MAMMA MIA! in Manila!

     From January 24 to February 19, 2012, the global entertainment phenomenon "Mamma Mia!" performed at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Manila.  I was among the excited audience on their third performance and Gala night in the country which turned out to be quite a cool experience.

I was wearing all black that night with my South Park tie as an accent.

     Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson based on the classic songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band (info taken from Wikipedia).  Tagged as "the world's number 1 show," indeed since the first performance night in London on March 23, 1999 up to the present, each night of performance delivers its promise of unforgettable and fun night for the audience.

At the CCP lobby a few minutes before the show...

The Fun Night

     When I queued at the entrance of CCP on the night of January 26, 2012, I was taken aback by the multitude of celebrities and public figures that graced the event.  The Gala night was attended by high profile personalities like Imelda Marcos, Eugene Lopez III, Charo Santos and stars such as KC Concepcion, Kathryn Bernardo, Diether Ocampo and Agot Isidro were also present.  The event was also attended by international artists Lea Salonga and Journey's Arnel Pineda.  Also spotted were Jed Madela, Borgy Manotoc, Georgina Wilson, Tim yap, Daphne Oseña, Imee Marcos and the fashionably colorful Tessa Prieto-Valdez.  Models, reporters and extremely well dressed and good looking people seem to be abundant that night.  LOL!  The show promptly started at 8:00PM (yes, I made it on time!) but got a bit surprised when late comers were ushered to their seats even two songs later after the musical started.  Mmm!


The Musical

     Catherine Johnson's masterpiece is set on a Greek island paradise of Calicos and tells the story of Donna (played by Sara Poyzer), her soon-to-be-married daughter Sophie (Charlotte Wakefield) and three men from her past -- Sam (Richard Standing), Harry (Matthew Lloyd Davies), and Bill (Charles Daish).  After reading some entry from Donna's diary, Sophie found out about her mother's intimate involvement with these three men.  The adventure begins when Sophie secretly invited them to her wedding on her mother's behalf in the hope of finding who her true father is.  This enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship is made even more memorable with the story telling through Abba's timeless classic hits.

A scene on Act I, Sophie while reading her mom's diary with her two friends
Ali and Lisa.*

Sophie with the three men in her mother's life.  Who among these
three is her father?*

My Opinion

     I personally had more fun on the first half of the show.  It was more alive, more upbeat and surprisingly, I seem to know most of the songs.  Some of my favorites on Act I includes 'Thank You for the Music', 'Super Trouper' and 'Voulez-Vous'.  Act II became a bit more dramatic, and most of the songs were unfamiliar except for 'Take A Chance on Me' which was one of the most hilarious parts of the musical.  The singing was great, and the three ladies - Donna and her two best friends Tanya (Kate Graham) and Rosie (Jennie Dale) - were definitely the stars of the whole musical.  My favorite character is Tanya, she's just too cool, too smart and she's fantastic.  I think Kate Graham played her role effortlessly.  Aside from the seamless singing, I like the way they interjected humor all throughout.  As a whole, even those who aren't die-hard Abba fans can enjoy Mamma Mia! and their music. 

In full costume, with their witty lines and awesome voices,
these ladies brought down the house.*

     By the way, thank you Madam Neriz Gabelo for the invite and thanks to Mark Gutierrez for the great tickets!  See you guys on my next post and thanks for reading!

*Last three photos courtesy of Mamma Mia! Official Website.

tags: Mamma Mia! Gala night performance in the Philippines, Filipino celebrities who watched Mamma Mia! in the Philippines on January 2012