Mamma Mia! The Musical Based on the Songs of ABBA: A Decca Broadway Original Cast Recording (1999 London Cast) [CAST RECORDING]

Benny Andersson (Artist), Julian Poole (Artist), Jenny Galloway (Artist), Nicolas Colicos (Artist), Paul Clarkson (Artist), Bjorn Ulvaeus (Artist), Lisa Stokke (Artist), Eliza Lumley (Artist), Melissa Gibson (Artist), Siobhan McCarthy (Artist), Louise Plowright (Artist), Jenny Galloway (Artist), Bjorn Ulvaeus (Artist), Stig Anderson (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 17, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Decca Broadway
• ASIN: B000031WEN
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (190 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,556 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #4 in	Music > Pop > Euro Pop > Swedish Pop
  #10 in	Music > Broadway & Vocalists > Musicals > Contemporary Musicals

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Put together by Abba's own Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, Mamma Mia! manages to cram over 20 of the Swedish supergroup's songs into a threadbare plot. It goes a little like this: Young Sophie is getting married and she's trying to identify which of three men is her father. That's about it. Wisely, the musical doesn't mess around with the songs, save for the insertion of some dialogue or for having some of them performed by a man (it works amazingly well). Abba fans will jump on this import of the London production, but traditional fans of musical theater should consider it as well. After all, Andersson and Ulvaeus's songs have always felt as if they were more than isolated pop gems and actually belonged to a longer narrative. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars for the music, 4 for the performances, April 8, 2002

By	S. Fennell "pianistcritic" (Somewhere out there.....beneath the pale moon light...) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Last October, I was fortunate enough to attend a sold-out performance of "Mamma Mia" on Broadway, starring Louise Pitre. It was one of the most fun shows I've yet attended, a sing-along from start to finish, and the audience is literally dancing in the aisles by the show's finale. Unfortunately, the energy doesn't translate well to the Original Cast CD. I don't really think it's the fault of the cast; it's got to be difficult to re-create in the studio what you're used to performing in front of a (literally) screaming audience for eight shows a week, but for whatever reason, the CD is missing something. Part of the fault could be in the mixing; there's an almost "boxed in" feel to the instruments on the album, (seems to be hardly any reverb at all), and the synthesized orchestrations seem thin, something that did not come across as such in the theater. Another disappointment is that even though the CD does have all the featured songs from the show, it's still not really complete. The Overture has been drastically edited, which is really inexcusable in a cast album, but the most glaring omission is the 3 song "mini-concert" encore. At the end of the show, the entire cast takes the stage for an unbelievably high-energy run-through of "Dancing Queen", "Mamma Mia", and yes, "Waterloo", with exhaustive choreography going on the whole time. Why this was left off the CD is beyond me. Decca Records should also watch what they're doing with "truth in advertising". The cover of the CD proclaims that this is a "Decca Broadway Original Cast Album". Many casual buyers are going to interpret that to mean it's the Broadway Cast album. Guess again. This recording is the London Cast; there is no Broadway album as of yet. I knew this before I bought it, but many people will not. FYI for the unitiated; Decca Broadway is the name of the record label only, and doesn't always guarantee that you're getting the Broadway cast on the recording. This seems very misleading to me. Decca should have it printed CLEARLY on the cover that this is the London Cast. Those points aside, the show and it's songs are a LOT of fun, (It's ABBA, what else could it be?). I'm still holding out for a Broadway cast album, though.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This musical is HOT!, January 7, 2000

By A Customer

Despite not being all that big of an ABBA fan, seeing this musical in London left me craving this CD. The cast is incredibly talented, and the energy level these actors bring to these songs add a really new dimension to these songs. On stage, Lisa Stokke, in the role as Sophie, makes a spectacular debut, and her talented voice comes clearly across on this CD. No recording can do the live show justice though. Right now this is one of the hardest shows to get tickets to in London, but if you plan to be there, I highly reccommend getting one. If not, then the CD will have to do.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mamma Mia Groupies, November 8, 2001

By A Customer

"Mamma Mia" is an experience to behold. If this show does not lift your spirit and leave a big smile on your face, nothing will. We have the previledge of seeing "Mamma Mia" twice during its recent Chicago run. We will be seeing it again in Toronto in a couple of months. We are becoming regular "Mamma Mia" groupies!

The CD does not quite capture the energy and exhilaration that one experiences during the live show, but it will remind you the great time that you had. We now prefer this CD over the original ABBA version of the songs because it tells a funny and poignant story. The singers on this CD are all just fine. Our 2-year old loves this CD and requests it whenever he just wants to goof around the house.

Some of the outstanding players that we saw in Chicago, namely Louise Pitre and Tina Madigan, are now playing in the Broadway edition of "Mamma Mia." We hope that a CD version of the Broadway Cast will be forthcoming, and please include the unforgettable final curtain call encore that is missing on this CD. Those of you who have seen the show know just how that encore brings the house down everytime.