Mamma Mia!: PPAC

Mamma Mia!

The tone was set at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) Tuesday when the Mighty Wurlitzer rose stage right to treat early arrivals to a mini concert even before the anticipated Abba tunes filled the air.

The 25^th anniversary tour of the Broadway musical “Mamma Mia!” followed, bringing a light-hearted love story crafted around the 1970s Swedish band’s hits.

“The Winner Takes It All,” “Dancing Queen,” “Slipping Through My Fingers” and “Take a Chance on Me” drive the plot as a 20-year-old girl and her mother prepare for her wedding on a Greek island.

Mother, Donna, raised the girl alone, not knowing which of three summer flings 21 years earlier left her pregnant. Sophie, the daughter, however, finds Donna’s diary and, after reading about the three, invites them to her wedding to determine which is her father.

The men arrive, as do Donna’s friends and former bandmates, causing layers of deception that spark all sorts of comical antics.

“Mamma Mia!” is a hit based on its music alone and was popularized in a 2018 movie starring Meryl Streep as Donna. The anniversary production brings all the necessary energy and talent with the return of Christine Sherrill, who played Donna in the Las Vegas residency, and Victor Wallace, who played one beau, Sam, on Broadway. Their voices are clear and powerful and their numbers – particularly Wallace with “SOS” – are mesmerizing.

Perhaps the greatest treat of this “Mamma Mia!” however is Anthony Van Laast’s choreography. He incorporates large parts – if not all – of the cast – into elaborately blocked routines that are bright, fun and executed with delightful precision. For one scene, young men dance and kick in swim flippers and day-glo vests and gloves add lush dimension to another scene. To end the first act, Van Laast’s creative footwork has the cast rocking the house through “Voulez Vous.”

The two-hour production has few flaws and one can easily overlook an inconsistent British accent in one dad candidate in favor of the beautiful promise of newcomer Amy Weaver as Sophie. Her vocals on “Name of the Game” are captivating.

“Mamma Mia!” is a delightful show, a true spirit boost and a dance party that lingers well after the encore. It is playing at PPAC through Nov. 17. For tickets, go to www.ppacri.org.