The Windsor High Musical Theatre Department will soon stage “Mama Mia!” a musical stacked with songs from the pop group ABBA.
Performances will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 26-28 and 2 p.m. March 1 at the Windsor High School Performing Arts Auditorium, 949 Windsor Harbor Road, in Imperial. In addition, a sensory-friendly version of the show will be held at 3 p.m. Feb. 28 at the auditorium. Tickets cost $5 each.
The co-directors, Windsor C-1 School District teachers Deanna Michel and Liska Hromnak, said “Mama Mia!” offers broad appeal.
“People should come to see this if they want to hear good music, they want to see good dancing and they want to have lots of fun,” Hromnak said. “It’s just a really fun, upbeat show, a crowd pleaser.”
They said they are fans of “Mama Mia!” and feel they have the right kind of cast to perform it.
“We also thought it would be a good fit for the kids that we knew were interested in doing a musical this year,” Hromnak said. “Definitely, the singing, for sure, and their acting abilities. And, the music is popular.”
Michel said many should recognize ABBA songs such as “Dancing Queen” and the title tune, “Mamma Mia.”
She explained the plot of the musical.
“It’s a musical about a girl who’s getting married, and she does not know who her dad is,” Michel said. “She was raised by her mother, solely, on an island in Greece. She finds an old diary of her mom, which points to three possible men who could be her father. So, she invites all three men to her wedding.
“I would describe it as PG-13.”
Cast member Audrey Clouse, a senior playing Sophie Sheridan, said the performers are enjoying rehearsals.
“The ‘Mamma Mia!’ rehearsals have been an absolute blast,” Clouse said. “There’s been camaraderie between every member of the cast.”
The rest of the main cast includes: seniors Ash Milson and Tim Holt; juniors Victor Pagan-Cruz and Sophia Plesons; sophomores Hailey Marshall, Cora Lamb, Liam Burns and Carlea Coleman; and freshmen Landon Salzman and Easton Deters.
The ensemble cast has: seniors Addyson Burns (the dance captain), Hope Easley, Matthew Muessig, and Shyla Pulliam; juniors Quince Crafton, Chloe Lammert, Joseph Manzella and Brianna Peppers; sophomores Hunter Blackman, Izzy Gabriel and Sophia Spink; and freshmen Lydia Bartholome, Lexxie Haynes, Hayley Jones and Josie Morrison. Jackson Welch, a sophomore, is the stage manager.
Josh Geringer, a district music teacher, is the music director, and Brendan Dierkes, an adult not affiliated with the district, is the pianist.
Tickets may be purchased at the door or online at cur8.com/14941/project/128390.
For more information about the sensory-friendly performance, send emails to dmichel@windsorc1.com.