Mamma Mia! NYC Reviews and Tickets

"The choreography is mostly stuff you could try, accident-free, in your own backyard. And the score consists entirely of songs made famous in the disco era by Abba, music that people seldom admit to having danced to, much less sung in their showers. Yet these elements have been combined, with alchemical magic, into the theatrical equivalent of comfort food."
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"They’re not dancing in the aisles at Mamma Mia! anymore. Shows do fade. The taverna looks flimsy and cramped on the Broadhurst stage. But its real appeal, beyond those songs, has always been its innate sweetness, and that’s a joy."
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"Almost two dozen hits by ABBA form the spine of this worldwide smash, which book writer Catherine Johnson has feebly fleshed out into a mother-daughter comedy-drama. As theater, Mamma Mia! is forgettable. As a delivery system for pop-culture nostalgia, it’s ruthless."
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"I found the score neither unbearable nor something I'd miss if I never heard it again...I would not discourage anyone interested from attending Mamma Mia!. But I wouldn't encourage the doubtful, either."
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"“Mamma Mia!,” which weaves a few threads of romantic comedy around a bumper crop of old Abba tunes, is a thoroughly preposterous show, but it’s also a giddy guilty pleasure...the star of the show is those unnervingly catchy songs, that work happy magic on one’s serotonin levels."
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"The musical based on the songs of Abba, is a silly affair all around, and that's its greatest asset. Feather-light, simple, pure pop, set the tone for the evening and provide the lingering sentiment. And feeling is ultimately all that matters with an enjoyably vacuous show like Mamma Mia!"
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"Mamma Mia! offers one of those nights when you sit back and let a nutty kind of joy just sweep over you. The score is a nostalgic parade of 22 songs from the alphabetically challenged Swedish pop group of the ’70s. And when you get to the coda finale keep your seats, it ain’t over till it’s over, you’ll be so happy you’ll think you’ve just become a grandparent."
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"If you're an ABBA fan, read no further. Just line up at the box office for "Mamma Mia!" Immediately. Since you're already bonded to the material, you will undoubtedly have a wonderful time. If, however, your attachment to ABBA is only tangential or, as in my case, nonexistent, you might want to think twice about it."
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"The show is pleasing as it passes and it certainly features a generous swath of songs that caught the world's fancy during the '70s and '80s. The musical's purveyors didn't necessary spend a lot to make a lot, but make a lot they will. And what's wrong with that? "
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"In terms of theatre, Mamma Mia! has little to offer. The book is paper thin, silly...Still, the legions of ABBA fans who attend Mamma Mia! aren't going to care about much of this. They will doubtlessly have a great time and may well walk away proclaiming Mamma Mia! one of the best shows they've ever seen. Theatregoers expecting a solid, theatrical show will have gotten far less."
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"From the concept alone, it’s clear that this ABBA-mad musical is a piece of fluff, a bit of light fun, and that’s the standard by which it should be judged...I must admit that the big story is perhaps less than the sum of its moments and that the book is awkwardly written and directed."
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"Deep, it's not. There is no subtext. Heck, there's barely any text. The flimsy tale is an excuse to insert ABBA's greatest and not-so-greatest hits into a mock Harlequin Romance (with feminist overtones) set on a small Greek island...Mamma Mia! revels primarily in its own construction, it's manufactured rather than inspired and so is much of what passes for fun in the show."
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"Curtain call prompted probably the most fun I’ve ever had at a Broadway show. Not only did the entire ensemble perform a musical revue of Abba’s greatest hits, but also the audience got to get up and show off their moves and their pipes!"
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"The cast as a whole is uniformly terrific, spot on full of zing, broad smiles and what appears to be true joy...Brescia's all out diva rendition of The 'Winner Takes it All' was a powerful and honest rendition. Brava!"
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"The show isn't merely a collection of strung-together song and dance numbers; it's a show about love: romantic love, young and old; loving friendships; and parental love...When it comes to musical theater, great songs and heart are what draw me back to the theater again and again."
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"Although the lyrics are uniformly insipid and fit the story about as well as those from any 1930s Rodgers & Hart musical (which is just barely), for those of us who grew up with ABBA, there's something thrilling about hearing "S.O.S" and "Take a Chance on Me" blasting from a Broadway stage...mostly this is a big schlocky fun-for-the-whole-family Broadway musical."
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"This musical is feel-good, uplifting, funny and hugely entertaining. If you want a heart warming story (and a huge party) Mamma Mia will blow your mind!"
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"Mamma Mia! is the original jukebox musical, combining beloved ABBA songs with a funny, tender story...The show also famously features a “mega-mix” of reprises at the curtain call, and the audience leaps to its feet to dance along at each performance."
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