Sunset’s ‘Mamma mia!” delights with music, dance, comedy

By MARILYN JOZWIK

Published Oct. 14, 2019

“Mamma Mia!” is making the community theater rounds and it’s little wonder every group wants to get its hands on it. With its hummable, danceable ABBA tunes and delightful story of love and friendship on a romantic Greek isle, the show simply can’t help but entertain an audience.

And Sunset Playhouse’s fall offering, directed by Nate Groonwald, certainly has all the elements in place for a joyous afternoon or evening at the theater – an experienced five-piece orchestra, some seasoned local performers and the usual talented crew Sunset provides.

Yet, the performance we saw got off to a rocky start as the show’s star Sophie (Hope Riesterer) endured sound issues that left the lovely opening “I Have a Dream” hard to hear as she entered from the second floor of her mother’s taverna and moved down the stairs. The glitch continued through several scenes.

Thankfully, those early bugs were eradicated before the act was over and the show got on track, building up steam, chugging through those dance tunes like “Mamma Mia,” “Dancing Queen,” and “Super Trouper” with gusto.

The story centers around Donna (Laura Monagle), who visited the Greek isle and never left. She has built and run a small inn in the idyllic setting. Joining Donna is her daughter, Sophie, who is getting married the next day to Sky (Jacob Cesar). Sophie doesn’t know who her father is, but finds some clues in her mother’s diary, which she’s discovered. Unfortunately, it looks like her father could be one of three men who visited the island and romanced Donna around nine months before Sophie was born. Hoping to uncover her past, Sophie invites all three men to her wedding, creating a whole series of confusions for Donna, her staff, and guests, including Donna’s long-ago band mates and best friends Tanya (Cassandra Novell) and Rosie (Tamara Martinsek), who’ve been invited to the wedding.

Monagle is wonderful as the feisty single mom, running the business herself with the help of her daughter. She has a boatload of music to sing and emotional ranges to navigate, plus comic moments, which she easily handles.

I loved the way Sophie’s friends Allie and Lisa (Ella Folkerts and Rachel Bednarowski), as well as Tanya and Rosie, came running up the theater aisle, screaming in excitement at meeting friends. It was a nice way to extend the moment.

Riesterer is a lovely Sophie with an equally lovely singing voice. When she was finally at full sound, Riesterer delivered flawlessly in “The Name of the Game.”

While the show seems to catapult from tune to tune, there is a quiet pause for the wonderful “Slipping Through My Fingers” scene in which mother and daughter come together before Sophie’s wedding, demonstrating both Monagle’s and Riesterer’s abilities to create emotional harmony.

Sophie’s three “dads,” played by Stephen Pfisterer, Karl Miller (with a convincing British accent and demeanor) and Scott Kopischke, were great choices, each creating his own distinct character and adding good vocals. Pfisterer as Sam sang a gorgeous “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” followed by Miller’s charming “Our Last Summer” in a segment during which the show turned reflective.

Donna’s friends Tanya and Rosie added plenty of humor. The three display their chemistry in the cute “Chiquitita” scene in which Donna’s friends playfully comfort her when she faces meeting three ex-lovers, but the three were just a tick out of sync on some of the dance moves. Novell’s Tanya had the right sassy, cynical edge with a tinge of bitterness for her thrice-married character, but I thought her portrayal could’ve been a little less tough and a little more cougarish.  Martinsek and Kopischke take off on a cute, lively romp in “Take a Chance on Me.”

Music director Mark Mrozek kept the orchestra moving with a bright sound, capturing faithfully all the familiar ABBA tunes.

The young ensemble, led by Clayton Robert Irwin’s explosive dance moves as Pepper, maintained the high energy moves of choreographer and assistant director Ashley Patin all night. The Friday night crowd especially enjoyed the guys flipper dance in “Lay All Your Love on Me.”

The show generated plenty of laughs, but perhaps the funniest part of this Friday night performance was when Sophie and her fiancé Sky first kiss, eliciting a loud “eww” from a young audience member.

While it didn’t have the boffo start I was hoping for, Sunset’s “Mamma Mia!” certainly hit the mark in delivering all the joy of this ultimate feel-good show.

If you go

Who: Sunset Playhouse

What: “Mamma Mia!”

When: Through Nov. 3

Where: 800 Elm Grove Road, Elm Grove

Tickets/Info: 262-782-4430; sunsetplayhouse.com