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The Green Earth Players return to the stage next week with their performance of “Mamma Mia,” the musical written by Catherine Johnson.
“With Covid canceling our Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 shows, we wanted to come back with a real big hit,” said GEP director Shawn Kinsinger.
“We also wanted to get new people involved in the production of community theater, and a well-known show brings people out to participate.”
One of those new participants is Shannon Baack, who is a member of the musical’s ensemble. Baack and her husband, Denny, moved to Luverne from Sheldon, Iowa, in July.
She frequently participated in the Sheldon community theater and once settled in Luverne, she joined the GEP.
“This is the best way to meet people,” Baack said.
The production of a musical was also to her liking.
“I think music is a lot easier to memorize than lines,” she said.
Baack is joined in the all-singing ensemble by Dani Sunny Handy, Janet Hanson, D.J. Luethje, Katrina Brown, Holly Anderson, Bergen Ask, Chris Nowatzki and Martha Nowatzki.
David Vis is the assistant director. Carol Ceynowa is in charge of costumes, props and set design. Xavier McKenzie is in charge of sounds.
The musical’s plot is written around the songs by the Swedish pop group, ABBA.
Twenty-five of the band’s popular songs are used in the local production including “Mamma Mia,” the title song.
Other songs include “Dancing Queen,” “The Name of the Game,” “S.O.S,” “Does Your Mother Know,” and “The Winner Takes It All.”
Kinsinger said the hardest aspect of the musical’s production has not been the music.
“The set for ‘Mamma Mia’ is ambitious and the biggest GEP has had on stage in a while,” he said.
The musical takes place in the Greek islands at a tavern/hotel operated by Donna Sheridan (played by Rachel Ask).
Sheridan’s daughter, Sophie (Berty Stearns), is getting married to Sky (Cody Henrichs) and wants her father to walk her down the aisle.
However, there are three possible men and Donna doesn’t know if Sam (Casey McKenzie), Bill (Jim Harsma) or Harry (Shane Amborn) is Sophie’s father.
After reading her mother’s journal to her friends Ali (Lexi Drake) and Lisa (Karis Gust), Sophie invites all three of her mother’s boyfriends to the island in hopes of finding out who really is her father.
Other characters include Donna’s best friends, Tanya (Anissa Vis) and Rose (Tory Bohlke), hotel employees Pepper (Chris Brown) and Eddie (Scott Wessels), and Father Alexandrios (Joseph Stearns).
The GEP will perform “Mamma Mia” in five evening performances and two matinees.
Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday-Saturday, Nov. 12-13, and Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 18-20, at the Palace Theatre in Luverne.
The matinees are at 2 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 14 and 21.
Tickets are available at The Palace box office, 507-283-4339, or online at palace theater.us. Cost is $14 for adults and $7 for students.