SONORA – Sierra Repertory Theatre opens its 2018 season with Mamma Mia!, the international smash-hit musical. ABBA's hits tell the hilarious story of a teen's search for her birth father on a Greek island paradise.
Mamma Mia! is directed and choreographed by Valerie Rachelle, music directed by John C. Brown, and features a cast of SRT favorites and newcomers. Mamma Mia! runs Feb. 10 through April 8 at the East Sonora Theatre. For tickets, call (209) 532-3120 or visit www.SierraRep.org.
Over 54 million people all around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story, and the music that make Mamma Mia! the ultimate feel-good show! This sunny and funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The story-telling magic of ABBA's timeless songs, explosive dance numbers, and non-stop laughs combine to make Mamma Mia! the musical that will leave audiences dancing down the aisle!
“I feel the thing about ABBA is that the music features stories about freedom, conflict, heartbreak, romance, and even sexuality of women in a way that shows strength instead of passivity,” says director Valerie Rachelle. “Mamma Mia! takes the strength the music offers and gives us a lead character that has provided for herself and for her daughter all on her own and has succeeded. I think the message of the musical is that you can love deeply and truly and still be who you are. And possibly, love and be loved deeper because of it.”
Guest Director Valerie Rachelle makes her Sierra Rep directorial debut with Mamma Mia! Rachelle is currently the Artistic Director at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland, Oregon. She has directed and choreographed for theaters around the country including: Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Fresno Grand Opera, Performance Riverside, Lucid By Proxy, Utah Shakespearean Festival, and PCPA Theaterfest. Rachelle has been awarded Best Director by the Scenie Awards in Los Angeles for her productions of Urinetown, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, South Pacific, and The Music Man.
