'Mama Mia' to Wrap up 14-Year Broadway Run in September
Mamma Mia! will wrap its Broadway production on September 5, 2015, at the Broadhurst Theatre, according to global producer Judy Craymer. After almost 14 years on the Great White Way, first at the Winter Garden Theatre, where it opened on October 18, 2001, and then at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it began performance on November 2, 2013,the stage musical featuring the ABBA songs will close, reports Broadway.
Mamma Mia! currently stars Judy McLane as Donna and Elena Ricardo as Sophie. The long-running stage musical tells the story of Sophie (Ricardo), a young bride who invites three possible dads to walk her down the aisle at her wedding-unbeknownst to her mother, Donna (McLane). Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, the show features music and lyrics by ABBA's Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and a book by Catherine Johnson. The present cast of Mamma Mia! Also includes Mary Callanan, Alison Ewing, Jon Jorgenson, Paul DeBoy and John Hemphill.
At the time of closing, Mamma Mia! will have played 5,765 performances. In 14 years on the Broadway stage, the musical is said to have grossed more than $2 billion according to Billboard.
The stage musical was adapted into a feature film in 2008, which starred Meryl Streep as Donna and Amanda Seyfried as Sophie, and became the most successful live movie musical to date, grossing $600 million worldwide.
Craymer conceived of producing the stage musical show in the 1980s. She approached ABBA but instead of doing a musical about the band, she insisted their songs help tell an original story according to USA Today. She teamed up with playwright Johnson to create the now familiar story set on a Greek island about a young woman who is about to be married but who wants her father to give her away. Craymer also produced the movie version that further boosted the Broadway show's box office.