In April 2019, a bus load of juniors and seniors from Tallassee High School attended the Troy University production of MAMMA MIA! It was staged at the Claudia Crosby Theatre, inside C.B. Smith Hall (named for Charles Bunyan Smith, a former president of Troy University but also the founding superintendent of Tallassee City Schools).
In this space the following week, I raved about the production and singled out various aspects of the show for praise.
kAm(9@ <?6H E92E[ @?=J EH@ J62CD =2E6C[ pqqp H@F=5 36 :? E96 ?6HD 282:?nk^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 >@DE DF446DD7F= A@A @FE7:ED @7 2== E:>6 92D 3@=5=J 8@?6 H96C6 ?@ 32?5 92D 8@?6 367@C6 ] ] ]k^Am
kAm%96J 92G6 364@>6 G:CEF2= G6CD:@?D @7 E96>D6=G6D]k^Am
kAmp ?6H 5@F3=6\p\D:565 D:?8=6[ C64@C565 @G6C E96 A2DE J62C[ H2D C6=62D65 =2DE H66<i “x $E:== w2G6 u2:E9 :? *@F” 3^H “s@?’E $9FE |6 s@H?]” %96 4=2DD:4 D@F?5 :D E96C6 DE:== – 2?5 7@C 2 7@FCD@>6 E92E EFC?65 5@H? S` 3:==:@? WJ6D[ 3:==:@?X E@ C64@?G6?6 324< :? a___[ :E’D ;FDE 56=:89E7F= E@ 962C E96:C DH66E G@:46D 3=6?5:?8 282:?] xE D@F?5D 2D :7 ?@ E:>6 92D A2DD65] p8?6E92 2?5 uC:52 D@F?5 ;FDE 2D 362FE:7F= 2D E96J 5:5 ?62C=J 92=7 2 46?EFCJ 28@Pk^Am
kAm}@?6 @7 E96> H2?E E@ E@FC[ @C C62==J 36 2 32?5 282:?j 72>@FD=J >2CC:65 E@ @?6 2?@E96C 2?5 E96? 5:G@C465 H9:=6 E96 32?5 H2D DE:== 2 8@:?8 4@?46C?[ E96J H6?E E96:C D6A2C2E6 H2JD :? `hge 2?5 92G6 >F49 5:776C6?E =:G6D E@52J] qFE E96J 5:5 28C66 E@ E2<6 A2CE :? 2 A:@?66C:?8 >6E9@5 @7 =:G6 A6C7@C>2?46 2D E96J 2EE24965 6=64EC@56D 2?5 >@E:@?\42AEFC6 56G:46D E@ E96>D6=G6D :? @C56C E@ 4C62E6 C62=:DE:4 9@=@8C2>D @7 E96 32?5 :? E96:C 8=@CJ 52JD]k^Am
kAmx?5FDEC:2= {:89E 2?5 |28:4[ E96 86?:FD6D 369:?5 >2?J w@==JH@@5 3=@4<3FDE6CD[ 4C62E65 E96 G:CEF2= pqqp 3J C64@C5:?8 E96> H:E9 `e_ 42>6C2D 2D E96J A6C7@C>65 E96:C 9:ED] %96 G:CEF2= pqqp 4@F=5 =:G6 @? 7@C6G6C[ D@ 7FEFC6 86?6C2E:@?D 42? 6?;@J 2 4@?46CE 3J E96 72>@FD BF2CE6E – @C 2D 4=@D6 2D @?6 42? 86E E@ E96 C62= E9:?8]k^Am
kAmx 92G6 =2E6=J 366? =:DE6?:?8 E@ 2 =@E @7 >J @=5 pqqp C64@C5D] x E9:?< E96J 2C6 F?72:C=J >2=:8?65 7@C 36:?8 E@@ 2:CJ[ E@@ =:89E[ E@@ 762E96CH6:89E] %CF6[ E96:C >FD:4 >2J 8@ 5@H? =:<6 DF82CJ ;F?< 7@@5[ 3FE H92E =:6D 36?62E9 – ;FDE =:<6 E96 25F=E\D:K65 A=@E A@:?ED @7 E96 >FD:42= – :D @7E6? >@C6 E92? H92E :E D66>65 @? E96 DFC7246]k^Am
kAmpqqp – E96 24C@?J> @7 E96 7:CDE ?2>6D @7 A6C7@C>6CD p8?6E92 uä=ED<@8[ q;öC? &=G26FD[ q6??J p?56CDD@? 2?5 p??:\uC:5 {J?8DE25 – 7:CDE 2CC:G65 @? E96 >FD:4 D46?6 :? E96 62C=J `hf_D] p8?6E92 WE96 3=@?56X H2D 4@FA=65 H:E9 q;@C? WE96 4=62?\D92G6? @?6Xj uC:52 WE96 3CF?6EE6X H2D =:?<65 H:E9 q6??J WE96 362C565 @?6X] %96J H6C6 $H65:D9[ ?@3@5J C62==J DA@<6 t?8=:D9[ 2?5 >@DE=J H@C<65 :? @E96C >FD:42= 86?C6Di ;2KK WuC:52X[ 7@=< Wq;@C?X[ A@A Wq6??JX[ 2?5 4=2DD:42= Wp8?6E92X]k^Am
kAmx DFAA@D6 E96 >FD:4 D46?6 :? $H656? :D 2 =:EE=6 D>2==6C E92? @E96C A=246D[ @C 56DE:?J 925 E96D6 7@FC :? >:?5[ 3FE E96:C A2E9D D66>65 E@ 4C@DD @G6C 2?5 @G6C :? E96 =2E6 `he_D 2D E96 EH@ 4@FA=6D 76== :? =@G6] x? `hf_[ E96 7@FC H6?E @? 9@=:52J E@ rJACFD] (9:=6 D:?8:?8 E@86E96C 7@C 7F? @? E96 36249[ E96J H@F?5 FA :? 2? :>AC@G:D65 =:G6 A6C7@C>2?46 6?E6CE2:?:?8 D@>6 &?:E65 }2E:@?D EC@@AD DE2E:@?65 E96C6]k^Am
kAmp=C625J 2C>65 H:E9 2 C64@C5 562=[ E96:C AC@5F46C\>2?286C H2D 56E6C>:?65 E@ 3C62< :?E@ E96 :?E6C?2E:@?2= >2C<6E] $:?8:?8 :? @E96C =2?8F286D A2:5 @77 7@C E96> :? `hfb] ~E96C E92? 492CE:?8 9:ED 24C@DD tFC@A6[ E96 7@FCD@>6 H@? E96 tFC@G:D:@? $@?8 r@?E6DE[ @?6 @7 E96 9:896DE >FD:42= 9@?@CD :? 2== @7 tFC@A6[ :? `hfc] %96:C D@?8D 4C@DD65 E96 pE=2?E:4 H:E9 E96:C C64@C5D C6=62D65 96C6 5FC:?8 E92E D2>6 A6C:@5]k^Am
kAm%96:C 62C=J D@?8D H6C6 A@A 4@?764E:@?D @7 E96 9:896DE 42=:36Ci “#:?8 #:?8[” “$]~]$][” “w@?6J w@?6J[” “(2E6C=@@[” 2?5 “x s@[ x s@[ x s@[ x s@[ x s@]” %96D6 D@?8D 2=D@ 925 2 4@?E6>A@C:K65 G6CD:@? @7 E96 (2== @7 $@F?5 DEJ=6 E92E 925 366? A@AF=2C :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 5FC:?8 E96 `he_D[ 2=@?8 H:E9 EF?67F= >6=@5:6D E92E D66>65 E@ 3FCC@H :?E@ @?6’D 9625 27E6C 2 D:?8=6 DA:?]k^Am
kAm%96 9:ED 4@?E:?F65i “|2>>2 |:2[” “u6C?2?5@[” “%2<6 2 r92?46 @? |6[” “|@?6J |@?6J |@?6J[” “z?@H:?8 |6 z?@H:?8 *@F[” 2?5 E96 3=@4<3FDE6C “s2?4:?8 "F66?[” 2>@?8 >2?J @E96CD E92E 492CE65 :? E96 E@A c_ 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 2 564256 2E E96 E@A @7 E96:C 82>6[ E96:C >FD:4 3642>6 2 =@E >@C6 D6C:@FD :? E96 62C=J `hg_Dj 2F5:6?46D 5:5 ?@E D66> E@ 3FJ E96D6 D@?8D 2?5 2=3F>D E96 D2>6 H2J E96J 925 5@?6 367@C6] %2DE6D 492?86[ DEJ=6D 492?86[ 3FE E96 52C<6C >2E6C:2= pqqp H2D C6=62D:?8 3J E96? 925 :ED C62D@?Di 3@E9 4@FA=6D[ 3J E92E E:>6[ 925 5:G@C465 @?6 2?@E96C 2?5 E96 3:EE6C G:36 H2D AC6D6?E @? E96 C64@C5:?8D] x? `hga[ E96J DE@AA65 C64@C5:?8[ H:E9 2 7:?2= A6C7@C>2?46 @? 2 %' D9@H :? `hge]k^Am
kAm%96 8C@FA 92D D2:5 ?@ E@ >:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD @776C65 E96> E@ C6F?:E6] x? E96 bd\A=FD J62CD D:?46 E96:C =2DE AF3=:4 2AA62C2?46[ E96J 92G6 32C6=J 28C665 E@ 2EE6?5 8C2?5 @A6?:?8D @7 |p||p |xp 2D H6== 2D AC@G:56 :?E6CG:6HD[ 3FE E92E 2AA62CD E@ 36 492?8:?8] %96 A@AF=2C:EJ @7 pqqp\C6=2E65 >2E6C:2= 92D 7:?2==J 8:G6? E96D6 7@FC 2 492?46 E@ C67=64E FA@? 9@H :>A@CE2?E E96:C >FD:4 92D 366? E@ D@ >2?J]x?E6C6DE C6>2:?D 9:89[ 2?5 AC@323=J 2=H2JD H:==[ :? E96D6 $H656D H9@ 86?E=J 2AAC@24965 E96 >FD:4 :?5FDECJ H:E9 BF2=:EJ H@C<[ E@@< @G6C E96 :?E6C?2E:@?2= >FD:4 D46?6 7@C 2 A6C:@5[ E96? BF:6E=J 56A2CE65 2?5 DE2J65 @FE @7 D:89E 7@C ?62C=J c_ J62CD] (92E :D 2>2K:?8 :D E92E E96 AF3=:4 ?6G6C 7@C8@E E96> – 2 D:8? E92E E96D6 H6==\4C27E65 A@A D@?8D H:== 6?5FC6] p?5 ?@H E92E G:CEF2= pqqp :D @? E96 D46?6[ H6 <?@H E92E H6 H:== 36 23=6 E@ D66 2?5 962C E96> 7@C J62CD E@ 4@>6] %96 ?6H D:?8=6 :D 8C62E[ 2?5 x 42?’E 36=:6G6 :E 7:?2==J 92AA6?65] %96 ?6H 2=3F> H:== 36 C6=62D65 :? }@G6>36C]k^Am
kAm|:4926= q:C5 :D 2 >FD:4 E62496C 7@C %2==2DD66 r:EJ $49@@=D]k^Am
