywhere raise "Money Money Money" when purchasing a souvenir from the hit show at theatres in the U.S., London and around the world, with profits going directly to BCRF and breast cancer charities globally.
Over 30,000 "Rock Chick" T-shirts have been purchased in North America alone, and MAMMA MIA! has contributed a total of over $500,000 to breast cancer charities globally, including BCRF, which the show has supported for the last several years.
The MAMMA MIA! Rock Chick Supremo T-shirt can be purchased year-round online at www.mamma-mia.com.
Two time Tony Award® nominated Broadway belter Carolee Carmello, now starring as "Donna Sheridan" on Broadway, performed the ABBA anthem "The Winner Takes it All" to celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of WPLJ Radio's "Rocky Allen Showgram." The star studded live radio remote celebration was performed in front of an invited studio audience at The Hard Rock Café in Times Square on Friday 5 October 2007.
OCTOBER 2007
MAMMA MIA! CELEBRATES ROCKTOBER, DOWNLOAD THE CALENDAR NOW
MAMMA MIA! PROUDLY SUPPORTS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
This year MAMMA MIA! will once again be supporting BCRF (The Breast Cancer Research Foundation) during the month of October. MAMMA MIA! has raised over £250,000 for breast cancer awareness in the last 5 years, since the pink and white Rock Chick Supremo T-shirt first went on sale.
Global Producer Judy Craymer was inspired to do more to help after meeting BCRF founder Evelyn Lauder on a transatlantic flight, and consequently designed the Rock Chick Supremo T-shirt. Alongside this T-shirt and charity postcards (on sale in theatres and on the MAMMA MIA! webshop year round), throughout October bucket collections will take place at the theatre in London, and for a donation audience members can have a Polaroid photo taken with cast members, with all monies raised benefitting BCRF.
The MAMMA MIA! Rock Chick Supremo T-shirt can be purchased year-round online at www.mamma-mia.com.
For the US webshop click here
For the UK webshop click here
To learn more about MAMMA MIA!'s support of BCRF click here
MAMMA MIA! OPENS IN BERLIN
The fourth German production ofMAMMA MIA!is to open on 21 October 2007 at the Theater am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. This follows the productions in Hamburg, Stuttgart and Essen. The cast includes Jasna Ivir as Donna, Betty Vermeulen as Tanya, Iris Schumacher as Rosie, Ulrich Wiggers as Sam, Andreas Lichtenberger as Bill, Detlef Leistenschneider as Harry, Melanie Ortner as Sophie, Patrick Adrian Stamme as Sky, Yoko El Edrisi as Lisa, Petra Scholz as Ali, Thada Suanduanchai as Eddie and Francisco del Solar as Pepper. The cast are now in rehearsals.
ONCE IN A LIFETIME - MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE COMPETITION WINNER!
Congratulations to Patrick O'Donnell from the UK who with a friend will be cruising aboard the very boat that will feature in the forthcoming MAMMA MIA! movie. A truly unique experience with a behind the scenes tour of the film set for the lucky winner!
Thank you to everyone who entered the competition.
MAMMA MIA! PERFORMS IN RECORD-SETTING YEAR JERRY LEWIS TELETHON
MAMMA MIA! cast members lent their hand and talent in support of the 42nd Annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon which aired nationally on 3 September 2007 from the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas. The ensemble, led by Libby Winters and Patrick Sarb (Sophie and Sky), performed 'Mamma mia!' and were then joined by Carol Linnea Johnson, Vicki Van Tassel and Robin Baxter (The Dynamos) for 'Dancing Queen'. The telethon had a record-setting year raising over $63.8 million in donations and pledges to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
MAMMA MIA! cast members were honoured to contribute their efforts to this annual tradition, known as a star-studded variety show that simultaneously entertains, informs and raises funds for the service and research of Muscular Dystrophy.
MAMMA MIA! AND FEDEX DELIVER HELP TO DISADVANTAGED WOMEN
Photo by Bruce Glikas/Broadway.com
MAMMA MIA! and FedEx made a 'Special Delivery' to benefit 'Dress for Success', the international non-profit organisation that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, and a network of support and career development tools.
MAMMA MIA!'s Broadway 'Dynamos' led the public clothing and accessory drive by bringing their donations to a specially-designed FedEx Special Delivery truck parked outside the Winter Garden Theatre (1534 Broadway) on Wednesday 26 September 2007.
Tony Award® nominated star Carolee Carmello, fellow Dynamos Gina Ferrall and Judy McLane, and the Broadway cast of MAMMA MIA! performed the ABBA anthems 'Dancing Queen' and 'The Winner Takes it All' at J & R Music World as part of the flagship store's 'Broadway Mania' series on Friday 28 September 2007.
CAROLEE CARMELLO ON WNWR RADIO
Tony Award® nominated Broadway belter Carolee Carmello, now starring as 'Donna Sheridan' in MAMMA MIA!, is featured on WNWR Radio's travel programme 'Gourmets and Getaways'.
Carmello recently chatted with Philadelphia travel host Barry Reisman about starring in one of Broadway's longest running hits, and the inspiration she gets from singing ABBA's greatest hit songs 8 times a week to audiences that dance in the aisles of the Winter Garden Theatre.
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR CAST PERFORM A 'ONE NIGHT ONLY CABARET'
The North American tour of MAMMA MIA! performed at a special 'One Night Only Cabaret' benefit on Monday 10 September 2007 at Club Fugazi in San Francisco, whilst the tour was playing at the Orpheum theater.
Broadway leading ladies Deborah Gibson (Cabaret) and Sharon McNight (Starmites) joined cast members to raise 'Money, Money, Money' for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The US Tour is currently playing at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio.
INTERNATIONAL TOUR HEADS TO BRATISLAVA
The International Tour of MAMMA MIA! has just finished another successful engagement in Zurich, Switzerland on 23 September 2007 and is due to open at the Incheba hall in Bratislava, Slovakia on 2 October 2007 for 7 performances. The Tour will then move on to the Sazka Arena in Prague, Czech Republic on 10 October 2007. The third year of the tour will finish with 7 performances at the Budapest Arena from 24 - 28 October 2007, with rehearsals for Year 4 of the International Tour beginning the very next day!
To purchase tickets to see the show in Bratislava, click here
MAMMA MIA! ESSEN SUPPORTS THE MILLENNIUM VILLAGE IN BURKINA FASO
MAMMA MIA! - seen by over four million people in Germany - is working with the Deutsche Welthungerhilfe to support a 'millennium village' in Burkina Faso. The aim of the project is to secure better education and sufficient food for the villagers.
The project is one of three being presented by Dieter Thomas Heck at the ZDF star gala. The cast of the MAMMA MIA! production in Essen have been raising money for the people of Burkina Faso since 16 August 2007.
The donations cheque will be handed over in the ZDF star gala in aid of the 'Welthungerhilfe' on 18 October 2007 in Riesa.
LINZI HATELEY ON THE ALAN TITCHMARSH SHOW
Linzi Hateley won huge applause when she treated both the studio audience and the viewers at home to a spine-tingling performance of Winner Takes It All on the Alan Titchmarsh Show on ITV 1 last month. Linzi's performance on 12 September 2007 proved so popular with viewers, that the producers of the TV show have requested more artists from West End shows to come and perform on the show!
ONCE IN A LIFETIME - MAMMA MIA! THE MOVIE COMPETITION NOW CLOSED
You and a friend can win the exclusive opportunity to cruise aboard the very boat that will feature in the forthcoming MAMMA MIA! movie. Take the Flying Dolphin from Skiathos and tie up for three nights on the idyllic Greek island of Skopelos, where the stars of MAMMA MIA! are currently filming on location. For one glorious night, drift off to the sound of the waves as they gently lap the boat. A truly unique experience is guaranteed with a behind the scenes tour of the film set and the various locations on the island.
The competition is now closed.
SEPTEMBER 2007
BERLIN'S SOPHIE MEETS LONDON CAST!
Berlin's future "Sophie" (Melanie Ortner) met London's "Donna" (Linzi Hateley) and "Sophie" (Hannah Robertson) on a visit to the city where MAMMA MIA! first opened in 1999, before heading to Stockholm to discover the Swedish roots of the show.
During the press trip to in the Prince of Wales Theatre, Melanie and her English equivalent Hannah gave a musical taster of the show by singing a duet of "I Have A Dream" / "Mich tragt mein Traum"- mixed in German and English languages.
BARCELONA BREAKS RECORDS BEFORE OPENING!
With nearly 8,000 tickets sold, MAMMA MIA! Barcelona has been confirmed as having the most successful pre-opening sales in Stage Entertainment Spain's history. MAMMA MIA! opens in Barcelona on 29 November 2007 after a record breaking 3 year run in Madrid.
THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC STUTTGART AND HAMBURG
This month saw the final performances of the Hamburg and Stuttgart productions on 8 and 9 September 2007 respectively. MAMMA MIA! first opened in Germany in the city of Hamburg on the 3 November 2002 at the Operettenhaus, and has been sold out for five years. The show opened in the second German city on 18 July 2004, and since then over 1.8 million people have seen the show in Stuttgart at over 1100 performances.
MAMMA MIA! continues to play in Essen at the Colosseum Theater - for more information go to www.stage-entertainment.de
INTERNATIONAL TOUR HEADS TO PRAGUE
The International Tour of MAMMA MIA! will premiere in Czech Republic at Sazka Arena in Prague on 10 October 2007. Over the last two and a half years, the International Tour has visited Dublin, Edinburgh, South Africa, Tallinn, Lisbon, Paris, Brussels, throughout Germany, Vienna, Belfast, Qatar, Dubai, Copenhagen, Riga, Helsinki, Tel Aviv, Shanghai, Beijing and Taipei and is currently playing in Zurich. The tour has been seen by over 2 million people, and MAMMA MIA! has been seen by more than 30 million people around the world.
MAMMA MIA! LAS VEGAS CAST MEMBERS HELP RAISE "MONEY, MONEY, MONEY"
MAMMA MIA! Las Vegas cast members teamed up with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southern Nevada at the Texas Station Bowling Center this week for the 16th annual "Bowl For Kids' Sake" benefit to raise "Money, Money, Money" for underprivileged children.
Cast members Libby Winters, Patrick Sarb, Rob Sutton, Ron McClary and T. Scott Cunningham bowled with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters teams to score the perfect game. MAMMA MIA! remains the most successful and longest running full scale Broadway musical in Las Vegas and has played over 1,760 performances to more than 1.9 million people.
3500th PERFORMANCE IN LONDON
The London production of MAMMA MIA!, now celebrating its 8th sold out year in the West End, celebrated its 3,500th performance in London on 23 August 2007 and became the longest ever running show at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 18 August 2007, beating the record previously held by Aspects of Love.
MAMMA MIA! now stars Linzi Hateley as "Donna Sheridan", Joanna Monro as "Rosie", Jane Gurnett as "Tanya", with Iain Fletcher as "Sam Carmichael", Steven Finch as "Harry Bright", Paul Hawkyard as "Bill Austin", Hannah Robertson as "Sophie Sheridan" and Paul Shelford as "Sky."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Next month the Moscow production of MAMMA MIA! turns one year old. The year has been an ABBAsolute success in Russia, with more than 450 000 tickets sold. Many happy returns for the 14 October Moscow!
CAROLEE CARMELLO FEATURED ON MYBROADWAY.COM
Tony Award® nominated actress Carolee Carmello, now starring as "Donna Sheridan" in Broadway's musical MAMMA MIA! is featured in a 30 minute video segment on MyBroadway.com's "Cue 2 Cue" Channel. Now watch the full segment online: Click orange "Channels" tab for drop down menu, click on "Cue2Cue Interviews with Broadway's Best!" and select Carolee Carmello.
MAMMA MIA! is celebrating six years at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre, and is also currently playing other American engagements in Las Vegas and on a National Tour.
AUGUST 2007
MAMMA MIA! BECOMES 19TH LONGEST RUNNING SHOW ON BROADWAY
MAMMA MIA! became the 19th longest-running production in Broadway history on 5 July 2007.
On 3 July 2007 the musical played its 2,377th performance to surpass Annie as the 20th longest-running show in history. Two days later marked performance 2,378, with the show slipping past Cabaret into the number 19 spot.
The show currently features Carolee Carmello as Donna Sheridan, Joan Hess as Tanya, Gina Ferrall as Rosie, Carey Anderson as Sophie Sheridan, Andy Kelso as Sky, Michael Mastro as Harry Bright, David McDonald as Sam Carmichael and Pearce Bunting as Bill Austin. The musical plays the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City. Here's a look at the celebration that took place onstage following the Thursday evening performance: click here
JUDY CRAYMER - MBE
Judy Craymer, the Global Producer of MAMMA MIA!, was awarded with an MBE for her contribution to the music industry in the Queen's birthday honours list of 2007, commemorating her work on MAMMA MIA! over the last 2 decades. The MBE will be presented to her in a ceremony later this year.
FOUR NEW PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS BRING VARIETY TO THE MAMMA MIA! LAS VEGAS STAGE
MAMMA MIA! Las Vegas added four new, talented cast members from film, television and the stage on 30 July 2007.
Libby Winters plays the role of Sophie Sheridan, which is her first big role. Rob Sutton who came to Vegas directly from the Broadway company of Beauty and the Beast plays Sam Carmichael.
Gracing the stage as Bill Austin, Ron McClary also joined the cast from New York City, where he starred in Summer '69:The Musical. With television appearances on "Law and Order" and the role of Ryan in the major motion picture "Serendipity," T. Scott Cunningham joined the cast as Harry Bright.
Currently in its fifth year in Las Vegas, MAMMA MIA! shines bright with the new life and energy these cast members bring.
MAMMA MIA! - LONGEST RUNNING SHOW EVER AT THE PRINCE OF WALES THEATRE AS IT CELEBRATES ITS 3,500TH LONDON PERFORMANCE
The global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! will become the longest ever running show at the Prince of Wales Theatre on Saturday 18 August 2007, overtaking the record previously held by "Aspects of Love". MAMMA MIA! will also celebrate its 3,500th performance in London on Thursday 23 August 2007.
The cast is currently headed by Linzi Hateley as 'Donna Sheridan', Joanna Monro as 'Rosie', Jane Gurnett as 'Tanya', with Iain Fletcher as 'Sam Carmichael', Steven Finch as 'Harry Bright', Paul Hawkyard as 'Bill Austin', Hannah Robertson as 'Sophie Sheridan', Paul Shelford as 'Sky', Lucy Miller as 'Ali', Tanya Robb as 'Lisa', Ben Heathcote as 'Pepper' and Kieran Jae as 'Eddie'. At certain performances the role of 'Donna Sheridan' will be played by Lucy Harris.
JULY 2007
STUTTGART CELEBRATES ITS 3RD BIRTHDAY
MAMMA MIA!
Stuttgart celebrated its 3rd birthday on Wednesday, 18 July 2007 with an even more exciting finale to the show than usual. The famous German conductor Gotthilf Fischer led the 1800 audience members to sing "Happy Birthday" to the cast and theatre, which prompted a full standing ovation for the MAMMA MIA! Company - and Gotthilf Fischer. The Stuttgart production's final performance will be on Sunday 9 September 2007. MAMMA MIA! Stuttgart has now been seen by more than 1.9 million visitors!
US TOUR CAST KICK START WINNIPEG GOLDEYES GAME
Cast members of the North American Tour sang the Canadian and US national anthems at a Winnipeg Goldeyes minor league baseball game while the tour stopped in Winnipeg on its most recent Canadian leg of the tour. Pictured are cast members Kurt Andrew Hansen, Sarah Katherine Mason, Milo Shandel, Nathan Alan Johnson, Annie Edgerton and Peter Porte. The US Tour is currently in Salt Lake city, Utah.
Picture courtesy of the Winnipeg Goldeyes Baseball Club.
FUKUOKA EXTENDS SEASON
The MAMMA MIA! production in Fukuoka, Japan has extended its run to 24 September 2007, due to having a sell-out season. The Japanese language production originally opened at the Dentsu Shiki Theatre 'Umi' in Tokyo on 1 December 2002 and played to 100% capacity at every performance, and then moved to the Osaka Shiki theatre in January 2005. Fukuoka is the third Japanese city that MAMMA MIA! has played in. To book tickets click here
MAMMA MIA! IN BRYANT PARK
MAMMA MIA!, now in its 6th year at the Winter Garden Theatre, kicked off the annual "Broadway in Bryant Park" outdoor summer concert series this month. Carolee Carmello (Donna Sheridan), Gina Ferrall (Rosie), Joan Hess (Tanya), Carey Anderson (Sophie Sheridan), Andy Kelso (Sky) and the cast performed the songs "Lay All Your Love on Me," "The Winner Takes It All," Mamma Mia," and "Dancing Queen".
To see photos of the event, click here.
WEST END LIVE
For the third year running, Leicester Square played host to West End Live, a two-day free family event on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 June 2007, showcasing the variety of entertainment and leisure opportunities on offer in central London. As in previous years, the London cast of MAMMA MIA! performed live in the Square on both days and thrilled the crowds with a medley from the show. Also, London's ´Donna´, Linzi Hateley, was asked to perform ´Winner Takes It All´ at the VIP opening on the Friday night and received rapturous applause.
JUNE 2007
GOTHENBURG PRODUCTION BREAKS RECORDS
MAMMA MIA! played its last performance in Gothenburg on 17 June 2007. 49 sold out performances played to over 155,295 persons since opening at Scandinavium on 9 May 2007. 1,002,598 people have now seen MAMMA MIA! in Swedish in Stockholm and Gothenburg over 110 weeks - a record in Sweden.
CAST MEMBERS OF MAMMA MIA! LAS VEGAS HELP RAISE $285,000 FOR CHARITY
MAMMA MIA! Las Vegas cast members lent their talents and good hearts by joining more than 200 Las Vegas Strip performers in Golden Rainbow's “Ribbon of Life” production. Golden Rainbow is a non-profit organization that provides housing and direct financial assistance to Southern Nevadans with HIV/AIDS. These shows took place in the Jubilee Theater at Bally's on 23 and 24 June 2007 and successfully raised $285,000!
BERLIN BOX OFFICE - NOW OPEN!
On 4 June 2007 it was announced that a new production of MAMMA MIA! is to open in Berlin - the German-language musical premieres in October 2007 in the Theater am Potsdamer Platz. This will be the 4th German language production to open in the country. Tickets now on sale.
STUTTGART CLOSING ANNOUNCED
The Stuttgart production of MAMMA MIA! will have it's final curtain on the 9 September 2007 after more than three successful years. The show opened at the Palladium Theater on the 18 July 2004, and has played to over 1.7 million people over more than 1100 performances.
MAMMA MIA! TO OPEN IN BARCELONA
It has been announced that a Spanish language production of MAMMA MIA! is to open in the city of Barcelona on the 29 November 2007, at the Barcelona Teatre Musical. Nina is to resume her role as Donna in the show after playing it for 3 years in Madrid. MAMMA MIA! played for almost 3 years at the Lope De Vega theatre before closing on 3 June this year, where it broke the record for Madrid's fastest selling musical in the week after opening.
WATCH THE LONDON CAST OF MAMMA MIA! PERFORM AT 'WEST END LIVE' THIS WEEKEND IN LEICESTER SQUARE!
For the third year running, Leicester Square will be hosting West End Live, a two-day free family event, on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 June 2007 from 12 noon - 6.00pm, showcasing the variety of entertainment and leisure opportunities on offer in central London. There will be live stage performances and giant screens and many West End shows will be performing there, including the London cast of MAMMA MIA!, who have been asked back again - this will be their third appearance at West End Live. The cast will be performing a medley from the show on the stage in Leicester Square at 1.25pm on Saturday 23 June 2007 and at 1.00pm on Sunday 24 June 2007.
MAY 2007
MAMMA MIA! OPENS IN GOTHENBURG
MAMMA MIA! opened at Gothenburg's Scandinavium (a sports arena) on 9 May 2007 and is produced for Scandinavium in Gothenburg by PER SE Produktion. A “Theaterroom” in the arena has been built with 3000 seats. There are 49 performances planned until the 17 June 2007 and all the performances are completely sold out. With people waiting for tickets every night, MAMMA MIA! is proving to be a great success in Gothenburg. The opening night crowds cheered enormously when Benny Andersson arrived for the glittering opening performance.
I HAVE A DREAM...
On Saturday 12 May 2007, 'Bob the Builder', aka Rob McVeigh, was seen learning to act out a scene from MAMMA MIA! opposite Hannah Robertson (London's Sophie) on stage at the Prince of Wales Theatre for the BBC 1 show "Any Dream Will Do", the nationwide search to find a male lead for "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat". Hannah put Rob through his paces and really gave him a taste for being a leading man in the West End.
MAMMA MIA! WHAT A OPENING NIGHT!
The MAMMA MIA! cast presentation at the Colosseum Theater represented the start of the rehearsals for the soon-to-open Essen production of the show - the 3rd production of MAMMA MIA! in Germany. The 34 artists who make up the cast come from ten nations - and all are looking forward to the opening night, which takes place on 6 May, 2007.
GOODBYE MADRID
After 1000 performances and 31 months, MAMMA MIA! will say goodbye to the Lope de Vega Theatre on 3 June 2007. This is your last opportunity to see the most successful musical in Madrid so book your tickets now at www.topticketline.es to make sure you don't miss out.
GRAND PRIX PARTY WITH MAMMA MIA!
Even if the German singer Roger Cicero did not win the Eurovision song contest on May 12 2007, the after-party in the Kehrwieder theatre - hosted by Thomas Hermanns - still continued in full swing, and included a performance by the Hamburg ensemble of MAMMA MIA!. Carolin Fortenbacher, Betty Vermeulen, Iris Schumacher and six cast members performed a medley of "Mamma Mia" and "Dancing Queen", uplifting the Kehrweider theatre's audience. This was broadcast to more than 4.7 million viewers who had been following the contest on TV. The Dynamos had been so impressed by Roger Cicero that they spontaneously broke into an A capella version of his Eurovision entry "Frauen regier'n die Welt" after their performance.
MAMMA MIA! PLAYS DEBENHAMS, OXFORD STREET
The full London cast of MAMMA MIA! wowed audiences on Oxford Street on 17 May 2007 by performing a medley of hits from the musical. MAMMA MIA! literally brought London to a stand still as curious crowds gathered to watch and enter the co-promotion competition run by Debenhams and MAMMA MIA! Despite the rain the performance seemed to change the forecast and it wasn't long before the Greek Island feel-good factor tempted the sun out. To purchase tickets to the London show, click here.
MAMMA MIA! PARTICIPATES IN RECORD-BREAKING PROMOTION
MAMMA MIA!
Las Vegas teamed up with Highway Radio for a special Memorial Day Weekend promotion in Primm, Nevada. On Saturday 26 May 2007, more than 1,000 visitors stopped by the Fashion Outlets to spin Highway Radio's Fashion Wheel for a chance to win two tickets to MAMMA MIA!. Twenty lucky winners drove away with tickets to "the best night in Vegas".
HAMBURG ANNOUNCES FINAL PERFORMANCE
MAMMA MIA!
Hamburg has announced the date of the final show at the Operettenhaus. On 16 September 2007, MAMMA MIA! celebrates the last performance after having had over 2.5 million guests at the theatre. The last presale started on 12 April 2007 at 12 noon. Click here to book your tickets now.
MAMMA MIA! COMES TO CHINA
Following its hugely successful 2006 run, the International Tour of MAMMA MIA! has announced it will visit Shanghai's Grand Theatre from 6 July - 2 August 2007, as well as Beijing's Poly Theatre from 7 - 19 August 2007. Over the last two years, the International tour has played sold out engagements in Dublin, Edinburgh, South Africa, Tallinn, Lisbon, Paris, Brussels, Germany, Vienna, Zurich, Belfast, Manchester, and has already been seen by over 1.6 million people. The Beijing engagement of MAMMA MIA! will be presented by The China Performance Art Agency and begins previews on August 7th 2007, marking the one-year countdown anniversary leading to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The International tour of MAMMA MIA! is currently playing to sold out houses in a return engagement at Dublin, Ireland's Point through 17 March 2007.
MERYL TUNES UP FOR BIG 'MAMMA'
Actress to topline bigscreen musical by Michael Fleming (VARIETY)
Meryl Streep is set to star in "Mamma Mia!," the bigscreen adaptation of the hit tuner that Universal and producing partners Playtone and Littlestar are mobilizing for a summer start. Littlestar's Judy Craymer will produce with Playtone's Gary Goetzman. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson will exec produce with Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, the Abba songwriters whose tunes drive the musical. Phyllida Lloyd, who directed the original "Mamma" in London as well as its Broadway incarnation, will make her feature directing debut on the pic. Pic will shoot in London and Greece. Catherine Johnson, who wrote the book for the musical, penned the screenplay, about a bride-to-be who never met her father and was raised by a formerly rebellious single mother (Streep).
MAMMA MIA! played to packed houses in Dubai, from 1 - 6 April 2007. The cast also got the chance to do some sightseeing in the United Arab Emirates ... They were taken on a tour of the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, where they discussed Islam and other aspects of Gulf culture with a team of local volunteers who came and enjoyed MAMMA MIA!'s closing night performance.
The next stop for the International Tour is Riga, Latvia, when it opens at the Arena Riga on 8 May.
MORE MOVIE CASTING NEWS
Colin Firth has been confirmed to play 'Harry', Christine Baranski will play 'Tanya' and Stellan Skarsgard as 'Bill' in the MAMMA MIA! movie with Julie Walters as 'Rosie', Amanda Seyfried in the role of 'Sophie' and Dominic Cooper will play 'Sky'. The film also starring Meryl Streep ('Donna') and Pierce Brosnan ('Sam'), directed by Phyllida Lloyd, will go into production in the summer of 2007.
AN ENCHANTING EVENING WITH SMOOTH JAZZ AND MAMMA MIA! LAS VEGAS
On April 15, Las Vegas radio station KOAS-FM The Oasis, hosted a night with MAMMA MIA! for 100 winners. Listeners were encouraged to call in and win tickets to a special night at MAMMA MIA!, complete with a meet and greet with the 3 Dynamos. With the ladies adorned in their signature florescent costumes, the lucky winners were thrilled at the opportunity to meet the leads and also have their picture taken with them. Singing praises not only of the Dynamos, but of the entire show itself, this was one evening of Greek Isle fun that Oasis winners won't soon forget.
MAMMA MIA! MOSCOW CELEBRATES 200TH SHOW
The Moscow production of MAMMA MIA! celebrated 200 performances last month at the MDM theatre. The show has now been seen by over 250,000 in Russia after it opened on 14 October, 2006. MAMMA MIA! Moscow represents the first time the ABBA songs have been heard in Russian..
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR CONTINUES TO BREAK RECORDS
The North American tour of MAMMA MIA! simultaneously set a new box office record at Clearwater, Florida's Ruth Eckerd Hall and broke the $1 Million mark for the first time ever for the venue. For eight performances from 27 March - 1 April 2007, MAMMA MIA! grossed $1,030,427, besting the previous record set by the tour of Riverdance in February 2003. The North American tour has played over 2154 performances in 109 cities (with 68 repeat visits) and is currently booked through until September 2008.
HAPPY 8TH BIRTHDAY LONDON!
In London, MAMMA MIA! celebrated its 8th birthday last Friday 6 April at The Prince of Wales Theatre. The show has been seen in London by over 4.5 million people at over 3,330 performances and will have grossed over £155 million in London alone.
The cast is headed by Linzi Hateley as 'Donna Sheridan', Joanna Monro as 'Rosie', Jane Gurnett as 'Tanya', with Iain Fletcher as 'Sam Carmichael', Steven Finch as 'Harry Bright', Paul Hawkyard as 'Bill Austin', Hannah Robertson as 'Sophie Sheridan', Paul Shelford as 'Sky', Lucy Miller as 'Ali', Tanya Robb as 'Lisa', Ben Heathcote as 'Pepper' and Kieran Jae as 'Eddie'. At certain performances the role of 'Donna Sheridan' will be played by Lucy Harris.
CAST MEMBERS OF MAMMA MIA! LAS VEGAS STAR IN "JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA" FOR CHARITY BENEFIT
Musical Director of MAMMA MIA! Las Vegas, Michael Brennen, partnered with Choozie Entertainment to bring "Jerry Springer: The Opera" to Las Vegas. This operatic restaging of the controversial Jerry Springer Show was performed at the Hollywood Theater inside the MGM Grand on March 17 and 18 and all proceeds went to benefit the Las Vegas-based HIV/AIDS charity Golden Rainbow. Joining Brennen in the show were Robin Baxter, Tim Tucker, Elizabeth Share and several other cast members from MAMMA MIA! Las Vegas.
MAMMA MIA! - WHAT A CAST!
The MAMMA MIA! cast presentation at the Colosseum Theater represented the start of the rehearsals for the soon-to-open Essen production of the show - the 3rd production of MAMMA MIA! in Germany. The 34 artists who make up the cast come from ten nations - and all are looking forward to the opening night, which takes place on 6 May, 2007.
