By Jeanette Waugh

After two spring show cancellations in 2020 and 2021, Tewksbury Memorial High School is thrilled to announce a grand return to in-person, mask optional, musical theater. Director Celeste Pellegrino and stage manager David Moffat, from the TMHS Fine Arts Department, have been working tirelessly with the cast and crew since early February on this upcoming production.

After a year of online shows, the spring musical, Mamma Mia was picked to showcase as many of the talented students in the TMHS Theater Company as possible. With many strong leading roles, and the ensemble singing in every number, this show felt like a good choice to get the students excited about theater again and to have them participate as much as possible. Professional musicians have been hired to accompany the performers, thanks to a generous grant from the Tewksbury Cultural Council, and select students from the TMHS band will be assisting the professional musicians as well.

There will be more than 60 TMHS students participating in this performance between the cast, stage crew and orchestra pit.

Told through the legendary music of ABBA, Mamma Mia! has become a worldwide sensation that has audiences everywhere dancing. On a small Greek island, Sophie dreams of a perfect wedding — one that includes her father giving her away. The problem? Sophie doesn’t know who he is! Her mother, Donna, the former lead singer of the 1970s pop group Donna and the Dynamos, refuses to talk about the past, so Sophie decides to take matters into her own hands. Sneaking a peek in her mother’s old diaries, she discovers three possible fathers: Sam, Bill and Harry. She secretly invites all three to the wedding, convinced that she’ll know her father when she sees him. But when all three turn up, it may not be as clear as she thought.

There will be four performances at the McGrath Center for Performing Arts at Tewksbury Memorial High School at the end of this month: Thursday April 28 at 7:00 p.m., Friday, April 29 at 7:00 p.m. and two performances on Saturday, April 30, a matinee at 2:00 p.m., and an evening show at 7:00 p.m. All tickets are $10 per person, and this show is assigned seating, not general admission. We highly recommend ordering your tickets online, in advance of the show, to reserve the best available seats and to skip waiting in the ticket line before the show.

The public is welcome and encouraged to support the performing arts in Tewksbury Public Schools. If you are interested in purchasing Mamma Mia tickets in advance, they are available online now. Tickets will also be available at the door. Cash or credit card accepted.

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/406625277935777