This past weekend, the Adams Theater Department put on its highly anticipated production of Mamma Mia. The cast and crew worked tirelessly for over four months to put on energetic and high-quality performances. Their dedication was showcased in the four shows they performed from April 13-16.

The show began with the main characters Sophie Sheridan (Riley Crabtree) and her mother Donna Sheridan (Alli Komjathy), preparing for Sophie’s wedding. Before the festivities began, Sophie found her mother’s diary from 1979 while she was pregnant with Sophie. In the diary, Donna discussed three potential fathers of Sophie, which made her determined to figure out which of them was her real father. The three men included Sam Carmichael (Alex Huston), Bill Austin (Andre Creson), and Harry Bright (Logan Olszewski), to whom Sophie sent out wedding invitations.

In anticipation of the wedding, a number of other characters were also introduced: Including Sky (Mikey Flannery), Sophie’s fiance, Ali (Marrin McAnelly) and Lisa (Francesca Zobrist), Sophie’s best friends, and Rosie (Hannah Barrett) and Tanya (Greta Hugen), Donna’s best friends. Throughout the show, each character anxiously prepared for the wedding while also trying to solve the big mystery: Who was Sophie’s real father? 

The actors embodied their characters and told a story for the audience through upbeat musical numbers and enthusiastic choreography. The cast worked diligently to put on a lively performance that had the audience excited to watch. 

Barrett has been a member of Adams Theater for two years, and this was her first time playing a leading role at Adams High School. Despite aspects of the process being challenging, the journey up to production was ultimately positive and exciting for the members of the department. 

“I love Mamma Mia so much, so it has been such a great time. Even on the tough rehearsal days, the cast is such an amazing community and makes everyone feel happy and loved. We all really bonded together over the show, and it turned out to be one of the greatest we have ever done. I think it’s wonderful,” said Barrett.

The production further showcased the connections between the members of the department. For senior Greta Hugen, the time she spent with her friends during Mamma Mia was a bittersweet ending to her time in Adams Theater.

“I am definitely going to miss the people and getting to hang out with my friends every day. I have made so many new friends through theater. It’s become this little community that I get to go to every day. I am going to miss that bond that we all have, and experiencing something that no one else gets to experience unless you have been involved,” said Hugen. 

For the cast members of Mamma Mia, their time in the production, while not always easy, was an overall positive and joyful experience, and it was just as evident that everyone who was a part of the production worked hard to make Mamma Mia an amazing show.