"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" More of Mamma Mia! at Theatre By the Sea!

Matunuck -- Theatre By the Sea has an absolute hit on their hands with their newest show of the 2018 season, Mamma Mia! This phenomenal show has a perfect cast, stunningly sets, gorgeous costumes, a fun and upbeat story, high-energy choreography, tons of laughs, and a whopping 22 ABBA hits that audiences will be singing to themselves for days.

And all of the songs truly are hits. Unlike some other jukebox musicals, Mamma Mia! has a storyline that doesn't revolve around "the music scene" (such as a recording studio or nightclub). Every song feels needed to forward the plot, and consequently the show never feels stale or slow.

Director and choreographer Kevin P. Hill always puts on a good show--audiences are sure to remember his laugh-packed Young Frankenstein from 2015. This show brings the same upbeat good humor and adds another phenomenal cast and crew to make another unforgettable show. The choreography during "Under Attack" is truly stunning, and audiences will laugh remembering the hilarious choreography for "Lay All Your Love On Me" for years to come.

One way the crew's talents can be seen is in the sets by scenic director Kyle Dixon. Dixon's sets for this show bring the Greek island where the story takes place to life. Every set feels like it is real, from the shimmering Grecian waters to the starry sky above the romantic, moonlit dock.

Malia Monk and Nick Walker Jones on one of Dixon's sets

Add to that Dana Pinkston's eye catching costumes, which are unique to each character's personality and make the show's performers truly shine, and this show might be the best show of the season.

Erica Mansfield in one of Pinkston's costumes

And Mamma Mia! has plenty of awesome performers to choose from. Erica Mansfield is Donna, the mother of the bride-to-be, who is unsure of who exactly her daughter's father is, but she is sure she doesn't want to see him. Mansfield's Donna is heartrendingly realistic, from her happy memories with her friends to her broken heart to the simple sadness of feeling she is losing her daughter. The power and emotion of Mansfield's voice will blow audiences away when she sings "The Winner Takes It All."

Jeannette Bayardelle, Tari Kelly, and Erica Mansfield

a.k.a. Donna and the Dynamos

Donna and her friends Rosie (Jeannette Bayardelle) and Tanya (Tari Kelly) used to be a group known as Donna and the Dynamos, and it's no wonder. Bayardelle and Kelly are also fantastic. Kelly's Tanya is not just a snobby socialite, but she plays her as someone who truly cares about her friends, and knows that her confidence and looks make her drop-dead gorgeous. Her performance during "Does Your Mother Know" will thrill audiences.

Tari Kelly and Steven Del Col perform "Does Your Mother Know"

Meanwhile, Bayardelle's Rosie may be more down-to-earth, but she's equally hilarious in her own way. Her quips are perfectly timed, and her performance during "Take a Chance On Me" will have audiences laughing out loud and asking for more.

Jeannette Bayardelle and Al Bundonis perform "Take a Chance On Me"

The possible fathers are wonderful too; the travel writer Bill (Al Bundonis), the rocker turned businessman "Headbanger" Harry (Christopher Carl), and the heartbreaking architect Sam (David Elder) are all brought to life in this show as unique individuals. Bundonis plays Bill as laid-back, fun, and charismatic. Audiences may remember Bundonis as King Arthur from Theatre By the Sea's 2014 production of Monty Python's Spamalot.

Harry is played by Carl as downright lovable, and not at all the uptight banker that audiences first suspect the character will be. Audiences will be further endeared to this character and actor after Carl's sweetly romantic rendition of "Our Last Summer."

Christopher Carl and Erica Mansfield perform "Our Last Summer"

Elder plays Sam as a perfect combination of As the-one-who-got-away, he shares several scenes with Mansfield, but his most memorable performance is during "Knowing Me, Knowing You," while he tries to give Donna's daughter Sophie (the bride-to-be and his possible daughter) some fatherly advice.

David Elder and Malia Monk perform "Knowing Me, Knowing You"

Malia Monk plays Sophie as wide-eyed, warm, naively optimistic, and sweet. Monk, Melissa Jones (as Lisa), and Janelle Yull (as Ali) open the show with the fun "Honey, Honey," as they read Donna's diary and learn more about Harry, Bill, and Sam.

Janelle Yull, Malia Monk, and Melissa Jones perform "Honey, Honey"

If Mamma Mia! is any indication, South County is in for a fun-filled summer at Theatre By the Sea. But this show is one that theatre-goers definitely won't want to miss.

As for next season, owner and producer Bill Hanney is thinking about shaking things up. He announced during Friday's opening of Mamma Mia! that he plans to have the first show of 2019 be a completely original show, which he would like to bring to Broadway. He will no doubt have more announcements as the 2018 season continues.

Mamma Mia! will be playing at Theatre By the Sea, Tuesdays through Sundays through July 21; showtimes vary. Tickets are $49 to $75 and can be purchased in person or by phone at the box office (401-782-8587) or by visiting their website www.theatrebythesea.com.

Photos by Steven Richardson Photography