the fyrehaus

I finally saw Mamma Mia! last Friday with my friend Annie. I’m, what, five queer years late to the Grecian isle?

I remember back in, um, 1999, 2000? when the musical first came together - Elisabeth ushered for it out in Chicago one summer. It’s not that I was too good to see an ABBA musical, especially after it took up residency at the Winter Garden - I am SO not too good to see an ABBA musical, people, remember how the theme of this blog is LOVING MUSIC in all its varied forms? - it’s that I never got around to it. This is where we remember that I gravitate towards things with more pathos than I thought a cheery pop musical would have.

Well, my pathos craving was certainly quenched by Meryl’s rendition of “The Winner Takes It All,” and the movie itself was pure campy fun - stick around for the credits! - but I’m not here to talk about that. (But dear god, go and listen. Stunning. Even better, watch a movie clip inserted into the full song. )

No, what I’m here to talk about is “Super Trouper.” I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since Friday! I’ve been mainlining ABBA videos on youtube like a fiend yet somehow I keep going back to Souper Trouper. It’s something about how each member of ABBA is so perfectly him or herself in this video. Benny is genial and looks just a bit like he’s high. Bjorn is smiley but hidden (or absent) behind his eyes. Agnetha really rocks he blue eye shadow as she tries to emote and Frida, oh Frida. She could cut glass with her smile and I can’t take my eyes off of her.

As a note, this video got me thinking again about starting a weekly music video analysis post. Oh, music videos. I am addicted to the evolution of your artistry and narrative function.

Pop quiz! What’s the most notable line change between the song and the adaptation?

I’m not a music person. I love music, but I’m a theater person by love and trade, and that includes musicals. Believe it or not, Mamma Mia! (yes, the Abba musical) is a very well-done piece of theater. In my opnion, it’s the best that a jukebox musical can be, possibly because the music is so lame in itself that you can easily fit it into your made-up plot. There’s only 1 or 2 songs in the entire thing that don’t really flow very well within the book. I suspect this is why the Bob Dylan musical, (Times They Are A-Changin) and the Johnny Cash musical (Ring of Fire) crashed and burned so hard, the songs are already so loaded with meaning.

So I was very excited to hear they were making a movie of Mamma Mia! I was even more excited when they cast Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth. I was a little concerned about Amanda Seyfried (Veronica Mars, Mean Girls, the truly horrible Wildfire) as the daughter, but the trailer has erased all concerns. This trailer has even made the totally jaded Megan and Sarah (who hates musicals) want to go see it.

Plus, shirtless Dominic Cooper (The History Boys) is a reason to see ANY movie.