author: Steven Kirkpatrick and Charles Boyington
Some musicals invite audiences to sit back and enjoy the show. Mamma Mia! practically dares them to stay in their seats. The 25th Anniversary Tour, now at Washington’s National Theatre, is a jubilant reminder of why this ABBA-fueled phenomenon has endured: beneath the glitter, outrageous comedy, and irresistible pop anthems lies a surprisingly tender story about love, friendship, and the families we make for ourselves.
Since its London premiere in 1999 and Broadway opening in 2001, Mamma Mia! has become an international theatrical sensation, reaching tens of millions of theatergoers and inspiring two hit films. But longevity alone cannot explain its appeal. The question is whether a touring production can make such familiar material feel fresh. This one answers with an emphatic yes. The show has never felt and sounded so fresh! I don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard at a live musical and still they manage to touch our hearts with several tender moments! A good deal of the cast is from the recent Broadway production; others played or understudied the younger roles of that original Broadway run and are now playing the older characters. The singing is thrilling, its dancing exuberant, and its comedy remarkably assured. Better still, the performers understand when to let the laughter subside and the heart of the story emerge.
The premise is deliciously improbable. On a sun-drenched Greek island, young Sophie Sheridan discovers her mother Donna’s old diary and realizes that any one of three men could be her father. With her wedding approaching, she secretly invites all three, hoping to discover which one should walk her down the aisle. Donna knows nothing of the plan; neither does Sophie’s fiancé, Sky. When Donna’s two former bandmates arrive to celebrate, the stage is set for romantic confusion, revived friendships, and a parade of ABBA songs that somehow make the chaos feel inevitable.
At the center of it all is Jessica Crouch’s magnificent Donna. A single mother who has built a life running an island inn, Donna is resourceful, exhausted, fiercely independent, and far more vulnerable than she cares to admit. Crouch gives the character both steel and warmth. Her vocals have the power to fill the theater, but she never mistakes volume for feeling. Whether she is wrestling with money troubles in “Money, Money, Money” or reclaiming the sheer joy of her younger days in “Dancing Queen,” she makes every number an extension of Donna’s personality. This is a star performance, grounded in character rather than spectacle.
And yet Crouch has formidable competition in the scene-stealing department. Jalynn Steele’s Tanya is a master class in comic precision: a raised eyebrow, a calculated pause, or a devastatingly dry line can send the audience into fits of laughter. Her flirtatious “Does Your Mother Know,” opposite Dominic Young’s Pepper, is a particular delight, blending playful chemistry with sharp, energetic choreography. Rosie, Donna’s other longtime friend, is equally winning, bringing a wonderfully unguarded physicality to the comedy. Her pursuit of Bill during “Take a Chance on Me” is one of the evening’s funniest sequences. Most importantly, the three women convince us that their friendship has survived decades of changes, disappointments, and shared history. Their affection feels lived-in, not merely scripted.
Juliette M. Ojeda gives Sophie a clear, powerful voice and the restless conviction of a young woman certain that finding an answer will solve everything. She makes Sophie’s impulsiveness understandable even when her choices are spectacularly misguided. As Sky, Grant Reynolds is an engaging counterpart, combining easy warmth with total commitment to the production’s gloriously ridiculous pre-wedding festivities. Their chemistry gives the romance a believable center amid the farce.
The three prospective fathers are more than interchangeable punchlines. Victor Wallace’s Sam Carmichael, Leland Burnett’s Bill Austin, and Ron Hancock’s Harry Bright establish an appealing rapport as men abruptly confronted with the same bewildering possibility. Their scenes are funny and endearing precisely because the actors resist treating the characters as caricatures. Wallace, in particular, finds a touching emotional register in “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” reminding us that the show’s brightest songs often carry shadows of regret.
That balance is the production’s greatest achievement. Sophie’s quest begins as a comic mystery, but it gradually becomes a generous meditation on what parenthood actually means. Her connection with Donna contains all the friction and fierce devotion of a mother-daughter relationship on the brink of change. And the three men’s willingness to embrace Sophie, regardless of biology, turns an absurd premise into something genuinely moving. Mamma Mia! is at its best when it suggests that love need not fit neatly into conventional categories.
The production design wisely gives the performers room to shine. The spare, evocative scenery suggests the whitewashed architecture and luminous openness of a Greek island without overwhelming the stage. Lighting moves fluidly between exuberant spectacle and intimate reflection, while the seemingly endless costume changes contribute color, character, and comic surprise. The ensemble attacks the choreography with infectious confidence; even the most extravagant numbers retain a sense of spontaneity.
It would be easy to dismiss Mamma Mia! as a jukebox musical built to deliver familiar hits. This tour makes the stronger case: the songs are irresistible, certainly, but the evening succeeds because its cast gives us people worth caring about between them. It is uproariously funny, musically exhilarating, and, when it counts, unexpectedly affecting. If you think you already know Mamma Mia!, this production offers a splendid reason to fall in love with it all over again. Five stars—and every one of them earned.
Running Time: approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes with one intermission
Mamma Mia! plays through November 15th 2026 with Broadway at The National— 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets call the box office at (202) 628-6161 or purchase them online.
