What is left to say about a show that has been seen by 60 million people in 40 countries and has been translated into 23 languages?

It is possible that the allure of this show comes from its relatability. Mamma Mia! can be seen as a tapestry of many of our lives. Music by nature can emotionally connect us to a certain point in our lives, immersing us in nostalgia and delighting the senses.

Or maybe the appeal is that Mamma Mia! is a show that unapologetically celebrates women…and women of a certain age no less. Women who are funny, feisty and independent, and who are portrayed as real life people making real life choices—and not ones based in a fairy tale.

Or perhaps we as audiences are drawn to Mamma Mia! because it bestows upon us a certain joie de vivre that we experience as we watch. Thanks to the show’s joyfully infectious nature, we leave the theatre uplifted and happy, with a sense that we’ve shared something positive together. And perhaps that is the ultimate appeal…a warm, lingering sense of hope and optimism.

For me, hope wins every time.

Patricia Wilcox, Director/Choreographer