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American Stage in the Park is back with 'Mamma Mia!'

 
ALLIE GOULDING   |   Times Jennifer Byrne, Alison Burns and Becca McCoy perform a scene from Mamma Mia! during a rehearsal this month.
ALLIE GOULDING | Times Jennifer Byrne, Alison Burns and Becca McCoy perform a scene from Mamma Mia! during a rehearsal this month.
Published April 9, 2019

ST. PETERSBURG — The recent balmy weather has Tampa Bay feeling like a Mediterranean island. It's especially true at Demens Landing Park, where American Stage in the Park has created the Greek island of Kalokairi for its production of Mamma Mia!

The musical features the songs of Swedish supergroup ABBA, written by the group's male half, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. It debuted on Broadway in 1999, making this the 20th anniversary.

A film version of Mamma Mia! starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried came out in 2008. A second film, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, starring Cher was released last year.

Mamma Mia! was an obvious pick for American Stage's annual park production, which draws major crowds to picnic under the stars and watch live theater. The show opens Friday with a sold-out fundraising gala, which raises tens of thousands for American Stage each year.

American Stage's artistic director Stephanie Gularte directed this production. The popularity of the movies has only done good things for boosting the theater audience, she said.

"I think the movie brings new energy to the musical and made it fresh again," she said. "And now it's ubiquitous among multiple generations."

With a soundtrack featuring hits Dancing Queen, Take a Chance on Me, S.O.S. and the title track, the audience is bound to boogie. And that's exactly the intention.

"The park is a place where big music and a lot of dance works so well because it's such a celebratory experience out here," Gularte said. "We wanted to bring something where people will get up on their feet and be part of it."

The play follows Donna, a hotelier in Greece, as she prepares for her daughter Sophie's wedding. Unbeknownst to Donna, Sophie has invited three men from her mother's past because she thinks one of them could be her father. In her youth, Donna was a free spirit who performed in a girl group called the Dynamos. Her bandmates come for the wedding, as do a number of Sophie's friends and her fiance, Sky.

Gularte was drawn to the solid female relationships in the play. And it was important to her that Donna isn't shamed because she doesn't know who fathered her daughter.

When Shain Stroff first saw the musical years ago, he immediately started planning how he would choreograph it. He incorporated many of the moves that struck him back then into this production, which has a cast of 20. He was excited to be able to use contemporary moves since the play is set in present day.

"This cast is dynamite," he said. "They're some of the best dancers we've had assembled together. The ensemble is really strong and then you factor in the leads, who are also great dancers."

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A five-piece band will play the catchy score. Stroff believes ABBA's combination of pop and rock, with a little bit of swing, is what makes the music so infectious.

If ABBA fans show up to the theater for the first time? Finding new audiences on the fringes is always the goal of American Stage in the Park productions.

"We look for what's going to not only bring audiences that love musicals, but also those who have never stepped foot in a theater," Gularte said. "This can be the gateway that brings people to our mainstage."

Contact Maggie Duffy at mduffy@tampabay.com. Follow @maggiedalexis.

If you go

American Stage in the Park's Mamma Mia! runs through May 12. Thursday night's preview performance is pay what you can or $20 in advance. Friday's opening night gala is sold out. Since this is a park production, you can bring a cooler (but no alcoholic beverages) to have a picnic. You can also purchase food, beer, wine and sodas inside Demens Landing Park. Bring your own folding chair or blanket for seating. $20 general lawn admission, $35-$40 premium blanket seating, $45-$50 reserved chair seating. Bayshore Drive and Second Ave. S, St. Petersburg. (727) 823-1600. americanstage.org.