Because of my mad ABBA love, CL Events Editor Leilani Polk helped me procure free tickets to last night’s opening of Mamma Mia! at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.
I was duly excited to hear the classics I’d grown to love both as a child and in my adulthood via the stellar CD ABBA Gold: “S.O.S.,” “Dancing Queen,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” “The Winner Takes It All” and on and on. And going in with those expectations turned out to be to my advantage, because as drama, Mamma Mia! doesn’t work. But going to Mamma Mia! for anything other than the songs is missing the point.
This article appears in Aug 20-26, 2008.