Here they go again: Broadway Bound presents ‘Mamma Mia’
The Dynamos of the red cast, Tanya (Ashley Thormahlen), Donna (Grace Parker), and Rosie (Ellie Karris) sing a ballad of classic ABBA songs featured in this fun, heart-felt, up beat show.
With two talent filled casts, Mamma Mia, presented by Broadway Bound at the Summerlin Library Theatre, is fun from start to finish.
With 10 shows and 2 casts performing in a span of 2 weeks, you’ll leave the theatre under the impression you just watched professionals preform the hardcore ABBA classics, which isn’t the case. Broadway Bound is made up of middle school and high school students throughout the Vegas valley, which makes this production that much more impressive.
Throughout the show, amazement and shock flooded my senses as the cast held out and crushed each note of every song. Makenna Bear, high school senior at Faith Lutheran, who played Donna Sheridan in the blue cast, vocally dominated all of the songs she sang as the iconic character. She brought tears to my eyes in both songs “Slipping through my Fingers,” and “The Winner Takes it All.”
Bear also held chemistry with Barrrett Holthus, who played Sam Carmichael in the blue cast. During the song, “SOS,” Bear and Holthus held each others gaze in a longing way that made the song that much more emotional, and even though they were hostel with each other during multiple of their interactions, there is an underlying longing between the two. The chemistry between Josh Rana and Grace Parker, red cast Sam Carmichael and Donna Sheridan, is undeniable. Rana and Parker weren’t afraid to get close and hold each others gaze just a little too long to be just friends.
The trios in both casts playing the famous ‘Donna and the Dynamos’ took different takes on the roles, but with equal amounts of talent. In the blue cast Bear, alongside with Maddy Appleyard (Rosie) and Delaney Sylvester (Tanya), convinced me they were and are life long friends. Both Sylvester and Ashley Thormahlen, who plays Tanya in the red cast, both hit different nuances within their lines and choreography, but were equally sexy and captivating throughout the show, and especially in their song, “Does Your Mother Know.” Appleyard played a Rosie that seemed to have the knowledge of life, but who still knows how to have a party, whereas Ellie Karras, Rosie in the red cast, played Rosie as the crazy “hermit” she claims to be in the 2008 movie.
Katie Fife, Sophie in the red cast, made me believe the role was designed for her. Her reactions and emotion throughout the show kept me engaged the entire time. Fife and her opposite Piper Sher, are equally as impressive vocally, and both held equal chemistry with Sky, played by Daniel Antonino in both casts. In both shows, Antonino, Fife, and Sher, passionately tango during “Lay All Your Love on Me.”
Let’s not forget this casts incredible ensemble, who preform several fast paced dance numbers like, “Money, Money, Money,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Voulez-Vous,” just to name a few. Not only do they preform these crazy intense dance numbers that make me want to hop up on stage with them, but the are consistently singing the harmonies and melodies to every song, throughout the entire show.
The costumes throughout the show are full of bright colors, designs, and make you want to break out your mom’s bellbottoms from the 70’s.
Go dance and sing your heart out with these “Dancing Queens,” with four shows left. Tickets can be purchased at the link below.
Shae is the current Editor-in-chief of the Crusader Chronicle and main anchor woman of the FLNN. Shae is in her sixth year of written journalism reporting...
