It’s still pretty rare. This year’s Tony Awards champ, “Fun Home,” marked the very first time the trophy for best score had gone to an all-female songwriting duo (Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron). Two of the show’s three lead commercial producers are women (Kristin Caskey and Barbara Whitman), which is also still uncommon on Broadway, where male producers far outnumber women in the game.
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I don't want to say that I'm sad that Mama Mia! is closing, but I must admit that the moment will be bitter sweet. Mama Mia! was the first musical my mother took me to. I honestly wish I had paid more attention to it at the time. As a young middle-schooler, the only thing I could appreciate was the music. Sure, there was an almost all female cast, but that didn't matter to me at the time. Last May I went, once again, to see the touring version of the show with my grandmother. My appreciation for it was strikingly different. I knew then that the strong female leads and production team were uncommon and I couldn't help but notice the strong feminist undertone of the show. Mama Mia! is amazing in the way it portrays relationships. The show highlights the importance of friendship and doesn't focus solely on romance. In fact, the show emphasizes female sexuality and choice in partnerships (refreshing after the overused sock of a plot that most romantic comedies/dramas use). Frankly, this show is inspiring (dare I say) in its casting, production, and plot.
I have to admit that I'm actually really sad that I won't be able to see Mamma Mia! again before it closes. Growing up my parents played the ABBA Gold album so much in the car that I know every word to the album, so this musical has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. I think that sometimes we get caught up in the idea that theatre has to be highly thought provoking, and forget that it also great just to have a good time. I went to go see this show with my mom and grandma when I first moved to the US, and I had an amazing time dancing and singing along with the whole audience during the finale. Now that I think about it more closely it was a mostly female audience, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Mamma Mia! was very successful in targeting this demographic, and will continue to be legendary for that reason. I wasn't previously aware that most of the production team were female, and that only helps to strengthen my love for it. It seems as if there's almost a changing of the guard with Fun Home's opening, as it will to fill the void of female leadership left by Mamma Mia!. I know that this musical will be missed by countless people who grew up with the music of ABBA, or who just love fun theatre.
FINALLY! This show was an eye sore every time you walk out of the 50th street station. That being said this article did point out the importance of this show and its success. I never thought about the feminist perspective of this production. The producer back then even said that she just wanted to get the show off the ground, and the men they thought they needed were saying “no” so I suppose she didn’t either for a bit. The show does allow for a woman to have the same exciting story that a lot of men have in these shows which I do think is cool. As more and more Disney movies are becoming Broadway shows I feel like there is not enough main stream theater really pushing the envelope and being seen. So even though I don’t like this show I hope that more shows showcasing the talent of women shine.
I have always loved Mamma Mia! for its fun story and catchy, ABBA music. The fact that it promotes feminism makes me like it even more, even though it is closing. There needs to be a stronger female presence in the top tiers of the theatre world. As the article mentions, this issue is getting better, especially with the recent tony win of the musical Fun Home. I love the way that both shows promote women in roles not stereotypically given to them; as people who have real issues and romantic relationships. Though one Mamma Mia! is closing, Fun Home is still there to be a model for feminism. Hopefully, both of these shows successes will open the way for more plays and musicals made and centered around women. I also love how Mamma Mia! gave roles for people of a variety of ages, not just the young 20 something. Actors are still talented no matter how old they are, and casting actors to play their actual age just makes this show better.
While I am certainly not Mamma Mia's biggest fan, it was interesting to see how the article pointed out the importance of the show's success. As any close friend of mine can confirm, I was constantly questioning how a jukebox musical was able to run on Broadway for over a decade when so many other gorgeous shows close within months. However, the article did a very good job of explaining how Mamma Mia affected musical theatre and how strongly female-centric the show really is.
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