
Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley
Mamma Mia! – 3 Stars (Good)
Every now and then a movie comes along that makes no pretense of featuring great acting, singing, directing and writing, but seeks to be only what it is—just plain fun! The most recent of these rare movies is “Mamma Mia!”, released in 2008.
Based on Abba’s hit single of the same name, Mamma Mia! first opened as a musical at the Prince Edward Theatre in London in 1999. The original Broadway production opened in 2001 at the Winter Garden Theater in New York, and has run for more than 3,100 performances through April of this year. It has now toured in more than 140 cities in America.
Mamma Mia! was nominated for Best Musical and Best Musical Score at the 2002 Tony Awards. The director of the original Broadway play, Phyllida Lloyd, is also the director of the movie. The musical book and screenplay are both by Catherine Johnson.
According to Variety, Producer Judy Craymer and writer Catherine Johnson “were broke when they first tried to put the show together . . . and now are two of the wealthiest women in England.”
That would be because Mamma Mia! set a new mark for the biggest weekend premiere ever for a movie musical–+ million. It also became the highest grossing film of all time in the United Kingdom, and would go on to become the highest grossing musical film worldwide, generating 0+ million with a production budget of million.