Review: 'Mamma Mia' at Curtain Call

Pictured above: Gillian Holt Bailey as Tanya, Juliette Koch as Donna and Tracey Marble as Rosie in MAMMA MIA at Curtain Call Photo courtesy of Curtain Call

Dedicated to Luke Garrison, a wonderful son who is never forgotten

Stamford, CT - Curtain Call and Mackenzie Bar & Grill opened their 28th season with a sun-drenched production of MAMMA MIA on Sept. 14 and I felt blessed to attend a surprisingly well-attended performance on Thursday evening. This wonderfully fun musical runs through October 13 and I certainly recommend a trip to Stamford if you love the music of ABBA.

Curtain Call, which bills itself as a theatre community, was a new venue for me and I was impressed with much of what I saw of this local theatre in Stamford. I certainly was not aware that the theatre company is Stamford’s longest-running and only year ’round, nonprofit producing theatre company; it offers 10 to 12 (or more) full-scale productions each year in their two venues: The Kweskin Theatre, which is the 184-seat traditional auditorium where my hour-long commute brought me, as well as The Dressing Room Theatre, a 100-seat cabaret-style, 3/4 thrust stage venue. Located on a golf course, a la Musicals at Richter, there was plenty of parking and by the time the show was over, the golf cart traffic had subsided.

Curtain Call is professionally managed but is primarily a volunteer organization. It is the proud recipient of The Governor’s Award for Excellence in Culture & Tourism, an ACE Award from the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County, and has been named the area’s Best Local Theatre 10 years in a row. This impressive pedigree and the fact that community theatre maven Juliette Koch was starring in the role of Donna, well, how could I miss this production of one of the most fun musicals around.

Tom Coppola served as the director of all the ABBA classics woven together with a fluffy story about a young bride who invites three possible fathers to her wedding in Greece. The director made every member in the cast shine, without exception, and it was a pleasure to watch. I loved the staging of “Money, Money, Money” that featured perfectly timed head turns. Musical Director Peter Randazzo, the stalwart musical director for the mighty Amity HS, took on the numerous musical numbers with a clear focus and conducted the small band behind the stage while playing keyboard. It was a treat for me to see him directing adults and not leading the massive orchestra of high school students that he does for every musical that I have attended at Amity.

The show opened after the overture with the character of Sophie Sheridan in the prologue of “I Have a Dream.” This can be a make or break moment for the show if the actor playing Sophie isn’t pitch perfect, but from her first note Claire Kenney proved herself to be on her way to a true triple threat performance. Ms. Kenney, who is a board member of The Lipstick Project, has tackled many roles on this stage, and this one suited her perfectly. Savannah Belle Miller as her sidekick Ali and Rebecca Borowik as sidekick/bridesmaid Lisa were just a glowing.

Ms. Koch told me that adores the role of the feisty Donna and it showed. She nailed the complexity of a mature single mother who is having a hard time watching her daughter grow up and, in fact, is “Slipping Through My Fingers.” Knowing that this wonderful lady is the mother of eight and grandmother to one made this my favorite of her numbers.

Then there are Donna’ sidekicks/back up singers Tanya and Rosie. Here they are played by Gillian Holt Bailey (AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY and BLITHE SPIRIT at Two Planks) as the statuesque multi-married Tanya and the indomitable Tracey Marble, who is on the Voice Faculty at The Hartt School, as Rosie.

Robert Thomas Halliwell, who I have often seen at Two Planks in Monroe (NEXT TO NORMAL, GYPSY) played the handsome fiancee of Sophie named Sky. His sidekicks included Will Armstrong as Pepper and Tyler Small as Eddie.

Typical isn't it? You wait 20 years for a dad and then three come along at once. - Rosie

The trio possible dads were played convincingly by Robert Geils as the dapper Harry Bright, John Royce as Bill Austin and Fred Rueck (FROST NIXON at TBTA) in the role of Sam Carmichael in his Curtain Call debut. All three sang like they were made for the role of the potential fathers and had great chemistry, both positive and negative, with the character of Donna.

Virgil Watson came out for the wedding in the role of Father Alexandrios. The wonderful dancers in the multi-aged ensemble included Hunter Brady, John Capasso (LA CAGE AUX FOLLES and NEXT TO NORMAL at Two Planks,) Alanna Delgado, Natasha Fenster, Angela Jackson, Kevin Kiley, Chris Nardi, Kelly Nayden, Zully Ramos, Emma Sawch, Gregorio Santa, the youngest member of the cast Nora Watson, Katelyn Wilson, Shayla Williams and Gail Yudain.

The choreography by Caitlin Roberts was extremely well constructed and performed perfectly by every dancer. “Voulez Vous,” “SOS” and “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” were my favorite production numbers, with the supersized bows a close second. William Armstrong and Laurie Priscott shared Dance Captain duties. The fictional Greek isle of Kalokairi during the summer of 1999 was evoked by the sun splashed set designed by Peter Barbieri, Jr. with warm lighting by Peter Petrino. The couple seated next to me was freezing during both acts, but with my raincoat, I was comfortable. The costumes of Terry Hanson contained skimpy street clothes to suggest the temperature of the island and those iconic what can only be described as ABBA “costumes.”

Curtain Call has been licensed to present ELF THE MUSICAL, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, and A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER...I know, right? While this is definitely a long commute for me, I would be happy to attend some of those for a review.

Nancy Sasso Janis Photo and her son Christian "C.J." Janis by Gary Rosengrant

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues. She posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and on Twitter @nancysjanis417