Bedford High School will present Mamma Mia!, the jukebox musical based on the songs of ABBA, on Wednesday-Saturday, March 16-19, in the high school’s Buckley Auditorium.
Mamma Mia!, which has achieved international acclaim since its debut in 1999, tells the story of Sophie, a bride-to-be trying to determine which of three men is her father.
The play unfolds on a Greek island and is told through ABBA’s chart-topping hits, including “Dancing Queen,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” “Take a Chance on Me,” and the eponymous “Mamma Mia.”
Performances are March 16 at 4:30 p.m., March 17 and 18 at 7 p.m., and March 19 at 1 p.m. (masks required) and 7 p.m. Masks are strongly encouraged for audience members at all performances and required at the Saturday matinee.
Tickets are $14 for adults and $12 for students/seniors and are available through https://bhschorusandtheater.weebly.com/tickets.html. The show is suitable for a PG-13 audience.
“Mamma Mia! has introduced new challenges for us,” said Katrina Faulstich of the performing arts faculty, show director. “The ensemble sings in every song in this show, even if you can’t see them on stage. Our sound crew and volunteers have set up an off-stage singing booth for these numbers and have worked hard to make this happen. It is an exciting adventure into more complicated sound design that our sound crew students have embraced.”
“We have a pit band made up entirely of students and are using click tracks and pre-recorded samples in some songs, which is becoming the industry standard for many contemporary musical theater shows,” she continued. “The students and staff have enjoyed the challenges and are always excited to learn new things!”
For many students, especially seniors, this production offers a “happy ending” after a challenging high school experience altered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This was like my dream show – I have been wanting to do this for my whole life!” said Mary Couvee, a senior playing Donna. “I think it’s a fun show, and it’s important to end on a happy note since this is my last year at Bedford High.”
Many players welcome the opportunity to restore a feeling of normalcy and perform before live audiences again. “Something I love about Mamma Mia! — it lets us ‘let loose,’ said senior Heather Anderson, whose role is Tanya.
“This was important, this year, in particular, with everything that we have experienced. We have had a crazy teenage experience with the pandemic – the last time the seniors did a big production was our freshman year. Going out on a high note with something like this is great — we can kick back and enjoy it.”
Cast members share a love of theater and say they are grateful for the opportunity to share this production with the community. Connor McClung, a BHS junior playing Bill Austin, said, “I started becoming involved in theater the summer before eighth grade. It started by my parents saying, ‘Get out of the house and go do something.’ Now it’s one of the best things I ever did. This is such a great group of people – the highlight of my day is rehearsal after school until six o’clock.”
“We just have a really good relationship with everyone in the cast. Everyone has a common goal, and it drives us to work together. We are all supporting each other – if you are doing it for everyone else, you can really perform at your best,” added senior Molly Goldfarb, who plays Rosie.
While ABBA’s music gained notoriety in the 1970s, its feel-good tracks remain popular. The band has sold more than 400 million albums worldwide. Mamma Mia! has been seen by more than 50 million people, and “ABBA Gold,” released in 1992, spent a record-breaking 1,000 weeks on the British top 100 charts, according to the BBC.
“I listened to mostly music from the ’70’s and’80s growing up and was familiar with ABBA but not as familiar as I am now,” said Anderson. “Doing a disco-based show was almost like coming home for me. It’s such an important genre in our history. It’s so special, such a great opportunity for us.”
Faulstich echoed Anderson’s enthusiasm. “This show is a really fun show with awesome music. It’s been a joy to hear the cast sing this timeless music each week. The Bedford High School musical theater program, like other extracurricular activities, fulfills a vital role for everyone involved and provides a sense of community, camaraderie, belonging, and esprit de corps.”
Other cast members are Nicholas Guetersloh as Sam Carmichael, Ben Couvée as Harry Bright, Katie Noh as Sophie Sheridan, Ethan Washington as Sky, Ellie Mitchell as Ali, Adriana Panagiotou as Lisa, Jacob Choi as Pepper, John Mitchell as Eddie, Hayden McAllister as Father Alexandrios.
Dance captain is Keira Doyle and featured dancers are Choi, Julia Giaquinto, Rachel Gould, Insun Hong, Zoe Kramer, Ellie Mitchell, Jennie Noh, Panagiotou, and Emma Purtell.
Members of the vocal ensemble are Carolyn Crews, Ava Derderian, Cate Galante, Maddie McAllister, and Maddie Mola, featured, and Gabriela Arcelay, Kaylee Axtell, Aashutosh Budhathoki, Helen Canciello, Rachel Davis, Yoana Dimitrova, Toby Dumlao, Kai Etringer, Eve Fombu, Violet Gould, Liam Green, Ariel Grossman, Evan Kelly, Christina Kolak, Henry Lewis, Hayden McAllister, Abby Paul, Francesca Pellegrino, Rayhan Semy, Libby Squire, Mary Stewart, Shannon Sullivan, Quinn Turner, and Norah Watson.
Musicians in the student pit band: Keyboards: Erika Falco, Isabella Fernald, Eric Zhang, Emily Zhu; Bass: Colin O’Toole; Guitars: Matt Salazar, Cameron Zhu; Drumset: Zachary Shen; Percussion: Parker Anderson-LaPorte
And nothing happens without the backstage crew: Stage Managers: Sarah Wirth, Tommy Desjardins; House Managers: Annie Bernstein, Amelia Dyer; Backstage Crew: Caleb Davis, Angela Gu, Alex Mattson, Maya Singh, Healy Weisman, Zach Wirth; Lights: Jackie Cutrona; Sound: Alex Doherty, Peter Benson, Charlie Desjardins, Andrew Lum, Sid Nandankishore, Ryan Rollinson; Makeup & Hair: Ava Hester, Diya Singh; Costumes: Kathrine Surgay, Ava Hester, Diya Singh; Props: Sebi Revesz, Katelynn Sullivan, Kathrine Surgay, Healy Weisman; Set Construction: Caleb Davis, Charlie Desjardins, Tommy Desjardins, Jose Fontanez, Angela Gu, Alex Mattson, Maya Singh, Katelynn Sullivan, Sarah Wirth, Zach Wirth; Set Decor: Annie Bernstein, Jackie Cutrona, Tommy Desjardins, Angela Gu, Sebi Revesz, Maya Singh, Katelynn Sullivan, Kathrine Surgay, Sarah Wirth, and Zach Wirth.
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