NEWBURYPORT — It’s all about ABBA over at Newburyport High School where students are performing their version of the hit musical “Mamma Mia!”
Last Friday and Saturday, the school’s theater department put on their first two productions of a “jukebox” musical full of songs by the immensely popular Swedish group, which was later turned into two feature films.
Seventy-eight high school students are involved in the production, between the cast, crew and pit orchestra, with their performance on opening night bringing in hundreds of attendees, according to Stephanie Phillips, Newburyport High School’s theatre and dance teacher and the district’s K-12 performing arts curriculum coordinator.
“We had almost 400 people come to opening night, which is unprecedented really. And the kids were electric, it was off the charts, and everyone just seemed to be having a really great time,” she said.
Phillips said the response to the show has been great so far, with many people having requested this production be put on locally for years.
“The reception has been really amazing, and we had hoped that people would come out for this show, because people have been asking us to do it for over a decade, and it’s so fun. And, it’s also a little bit of pop culture for this age group, it’s something that they all love and resonate with. But, I didn’t anticipate the reaction that we’ve gotten so far, it’s pretty awesome,” she said.
Lilly Curtis, a junior who plays Donna Sheridan, said she was happy to see a large number of community members in attendance on opening night.
“It was amazing. I have done all of the productions since I’ve been a freshman, and this is definitely the biggest audience we’ve ever had. So, it just really justifies the work, and the work really paid of with the amount of people that we had come,” she said.
Along with an influx of attendees, the show brought a special opportunity for participating students, Phillips said.
A Newburyport High School mom reached out to Phillips, once she heard that the theatre department was putting on “Mamma Mia!” and offered to introduce the teacher to her sister, Catherine Johnson, who collaborated with ABBA to write the script for the musical and wrote the screenplays for both films.
After corresponding via email, Phillips was able to arrange a Zoom call last week where Johnson interacted with all of the participating students and provided insight into how she created the now-famous musical.
“It was just so cool, the students asked such interesting questions about character motivation and development and inspiration for the show, what it was like to write where the songs and the lyrics are pre-programmed and tying the story together. And, it was awesome,” Phillips said.
Phillips also said this interaction gave her students an opportunity that many theatre professionals have never had.
“I said to the kids, ‘thousands and thousands of, never mind high school students, but professional actors and human beings have performed the show and not very many have gotten to meet her,’. And, I just think that’s so cool,” she said.
One of those students, Milla Baptiste, a junior who plays Rosie, said it was special to be able to chat with Johnson ahead of the first show.
“It was just really great to get to ask her questions about screenwriting and about what she imagined for the show before we recreated it in front of an audience,” she said.
Now, with this unique experience and a successful opening weekend under their belts, students are getting ready to put on a few more performances, with shows scheduled tonight, Friday and Saturday, all at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for the side sections and $15 for the center section, and can be purchased online at https://cur8.com/19839/project/139429
All remaining tickets for each show will be available at the box office 30 minutes prior to curtain.