There are a lot of great musicals happening at the Sands Marina Bay at the moment. We recently reviewed &Juliet, which can be found in the article here. But nothing beats Mamma Mia.
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What happened during the opening night of Mamma Mia! at the Sands Theatre in Marina Bay Sands?
Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus’s Mamma Mia was opened in Prince Edward Theatre London in 1999 and has been running since in London’s theatre district. Now in its 24th year, Mamma Mia! has been seen by over a million people and played over 9,300 performances in London’s West End. It is currently the 5th longest-running musical in West End history.
Benny & Bjorn, from one of the most well-known pop bands of all time, teamed together with Judy Craymer, a renowned playwright and produced this heartwarming and funny tale. I am pretty sure most people who love musicals have seen the show or at least seen Meryl Streep perform in the movie. With an audience of over 65 million people, this show has been worldwide and even been translated by countries like China and Korea.
The irresistibly funny tale takes place on the Greek island Idyll when a young 21-year-old discovers she has three possible dads! Sophie has always wanted to know who the elusive father would be, who her mum, Donna, has kept under wraps all these years. Sophie invites these possible Dads to her wedding without her mother’s knowledge. To her surprise, they all RSVP yes and “dot, dot, dot”, the plot begins.
While Mats (my Swedish husband) and I just jumped at the chance to see if this fantastic show, currently playing at the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands, we wondered if this old tale had seen better days. We wondered if audiences would still relate to these 70’s songs or think it was old and stale… Read on to find out!
We got to MBS just after 6. Mats had just finished work, and I met him at Sen of Japan. We decided to have a quick pre-theatre meal before heading over to see all the fuss being made on Mamma Mia’s opening night. I ordered a miso soup and “uni truffle pasta”, and Mats ordered Miso Black Cod with an “avocado salad”. We both could have been a bit more adventurous seeing the luxurious bowls of sushi and sashimi being rolled out to our neighbouring tables. Tonight, however, wasn’t the night for that. We were pre-empting a bit of dancing later and just needed nourishment. While the food was lovely, I am not sure it was worth the price. A little advice: Book a meal and tickets for about 15% off if you want a good deal with selected restaurants!
Mamma Mia Review
We made it down to the Sands Theatre, conveniently located just on the next level from Sen, and we could already see a fuss was being made. People were dressed up in 70’s gear. The vibe was so exciting that you could touch it and feel it rushing through you… It’s a great place to dust off a bad day, that’s for sure!
After a bit of champagne to seal in the good vibes, we headed into the theatre and wow, was it spacious. After being in the old theatres in London, which are relatively compact, the rusty old springs and reupholstered chairs always like a Christmas cracker when you sit down as you are never really sure what you’re going to get, a stray spring up the jacksy or sciatica. Without a word of a lie, I miss those dusty and compact old theatres. They hug you and make you feel like something grand once happened there. The Sands Theatre was quite large and modern; the stage was a little bigger than the Novello Theatre, where the same show was held in London. We were in the dress circle, the first level to the right. The seats are comfy, and plenty of knee room (I am 170 cm for reference). I wouldn’t have reserved any other seats as we had a good view and enjoyed that the people in front of us were tiny!
The show opened with Sophie greeting her three best friends, and “dot dot dot”, the laughs did not stop from there.
My husband was enraptured; he’d seen the original show in the early noughties and had some vague memories, but I could see his eyes glistening in the nostalgia of days in Sweden when ABBA had realised their hits and chuckling at the clever references of the actors. While it can sometimes be hard to please him with a rom-com, he loved seeing it again, and it was so sweet to see this international show move him. Hands down, this old show has not aged; it’s still brilliantly funny, cleverly sung, and well worth the watch!
During the show, I was sitting next to a lady half my age (around 25); I was so surprised she knew all the words, laughed at all the jokes, and was among the first to get up and dance at the end! People were laughing and clapping all the way through.
Suppose you have not seen a musical and are dying to get your feet wet with a singing theatre performance. Mamma Mia is the best, funniest, and most light-hearted show you’ll ever lay your eyes on stage, and it is definitely worth dipping your toe in to get you hooked on musicals.
It’s such a popular show that getting peak day tickets may be tricky, so if you want to laugh and love 70’s tunes, What are you waiting for? Buy a ticket… FAST! While we went on a Thursday, the show was packed; I think Saturdays will even be busier. Want to know more and purchase tickets online? Well, it is as easy as clicking here.
This show is so timeless!
So you’re asking now for the peak timing information; look no further!
Mamma Mia information
SHOW DATE
19 Oct – 5 Nov
- Tuesday – Thursday: 8 pm (Off Peak Pricing)
- Sunday: 6.30 pm (Off Peak Pricing)
- Friday: 8 pm (Peak Pricing)
- Saturday: 2 pm, 8 pm (Peak Pricing)
- Sunday: 1 pm (Peak Pricing)
LANGUAGE
- English
DURATION
- Approximately 150 minutes (With 20 mins intermission)
VENUE
- Sands Theatre
- Marina Bay Sands Shoppes – 4 Bayfront Ave, B1, Singapore 018973
ADMISSION RULES
There will be no admission for children aged 3 and below. All children below 12 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Mamma Mia!: Interesting facts
- 400 Metres of Lycra is used to make the super trouper costumes. Mamma Mia! alone saved the Italian Mill that supplied the special fabric from closing.
- Mamma Mia! became the first Mandarin-speaking production of a Western musical in China when it opened in the Shanghai Grand Theatre in 2011.
- Mamma Mia! has been seen by more than 65 million people worldwide in 50 productions in 16 different languages. There are approximately 3,120 items of clothing for Mamma Mia! in the theatre at any one time.
Thanks for taking the time to read the blog. I hope this post has given you the information you need. If you have any recommendations, tips or advice, I would love for you to share them in the comment section below!
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