'Mamma Mia!' returns: How can we resist it?

‘MAMMA MIA!’ (Left to right) Jalynn Steele, Christine Sherrill & Carly Sakolove. Photo: Joan Marcus.

MAMMA MIA!
Music & lyrics by Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus
Some songs with Stig Anderson
Book by Catherine Johnson
Choreography by Anthony Van Laast
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd
Through February 1, 2026
Winter Garden Theatre
https://mammamiabway.com/

By Scott Harrah

Mamma Mia! It’s back—and just as irresistibly corny and infectious as it was when it first opened on Broadway 24 years ago. This is the “jukebox musical” jam-packed with ABBA classics that started the trend in the early aughts. It’s a welcome return and the perfect escape from the troubled reality of 2025.

You know the “jukebox” genre—a musical with a paper-thin plot featuring the mega hits of a super pop group or iconic star woven into a narrative. It’s a formula that audiences love but is rarely praised by critics. Mamma Mia! is the best jukebox hero of all time. It was adapted into a phenomenal film adaptation in 2008 starring Meryl Streep, and a hit sequel was released in 2018. There’s now a third film in the works, so love it or hate it, the songs of ABBA and Mamma Mia! are a lucrative franchise. As long as people love ABBA songs (and who doesn’t it?) and A-listers like Meryl Streep and Cher agree to do cameos, Hollywood can make many more successful sequels.

Here we go again!

This ABBA songfest is back for just six months and if you haven’t seen the show or the film adaptation, here’s the premise in a nutshell. On a Greek island, Donna (Christine Sherrill) lives with her young daughter Sophie (Amy Weaver). Sophie is about to marry her fiancé, Sky (Grant Reynolds). Unbeknownst to Donna, Sophie invites three men to the celebration. Sophie wants to find out which man is her father. Is it Sam Carmichael (Victor Wallace), Bill Austin (Jim Newman) or Harry Bright (Rob Marnell).

Donna invites two old friends and bandmates, Tanya (Jalynn Steele) and Rosie (Carly Sokolove).

What follows is Sophie’s hunt to figure out which one of three men invited is her biological father. She secretly read her mom’s diary to find out all the details. Each potential papa learns that it was Sophie and not Donna who invited them.

Most of the musical centers on Donna, Rosie and Tanya reminiscing about their youth. In addition, the three guys disclose their associations with Donna.

From national tour back to Broadway

Some argue that this Broadway return engagement is essentially the national road tour production mounted at the Winter Garden. They say production designer Mark Thompson’s sets (a white-washed interior and Greek taverna) are not as solid as in the original 2021 production. This is a trivial “flaw” that only hardcore Mamma Mia! aficionados (ones who have sat through umpteen performances) might notice. Go to any long-running Broadway super hit and you can easily nitpick over minutiae (from costumes to sets) and gripe about something that isn’t as glossy or polished as it was 25 or 30 years ago. By the way, the costumes in this 2025 re-engagement, by Mark Thompson and associate costume designer Lucy Gaiger, are the same type of colorful spandex jumpsuits as in the 2001 show. And what glorious costumes they are.

Mamma Mia! is more than just a musical. It’s a feel-good institution. True fans keep coming back for the simple story and the chance to sing along to ABBA standards. My dad has seen the musical on Broadway and on countless road tours across the nation. He watched the movie adaptations dozens of times.

Great cast & song delivery

Director Phyllida Lloyd gets great performances from the latest cast. Standouts include golden-voiced Christine Sherrill as Donna. and Carly Sokolove and Jalynn Steele are both spunky as sidekicks Rosie and Tanya.

Equally top-notch are Amy Weaver as Sophie and all three of the possible fathers. Grant Reynolds shines in particular as Sky.

The show’s band, directed by Will Van Dyke, delivers glorious covers of ABBA golden oldies. Waterloo,” “Super Trouper,” “The Winner Takes It All,” and all the best tracks are here.

Fantastic finale

Warning: You may feel to urge to sing along each time a character breaks out into song. This reviewer especially loved the finale and curtain call. Donna and pals Rosie and Tanya sing medleys of all the Swedish pop group’s hits, from “Dancing Queen” to, of course, “Mamma Mia!” as the cast joins in. When Donna shouts to the audience “do you want to hear more?” and the crowd roars, you might find yourself screaming along with everyone else and singing along. That’s the true beauty behind this show—few musicals can make us forget all our troubles and just immerse ourselves in the gleeful nostalgia of singing ABBA songs amongst thousands of people.

Published August 27, 2025
Reviewed at press performance on August 21, 2025