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In memorization the actors have to feel it and have that motivation to do it. Without motivation, a year of memorizing the lines wouldn’t work. The actors also have to feel and imagine portraying the character like how to say it and why say it. With these two questions the script will get interesting and as the actors read it the flashback and imagery will kick in and help them remember. The same way this works with characterization. Even if no one told the actors how their characters look like by reading the script. Everything from where do they live, who are their friends and how are they like is explained in the script. I have observed the blocking in the performance and since it is set like a movie, when characters are acting or dancing, there is some blocking. Although, it is not blocking towards other characters instead, it is blocking in a way they are showing their back to the audience. Most scenes the characters perform center stage or scattered. The spotlight also makes the audience focus on that certain character instead of the other characters on stage. This usually happens on the singing scenes where one character is singing and another is just standing. The vocal work in the performance was amazing. The actors’ voices were crystal clear and pristine. The actors projected their voices loudly that every single person in that theater could hear it clearly. They also did a magnificent job in changing the sound of their voice though every expression made even when they are singing a song. It was articulated very well that when they talk or sing a song since I sat in a quite far row, I couldn’t really see their faces in high definition but I could hear their expressions in high definition. The movement of the characters went really well. They knew exactly where to move in dances, songs and normal acting. The movement composition was choreographed to perfection. The movement done showed exactly what a person in realty would actually do.
Sophie: Sophie Sheridan is the daughter of Donna
Sheridan. She is very nosey, curious, a troublemaker who has a kind, friendly
and cute personality. She is nosey in a way the stole her mother’s diary and
invited three men who she does not even know to her wedding. She is very
curious in finding her father so she investigates and talks with each man to
see which one is potentially her father. Inviting three men to her wedding
causes a lot of trouble to her mother and the entire wedding plan. Apart from
the negatives Sophie loves her family and all the hard work everyone has done
for her wedding.
Donna: Donna Sheridan is the mother of Sophie
Sheridan and recently married to Sam Carmichael. She is a lot like her
daughter. She is also very curious, a troublemaker and a hard working mother
who is stressed, in a dilemma and at the same time fun and cool. Donna has been
forgetting her history with the three men before for that reason, when Sophie
invited the three men she got shocked and she expressed her sadness by singing
a song with her best friends and all the women on the island.
Sam: Sam Carmichael is an American-Irish architect who
recently married Donna and now is the stepfather and possible father of Sophie.
Sam is a very laid-back person who is passionate, romantic and sweet. Even
though he cannot assure that Sophie is his biological daughter, he still shows
compassion and care towards her. Throughout the performance Sam realizes that
he still loves Donna and proposed to her at Sophie’s wedding.
Bill: Bill Austin is a Swedish traveller and writer
who shows affection to Rosie and is a possible father to Sophie. He is similar
to Sam in a way that both of them are laid back. Bill is curious, adventurous
and caring. Bill dresses the simplest among the three men and he also seen to
be quite romantic as seen towards Rosie.
Harry: Harry Bright is an English banker, a football
fan, a possible father to Sophie and he recently turned gay. Harry is
spontaneous. He likes an adventure and just goes with the flow. He shows care
for Sophie and Donna also concern and great advices. Harry still shows his love
for Sophie and Donna although he is not sure that it is the path he wants to
take so instead he fell in love with one of the employees in Donna’s villa and
turned gay.
Sky: Sky is Sophie’s fiancée who decided to cancel
the wedding due to their world tour. Sky is very laid-back, handsome, caring,
romantic and passionate. His group pulls sky away a lot from Sophie. Sky does
not really want to get married to Sophie right away; he always wanted to see
the world with Sophie instead. Sky is also not too fond of the idea that Sophie
invited her three possible fathers.
Rosie: Rosie Mullligan is one of Donna’s best
friends. She used to be in the same band as Donna and Tanya. She is unmarried,
wealthy author and currently attracted to Bill. Rosie is sort of sarcastic,
very fun loving, hilarious and cool.
Tanya: Tanya is a wealthy three-time divorcee who is
Donna and Rosie’s best friends since the band. She is sarcastic, flamboyant,
classy, proper, respectful and talented.
My favorite character is
Rosie, Rosie Mulligan. She is my favorite character because you can easily
relate to her character. She is sarcastic, fun loving, carefree, wealthy and
cool. This is a rare thing to find from a middle-aged woman. I can relate to
her character because I am mostly sarcastic, carefree and fun loving. My
friends that I hang out and connect most with also have these characteristics
in them therefore, if she makes jokes or acts on stage it is very relatable and
as watching the performance and comment, “True”.
Sophie has three invitations
in her hand. She places each invitation in the post box while saying the names
of the three men, which are, “Sam Carmichael, Bill Austin and Harry Bright”.
That morning, Sophie’s two best friends Ali and Lisa arrived right in time in
the island for her wedding. Sophie explained to them how she stole her mother’s
diary during the time she was pregnant and invited three of her possible fathers
to her wedding. She reads along and tells the story about meeting each man by
singing “Honey, Honey” along with her best friends. Not long after that, Tanya
and Rosie who are Donna’s two best friends arrive on the island for Sophie’s
wedding. Donna, Rosie and Tanya reunited by talking about their life and the
situation on Donna’s island by singing the song “Money, Money, Money”. While
Donna, Tanya and Rosie talked even more, Sam, Bill and Harry arrived in the
island meeting Sophie. Sophie eventually told them that she sent the letters
out not her mother and sent them into the goat house for a temporary rest area.
Donna walked to the goat house and caught them hiding. She talked for a while
and was shocked that they were on they island. She cried back to her room where
Rosie and Tanya comforted her singing “Chiquitita”. Rosie and Tanya decided to
cheer her up and started singing “Dancing Queen” to release her sorrow along
with the all women in the island. With many challenges of finding her father,
finally the day of the wedding has arrived. Sophie decided that her mother
should help her get ready instead of her best friends. Donna did her make up
and flashed back to memories before by singing “Slipping to my fingers” and
Sophie also requested Donna to give her a way in the wedding. Sam and Donna
sing to each other and they realize that they still love each other in “The
Winner Takes It All”. Sophie confesses that she sent the invitations and it
turns out that Donna does not even know which man is her father. So Sam, Bill
and Harry decided to be 1/3 of Sophie’s father in saying her marriage vows.
Before they could start, Sophie decided that she should just do what Sky
desires, travel the world. Sam does not want the wedding to go to waste and
sees a chance in winning Donna back. Sam proposes to Donna that very moment and
as expected Donna said yes. Sophie and Sky are ready and saying goodbyes to
travel the world.
Yes I met the challenge. To
attain my goal and get a good score the standards are high. In a performance
like Mamma Mia casting the characters require a high level and exquisite acting
skills. Theater is only a one take film so it is much more challenging and you
need to commit to act like them.
I am satisfied with the
costume, props, lighting and sound. The setting was genius the way jut two
simple blocks can change to the perfect setting. Although the little
decorations such as the tree does not really look satisfying. I felt that the
tree looked like it was floating in the air. The costume fits every scene it is
exactly like what was imagined. For example when Donna, Tanya and Rosie were
singing their old songs, they used their old costume with high platform shoes
and a jumpsuit. The props on stage such as the bed and the chairs along with
the props in the church really match each scene. The lighting was spot on. The
way the spotlight shines on a particular person when singing to focus on that
person was great. Also in the ending where everyone stands up and sings along
the lighting was astonishing. The sounds of each character’s voice were so
easily heard and pristine. Even though we sat quite far from the stage and
couldn’t really see their expressions, their voices were crystal clear.
The important elements of drama in the performance were prominently the characters and the plot. The characters explain everything about the performance with their lines, their costumes and their actions. They propel the audience’s emotions from happy to sad and from depressed to speechless. This lets the audience understand the character’s emotions and fell them too. The plot is another crucial element in the performance. The story has a couple of plot twists and it makes the audience think why? It is also an addicting story that once we watch we will want to watch it again and get to know more.
If I had a chance to create
a similar performance I would change the fact that Sophie does not know her
father. I would want to add in a scene where they actually find out her father
instead of leaving it a mystery. Because I am still curious who is Sophie’s
father ever since I watched the film adaptation of Mamma Mia!
By sitting as an audience, I
learned that to create an amazing performance like Mamma Mia, a catchy plot and
detailed characters is needed. These two elements are what trigger the
performance making it very successful. If the characters were ordinary and the
plot was not detailed and catchy, the performance would not be that superb.
Yes I did. Mamma Mia is a
romantic comedy musical with a touch of family in it. This genre is one of my favorite genres of
all time so I find it very exciting; Since it is a mix of a couple of genres it
attracts even more audience. Audience who love romance or comedy, a musical and
families can enjoy this performance.
The actor-audience
relationship was really great because as an audience I can feel the characters.
I would rate this performance a 9 out of 10. In most scenes they connect with
the audience but in some they do not. In most of the scenes I actually sing
along to the songs that way I feel that the actors connect in a way. Also in
the ending, the actors let us stand up dance and sing along which felt like a
bond between each other.
I have learned that for this
musical form I need to improve my acting, singing and enthusiasm on stage. If I
ever want to enter Broadway, I need to improve in these skills physically and
emotionally. Theater is not like film; in a film if something is done the wrong
way you can re do it. In theater there is one take, if it goes wrong, improv is
required to cover the tracks. I also need to be more convincing so the audience
will have connection in my acting.
written by Maria Anindita Chandra
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