BWW Review: MAMMA MIA Proves A Super Trouper in Regional Premiere at Riverside Center
The view looks pretty good from a pair of platform shoes. Heck, even on an idyllic, Greek island resort there’s not a moment of stress and strain that can’t be cured by breaking into the hits of Sweden’s number one pop group, ABBA.
Located just south of the metropolitan DMV area (off of I-95), Riverside has grabbed MAMMA MIA! ahead of tons of other professional theatres, so they are rightly boasting a regional premiere for this production, running through March 4. From what I could tell during my visit, audiences are responding favorably and want to get their ABBA fix – along with a Greek-inspired menu that had me shouting “Opa!”
CURTAIN CALLS: Take a chance on ‘Mamma Mia’
One thing is certain about monster successes: they can’t be predicted. The best laid plans can run to naught as easily as an ordinary bright idea can become a shooting star. There’s no formula for it and no accounting for public reactions – which brings me to “Mamma Mia!”
Now playing at the Riverside Center in Fredericksburg, “Mamma Mia’s” stardust reputation has preceded it and is filling the house. Anyone who thinks today’s audiences are too jaded for feel-good rhythms and happy-but-improbable endings is betting on the wrong side.
DCMetroTheaterArts Review: ‘Mamma Mia!’ at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts
Riverside Center for the Performing Arts presents Mamma Mia!, with music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and book by Catherine Johnson, with some songs by Stig Andersson. Riverside Center is the first theater in the metropolitan area to be granted the rights to present this worldwide hit musical, and with their Broadway-quality productions, I couldn’t think of a better-deserved venue to handle its regional debut. Based on the hit songs written by ABBA, this fun-loving production is a must-see for musical lovers.