'Mamma Mia!' mixes endless laughs with ABBA hits at Benedum

After 25 years, “Mamma Mia!” still has audiences dancing in their seats to the timeless tunes of pop group ABBA. The 25th anniversary tour’s Pittsburgh engagement, presented by the Cultural Trust as a season special part of the PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series, opened Tuesday night at the Benedum Center.

The jukebox musical is made up of well-known existing songs by the 1970s Swedish pop group. It originally premiered in 1999 in London’s West End, then on Broadway in 2001, where it ran for 14 years. The show was also adapted into a film starring Meryl Streep in 2008, which was a worldwide hit and spawned a 2018 sequel film. It’s not hard to see why ABBA’s catchy tunes and “Mamma Mia!” have stood the test of time.

The plot is just as much fun as the songs. Set on a fictional Greek island, the show begins three months before a wedding. Sophie Sheridan (Alisa Melendez) is about to marry Sky (Grant Reynolds). She’s the daughter of Donna Sheridan (Christine Sherrill), the proprietor of a taverna on the island, but she doesn’t know who her father is. After finding and reading an old diary of her mother’s, she discovers that three men are possibilities, so she invites all of them to her wedding. When all three show up on the eve of the nuptials, Donna is forced to confront her past — and Sophie, her future.

The audience was ushered onto a two-and-a-half-hour vacation full of laughs, dancing, familiar music and bright colors. The set felt like a sun-warm sandcastle against a backdrop of vivid blues, purples and indigos. Almost every scene was brimming with laughs, and there were happy endings for all.

One of the most heartwarming and relatable aspects of “Mamma Mia!” is its portrayal of different relationships. Donna and Sophie have longstanding, close-knit groups of female friends who guide them — and tease them — through difficult times. The mother-daughter bond between the characters is close, but not without conflict. And romantic involvements between other characters, from brief flings to decades-long flames, get their time in the spotlight, and in song.

Sherrill, as Donna, lent her lush vocals to many hit songs like “Money Money Money,” “SOS” and the musical’s title track. But the standout moment of her performance came when she let loose a chills-inducing rendition of “The Winner Takes It All” in the second act. For a show mostly full of sunshine and laughter, Sherrill hit the harder emotional beats beautifully.

As Sophie, Melendez shone in moments of sincerity. She was endlessly charming — acting and singing — and she deftly displayed emotions from delight to anxiety with her voice. Together with Richards, who plays her fiance, Sky, they made a pair worth rooting for.

The supporting cast members, and the jokes they got to deliver, are where “Mamma Mia!” truly excelled. Donna’s friends (and ex-bandmates in singing group Donna and the Dynamos), Rosie (Carly Sakolove) and Tanya (Jalynn Steele), served up every clever line throughout with expert timing, and were even more masterful in their many moments of physical comedy. The three potential fathers, Sam Carmichael (Victor Wallace), Harry Bright (Rob Marnell) and Bill Austin (Jim Newman), each had their share of laughs and heartfelt moments. Another standout was Patrick Park, playing the role of Pepper, the young man who works for Donna. His interactions with Steele’s Tanya were a highlight of the entire performance.

Of course, “Mamma Mia!” wouldn’t exist without the music of ABBA. The book of the musical, written by Catherine Johnson, is built around the songs themselves. There are more than 20 songs by the group sprinkled throughout, including “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight,” “Voulez-Vous,” “Super Trouper” and “Take a Chance On Me.” During curtain call, the audience danced in front of their seats as the company rocked out to “Mamma Mia” and “Dancing Queen,” finishing off with a high-energy rendition of “Waterloo” that had the crowd cheering like fans at a stadium concert.

The production design by Mark Thompson was vibrant. The lighting design, by Howard Harrison, mixed bold colors with sunshiny brightness that evoked an island paradise. Costumes, from blousy tops and peasant skirts to light-colored suits and sundresses, completed the dreamy immersion.

Anthony Van Laast’s choreography brought pivotal moments of the show to life, especially the performances by Donna and the Dynamos and the party scene that accompanies “Voulez-Vous,” which closes the show’s first act.

All in all, “Mamma Mia!” is a glittery, candy-colored getaway packed with powerful pop hits and pitch-perfect comedic performances. Just try not to sing along too loudly.

“Mamma Mia!” will run through Sunday at the Benedum Center in Downtown Pittsburgh. For tickets, visit trustarts.org, call 412-456-4800 or visit the Theater Square box office at 655 Penn Ave.