Mamma Mia! in consideration for Charlottetown Festival 2019
'Anything is always a possibility, but a show like Mamma Mia is always a possibility for sure'
Could 2019 see the return of Mamma Mia! to the Charlottetown Festival?
The Broadway smash hit is being considered for a revival, according to the general manager of theatre for the Confederation Centre of the Arts.
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"Anything is always a possibility, but a show like Mamma Mia! is always a possibility for sure," Dean Constable said.
As we look at shows there has to be a few reasons why we bring them back, shows generally don't capture the same attendance as they do the first time.— Dean Constable
Questions about the return of Mamma Mia! to the Charlottetown Festival surfaced after it was announced that the Centre is co-producing the musical for the Grand Theatre in London, Ont.
The Centre's artistic director, Adam Brazier, will direct the show for the Grand's spring run in 2019 and Constable said that production will even be using the sets and costumes used in the Charlottetown Festival's 2016 production.
Mamma Mia! a big win for Charlottetown Festival
The musical proved to be a big hit for the Charlottetown Festival two years ago.
Constable said it was, in terms of total attendance and adjusting for inflation, one of the most successful shows ever — next to Anne of Green Gables, of course.
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"We're really excited about revisiting [Mamma Mia!] and it was, next to Anne of Green Gables, the most successful show as part of the Charlottetown Festival and we know how much our audience really loved it," Constable said.
Constable said participating with other theatres, like the Grand, helps spread the name of the Charlottetown Festival.
Bringing shows back for a second run, however, isn't always simple as "programming shows doesn't come with a crystal ball," Constable said.
The Centre would have to think about the many reasons behind why they'd bring any particular show back.
"As we look at shows there has to be a few reasons why we bring them back, shows generally don't capture the same attendance as they do the first time," he said.
"Something like Mamma Mia! that was so well attended it would be OK if it dropped a little in attendance … because it was so strong."
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With files from Laura Chapin