Geneva High theater to present its spring musical ‘Mamma Mia!’

“Here we go again” with another Geneva High School musical! The theater program will present “Mamma Mia!” as its spring musical on April 18-20.

A celebrated Broadway show, “Mamma Mia!” follows Sophie, a young bride-to-be trying to discover the identity of her father, and her mother Donna. She secretly invites three men from her mother’s past to her wedding, causing mischief and shenanigans. The musical features touching mother-daughter moments and large-scale musical numbers.

The jukebox musical features songs from the 1970s and early ’80s by the rock group ABBA, including hits such as “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” and the show’s titular track “Mamma Mia.”

Quinn Beier, who plays Sky, discusses how the nature of a jukebox musical shapes the story. “The music was there first, so they had to build the story around pop music.” A concept which he says ends up “giving you this really wild story.”

The cast of “Mamma Mia!” has been hard at work perfecting their dances and songs. Tea Mathias, the show’s dance captain and a senior on Geneva’s accomplished varsity dance team, comments that “it’s been really fun to get to try a different style of dance” and that singing while dancing introduces a new challenge.

There are numerous big numbers, including the first act closer “Voulez-Vous,” which takes advantage of a large ensemble to create a fun, electrifying party atmosphere.

Many hands contribute to making the spring musical as impressive and memorable as possible.

Jason Fontanetta directs the show with the help of assistant director Drew Longo, music director Jessica Heinrich, and choreographer Kyle Donahue.

Guided by so many terrific mentors, the cast and crew work hard to create what Quinn Beier calls “our big bang to end out the year” and Addy Ganz, who plays Donna, agrees that she’s “excited for the audience to see songs and dances they know and love.”

A beach-set show that’ll have you ready for your own trip to the Greek islands, “Mamma Mia!” uses humor and music to tell a story of family and identity. It’s sure to leave you telling ABBA “Thank You for the Music” and singing show tunes the whole way home.

With less than 40 tickets left for Saturday’s show, “Mamma Mia!” tickets are going fast. So take out your “Money, Money, Money” and get ready to take a chance on Geneva High School!

Performances will be at 7 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, April 18-20, in the Geneva High School auditorium, 416 McKinley Ave. Tickets are $15 or $10 for senior citizens or students age 7 or older. For tickets, go to www.genevatheatreboosters.org.