Songs of ABBA drive humorous love story set on a Greek island

Venice Theatre’s MainStage Series will present the ABBA-themed musical “Mamma Mia!” through Dec. 1.

The book for “Mamma Mia!” is written by Catherine Johnson who weaves the hits of the Swedish pop group, ABBA, into a comic story about a young woman’s search for her birth father. On the eve of her wedding, the daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. This sunny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise designed by Tim Wisgerhof with lighting by John Andzulis.

The bride, Sophie, is played by Booker High School senior Belle Babcock who has also starred in Venice Theatre productions of “Urinetown” and “Into the Woods.” Booker student Laura Swartzendruber will cover the role on Nov. 15. Starring as Sophie’s mother, Donna, is Lisa Figueroa. Chris Caswell, Joseph Giglia and Ken Basque play the potential fathers.

“Mamma Mia!” premiered in London in 1999. It went on to Toronto, California and Chicago before arriving on Broadway in 2001. It was nominated for five Tony Awards in 2002. Over 60 million people around the world have seen “Mamma Mia!” It has grossed $2 billion worldwide since its premiere.

A lively cast of 20 performers, non-stop laughs and explosive dance numbers choreographed by Brad Wages combine to make “Mamma Mia!” a guaranteed smash hit.

Tuesday through Saturday performances start at 7:30 p.m. Sunday performances are at 2 p.m. During the week of Thanksgiving, there will be no shows on Nov. 27 and Nov. 28. There is no evening show on Nov. 30 due to the Venice Holiday Parade. There will be a 2 p.m. matinee on that day instead.

Adult tickets begin at $36, college seats are $20, and tickets for students through 12th grade are $15. Discounted rates are available for groups of 15 or more.