Here we go again! As March madness approaches, so does the spring musical! This year, Brebeuf Jesuit put on a production of Mamma Mia. 

The beloved soundtrack, written by ABBA, is commonly known for its features in the 2008 and 2018 film productions of “Mamma Mia!” and “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”. The Broadway production of Mamma Mia premiered at the Winter Garden Theatre on October 18, 2001. The show closed on September 12, 2015, after a fourteen year run on Broadway, making it the ninth longest-running show in Broadway history.

This production follows Sophie, a young bride-to-be, who invites three men to her upcoming wedding, with the possibility that any of them could be her father. With hopes of finding the missing part of her life, Sophie dives into her mothers past as she prepares for her Greek wedding. 

The Brebeuf production stars Hollis Carbrey ‘24 as Sophie, Madison Bicani ‘24 as Donna, Charlie Miller ‘25 as Bill, Jack Maiers ‘23 as Sam, and William LaMaster ‘23 as Harry. 

Fourteen seniors participated in this year’s production of Mamma Mia. Out of these seniors, two were honored for their work during the show. Jack Maiers ‘23 received the Padre Award and Josie Esposito ‘23 was awarded the Mickey Award. 

Brebeuf’s version of Mamma Mia premiered March 16 and ran until March 19.  There was a performance Thursday night, one Friday night, two productions Saturday and a final production on Sunday. Even with the addition of a Sunday show, all shows were sold out. 

The cast had 177 hours of organized rehearsal and several tireless nights. Hollis Carbrey ‘24 feels she most relates to Sophie when she sings “Thank You for the Music”. Carbrey has been singing her whole life so her mother commonly quotes that “she could sing before she could talk”, just like in the song. 

Although some of the cast members have been singing in front of an audience their whole lives, this is not the case for all of the members. Along with many other cast members, Charlie Miller  will be making his musical debut. He describes this new experience as “very rewarding and entertaining to watch the show come together and really tell a story”. 

The production began as cast members ran through the audience flinging glow necklaces in the air and pumping up the crowd. In total, there were 600 necklaces distributed throughout the five productions. 

Hopefully you “believe in Angels”, because Hollis Carbrey was transformed in her role of Sophie. Her elegance while walking down the center aisle singing “I Have A Dream” and “Thank You for the Music” later on warmed the audience’s hearts. 

The ingenious dance behind “Lay All Your Love On Me”, in which members of the ensemble wore flippers, had the audience ‘flipping’ out. Additionally, the organized chaos in Voulez-Vous replicated the commotion and excitement as the dad’s realized they had a daughter. 

Once again, Madison Bicani stole the stage with her flawless performance as Donna. Bicani’s pure emotion in “The Winner Takes It All”; along with her dramatic exit at the end of the show. 

William LaMaster used his theatrical charm to soothe Madison Bicani in their cheerful take on “Our Last Summer”. Furthermore, Jack Maiers truly depicted the love that Sam had for Donna in his performance of “SOS” while Charlie Miller had the crowd dying of laughter in his perfect execution of “Take A Chance On Me”. 

In their loveable performance of  Super Trouper, Cecilia Stewart ‘23 and Lilah Woolwine ‘26, along with Madison Bacani, showcased their dynamic voices with talent ranging from three different grades.  

The show closed out with the beloved Waterloo as the cast wore all white and the dad’s put on their shirt-less glittery suits. 

A special thank you for the cast and of this phenomenal production of Mamma Mia for bringing the music to us at Brebeuf Jesuit. Join the Brebeuf theater in 2024 for the 60th anniversary of “Fiddler On The Roof”.