Etowah’s drama department will be kicking off the spring season with the musical “Mamma Mia!” from March 9-March 11. After rehearsing throughout all of January and February, this will be the theater crew’s first show of the second semester.  

“I am very excited about the show and cannot believe it is only a few weeks away.  I am most excited to see everyone’s hard work pay off.  It is a very complicated show to put together, from dancing and singing to building the set.  Seeing everything finished and working together is going to be so great,” Charlotte Forrest, Etowah Drama Teacher, said.  

“Mamma Mia!” is a jukebox musical (a musical that features hit songs from a particular genre or artist) that takes place in Greece and is characterized with the exclusive use of the band ABBA songs. Some of the group’s most notable classics, including “Our Last Summer,” “Dancing Queen,” and “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” were made specifically for the film. The musical is a light, romantic comedy featuring aesthetic scenery and a fun cast that follows a bride-to-be’s relationship with her mother. 

“I am so excited to see how all of our hard work comes together through all the dancing, singing, and acting and being able to put it out for everyone to see and enjoy. This musical is truly one to remember and has been such a wonderful experience to be a part of. We hope you come see it,” Kailey Bridgette, senior, said.  

The musical will feature performances from some of Etowah’s most talented actors and actresses, including Madison Dodd (junior) as the lead role, Sophie Sheridan. Kailey Bridgette (senior) will be alongside her portraying Donna, Sophie’s mother. Hayes Thomas (senior), Brendan Fagan (sophomore), and Anthony Kahn (junior) will be depicting the three male leads—Harry, Bill, and Sam.  

“My favorite thing about being stage manager is probably watching the whole show come together from a bare stage to a whole production and also getting to know the cast and crew and bonding with them,” Lainey Thornburgh, senior, said.  

Last year, the department received the rights to perform the show this 2022-23 school year and proceeded to announce the news during theater’s spring banquet in 2022. Forrest and William Hall, the chorus director, held auditions and made casting decisions in November and December of last semester. The drama department recently took home second place in the region for its one act show, “I and You,” and they hope to garner just as much attention with “Mamma Mia!” The last performance will be “Clue,” coming to the auditorium towards the end of this school year.  

“[For the show] I am most excited about all of the students and people in the community coming to support Etowah theatre, it just brings a really good feeling,” Brendan Fagan, sophomore, said.  

One can purchase tickets for the show here. The EHS drama department is greatly anticipating support from the student body and hopes to see the audience singing along to “Mamma Mia.”