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MAMMA MIA! presented by Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association
CGOA PRESENTS MAMMA MIA!
Get ready to dance, laugh and sing-along as one of musical theatre’s most tuneful shows comes to the Wy’east Performing Arts Center this March. Mamma Mia has been delighting audiences in London, New York and around the world, and now it comes to the Gorge, in one of the first community theatre productions in the northwest, thanks to the Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association.
Director Mark Steighner explained that “Mamma Mia is a so-called “jukebox musical,” because it strings together ABBA’s most recognizable songs like a greatest hits concert, seamed together with a slightly nonsensical plot that nevertheless contains genuine warmth and relatable characters. It’s easy to overlook plot holes when you’re happily singing along with “Super Trouper” or “Waterloo” and traditional character development can’t compete with the likes of “Dancing Queen.””
With a cast of 30 actors, singers and dancers, Mamma Mia is a large-scale production. “There are dozens of songs, and much more choreography than many musicals. And the ensemble is on stage almost continually.” Susan Sorensen worked with the cast on the dances, assisted by cast members Maza Brady and Lauren Gray. The Mamma Mia cast has been working on the show since December.
Additionally, lighting designer Mark Dane and CGOA have made some significant improvements in the Wy’east PAC’s lighting capabilities. “The only way to add color to the lights involved Mark using a powered lift, as the lighting instruments are inaccessible without it.”
Cast members include Jennifer Hanlon-Wilde, who plays Donna Sheridan, and Michelle Firshing, who plays her daughter, Sophie. Emily Vawter and Lesley Saunders are Donna’s fun-loving friends, and Reuben Betts, Darin Brunstad and David Dye play Donna’s former flames and possible fathers of her daughter. The cast is a mixture of new faces and local theatre veterans and range in age from high school students to mature adults.
Mamma Mia is powered by a live, on-stage band that includes musical director Mark Steighner, Kathy Hannen-Smith and Corin Parker on keyboards, Dennis Castanares on guitar, Paul Thompson on bass and Michael Grodner on drum kit.
Audience members are not only encouraged sing-along, but can come in their favorite ABBA or Mamma Mia inspired costume. The cast is ready to rock the audience’s winter blues away with music that will be sure to get everyone up and dancing.
You can even visit the following restaurants for a pre or post show special offer: 6th Street Bistro, Divots, Grace Su’s China Gorge, 64oz Taphouse, 3 Rivers Grill, Volcanic Bottle Shoppe and Celilo Restaurant. Out of town guests can contact The Hood River Hotel and Westcliff Lodge for their show and stay packages.Date and Time
Friday Mar 15, 2019
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM PDTMarch 15,16,22,23 at 7:30 PM
March 17 at 2 PMLocation
Wy'east Middle School PAC
Hood River, ORFees/Admission
Tickets are $20 adults, $15 for CGOA members, $5 Youth (ages 10-17) and free for kids under 10. Mamma Mia is rated “PG” for some suggestive situations and running time is approximately 2 hours.
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Klickitat County: Experience Your Adventure on the Northshore of the Columbia River Gorge.