'Mamma Mia! Farewell Tour' comes to Philadelphia's Merriam Theatre for a holiday engagement
By Allen Foster
Time flies when you're having fun! That's why it's so hard to believe that "Mamma Mia!" opened on Broadway just over 15 years ago. And now it's time to say goodbye—but not before one last visit to the island to see all of your friends one final time! From Dec. 27 through Dec. 31, you can dance, you can jive, and you can have the time of your life at Philadelphia's Merriam Theater.
For anyone who is still unfamiliar with the exhilarating, feel-good tale written around the timeless repertoire of ABBA's music, here's a quick, no spoiler synopsis: Before getting married, Sophie wants to know the identity of her father. She crafts a clever plan to bring the three possible men (Sam, Bill and Harry) together on the Greek island of Kalokairi on the eve of her wedding, hoping she'll be able to figure out which man should be walking her down the aisle the very next day.
On this farewell tour, Sam is being played by veteran performer Shai Yammanee ("Rent," "Into The Woods," "The Marriage of Figaro").
"I think I am the very last of all my friends to do this show," Shai laughed. "I've seen it so many times because every time a friend gets in, I go and see them."
Did watching all of those performances influence the way Shai interpreted his character?
"I don't think it affected me that much because every time I saw it done, it was always very unique to that character so there wasn't any one mold that I felt like it was stuck on. When we got to rehearsal, Martha [Banta], the director, was fantastic! We entered the rehearsal room with ideas and she said, 'That's great, let's work on it.' One of the things that I found on this production, which is really great, is they like people to bring in their own interpretations because it keeps the show fresh — it wouldn't have lasted all these years if it didn't keep feeling so fresh. Martha was great! She would direct us in certain ways if she felt like it needed a nudge in a certain direction, but for the most part, she allowed all of us to bring in our own interpretation and ideas about our character. It really created an organic experience for us and, because of that, on stage we feel really comfortable with each other because everything feels natural, we're not forcing anything."
When asked about any similarities Shai might have to Sam, he responded, "Well, I haven't discovered any illegitimate children in the islands yet [laughing]. The one thing that does resonate with me about the character is the idea of having a love across the sea that you haven't seen for a while. I go on tour or work on a cruise ship and I do not get to see my wife for extended periods of time, so this idea of having a love that crosses over vast distances, that really resonates with me."
Shai's wife is also a performer (dancer/actor). When she saw the audition notice for the tour, she told her husband. However, on the day of the audition, Shai wasn't feeling well and he was going to skip it, but his wife insisted that he go. "She told me to get up and do it! So I attribute the success of me getting this role to my wife."
The road that brought Shai to this incredible point in his life was more of a winding path than a direct route. "I started off as a classical pianist," the multi-talented artist began. "Then, I was a flamenco dancer. I sang with an Australian opera company for quite a while, as well. Then, I went into musical theater and I got my BFA in Musical Theater and that sort of put me on the path that I'm on now. I still enjoy dance and classical singing and the piano, but I've found that musical theater tends to encapsulate all elements of the arts that I like."
In closing, Shai enthused, "There's a reason why this show has lasted so long, of course, the music is timeless, everyone loves the music, but the way the creative team has managed to keep the show fresh and alive throughout all of these years is just fantastic. It's really a fun show and I am really glad to be a part of it."
Dates and times for "Mamma Mia!" at the Merriam Theater:
Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 29 at 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 298 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 30 at 2:00 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 31 at 2:00 p.m.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.kimmelcenter.org.
