Dancing King: CT Native Plays Big Role In 'Mamma Mia!' Farewell Tour

MASHANTUCKET, CT - For Danny Lopez, the road to becoming Dance Captain and Swing for the farewell tour of "Mamma Mia!" was full of hard work and dedication. Yet there was also an element of chance, particularly when it comes to how he got started in theater at a young age.

“The way I got involved in theater, it was pretty accidental," Lopez said. "You hear that you can get bit by the acting bug, and that’s actually what happened for me.”

Lopez grew up in Stamford and attended Westhill High School, where he would accompany his cousin to her theater rehearsals because he had "nothing else to do." Lopez said he would mainly just act as an audience member until one of the kids stopped showing up one day, and he was asked to sit in and read for the part.

"They liked what I was doing and asked me to be part of the production," Lopez said. "It was a musical revue written by the music teacher, so it was not a known production."

Lopez revealed that not only was this his first foray into theater, but also his first real experience dancing. (To sign up for free, local breaking news alerts from more than 100 Connecticut communities click here.)

“When the choreographer started teaching me all the dances, I did not think I was going to pick up on it as quickly as I did," Lopez said. "Ever since then I fell in love with performing, and the rest is history."

Having been with the touring production of "Mamma Mia!" for four years now, he has returned to his home state for a run at Foxwoods Resort Casino from July 7 to 17. Though the production has previously been to Hartford and New Haven, this marks the first time Lopez will actually be performing in Connecticut.

Dance Mind

As Dance Captain, Lopez oversees and maintains the choreography of the production while the show is on the road and the choreographer is not with them. He is also helps run understudy rehearsals, as well as teaching the show to new incoming members that have to join the cast while on the road.

As a Swing however, Lopez does not perform every show. Instead, he (along with three other Swings) are always backstage ready to jump into the action if needed.

“We’re always backstage, ready to go on at the drop of a hat. We’ve had to go on mid-show, we’ve had to go on five minutes before places," Lopez said. "We have to know what those tracks are doing at any given moment throughout the show because of this."

For this particularly challenging role, Lopez said a Swing must be a very good dancer and be quick on their feet. He also stressed the necessity of having what he calls a "swing brain."

"Not everyone has [a swing brain]," Lopez said. "Not everyone can process information that way, so I think they look for that in the audition. They look to see how quickly you pick up choreography, and they look at your resume to see if you have done anything like that before.”

Lopez also noted that this particular role requires more than just dancing chops, but rather a complete package.

“The swings are always backstage," Lopez said. "We will hear the music during the show and be singing different parts of the music, because we have to know all the parts vocally as well. So we are always back there watching the show from the wings or the monitors.”

ABBA In Columbia

Though listening to the same music for four years could make a person go mad, Lopez said he has surprisingly not gotten sick of the production's ABBA soundtrack.

“It’s kind of crazy to me that I have been with the show for this long and can hear the music and not be tired of it," Lopez said. "It still feels fun and it still feels fresh and exciting. Being with the show for four years, I’ve seen multiple people sing the songs. I guess that has kept it kind of fresh for me.”

Despite this, Lopez also pointed out that he and others involved in "Mamma Mia!" have found themselves being stalked by ABBA's music in a sense since joining the production.

“There are times where we are outside the show and we joke about how once you are in "Mamma Mia!" you just can’t escape from it; you just hear ABBA pop up everywhere," Lopez said. “You’ll hear people whistling Abba walking down the road, you’ll hear it in the elevator. People will get wind of us being at a bar or a club and they will start playing Abba for us. So yeah, you hear it everywhere.”

Lopez said the craziest time he remembers running into the show's soundtrack was when the tour was brought to Bogota, Columbia for a month. While there, a group from the show went out to eat dinner atop the mountain Monserrate.

As the group dined and looked out over the city, Lopez said they all began to hear "Super Trouper" fade into their ears.

“We thought it was really funny," Lopez said. "Here we are in Columbia at the top of this mountain and we just happen to hear this ABBA song.”

Taking A Bow

Out of everyone he knew growing up, Lopez said he initially was the most shocked that he took to dance and the performing arts so passionately.

“Growing up, I was very shy and timid," Lopez said. "The thought of going up in front of a big group of people always scared me. Now I can get up in front of thousands of people and it is like nothing.”

He has now made a career out of it, something he encourages others to consider if they have a passion for and (more importantly) a willingness to dedicate themselves to the craft.

“If a career in the arts is something that your really want and it is your passion, go for it," Lopez said. "Keep reaching, keep working hard, do not let anyone tell you that you can’t do it.”

Lopez has found over the years that a career in the arts requires a thick skin. The "Mamma Mia!" Dance Captain heard his fare share of the word "no" over the years, but what he encourages people to take away from his story was that all those rejections were eventually followed by a "yes" that got him to where he is today.

“Don’t let anyone steer you away from following your dreams," Lopez said. “Growing up, I had people that told me I couldn’t sing or dance and so on. I worked really hard to make myself better and perfect that craft as much as possible.”

One of many things that makes all that hard work and dedication worth it: that feeling of hearing thunderous applause at the end of a performance.

“It feels amazing to hear people yelling and clapping [for you]," Lopez said. “When I’m on the stage and I hear those thunderous applause, it just fills me with so much excitement and so much joy.”

Tickets for "Mamma Mia!" at Foxwoods' Fox Theater can be purchased here.

Image via mamamiaontour.com/media