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The smash ABBA jukebox musical Mamma Mia!, one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history, will return this summer for a six-month engagement at the Winter Garden Theatre, where it originally ran from 2001 through 2014. Or to paraphrase the old song: ABBA's seeing you in all the old familiar places.
“Last year, Mamma Mia! celebrated 25 successful years in the West End, and it’s truly fantastic to bring the original production back to its Broadway home after 24 years," said the show's creator and producer, Judy Craymer said. "Despite the glowing reception we received [in earlier markets], nothing could have prepared us for the outpouring of love and acclaim (and dancing in the aisles!) that overwhelmed us when we arrived in New York at the magnificent Winter Garden Theatre."
Some of that initial reception may have had to do with timing. Mamma Mia! began performances on Broadway on Oct 5, 2001, less than a month after the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11. New Yorkers were eager for escape, and Mamma Mia! provided it: a theatrical trip to the Greek islands with two dozen Eurodisco ABBA bops by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus—including “Dancing Queen,” "Waterloo" and “The Winner Takes It All”—neatly arranged by Catherine Johnson into a feel-good plot that combines romance, mother-daughter relationships and female friendship.
But Mamma Mia! has had extraordinary legs. To date, the show has been seen by some 70 million people and grossed more than $7 billion. It has also been translated into 15 other languages, though it is hard to see how those languages could capture the lyrical nuance of songs like "Honey, Honey," "Money, Money, Money," "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" and "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do."
The musical has also been adapted into a hugely popular 2008 film with Meryl Streep—whom Craymer cast, hilariously, after seeing her as Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage in Central Park—and spawned a 2018 movie sequel.
The musical's slightly risqué set-up is reminiscent of the 1968 film comedy Buena Sera, Mrs. Campbell (which more directly inspired the very short-lived 1979 musical Carmelita). A young bride-to-be reads her mother's diary and discovers that her hitherto unidentified father could be any of three men that her mom went to bed with two decades before—so she invites all three to her upcoming wedding. Mamma mia! That's a spicy premise!
The Mamma Mia! revival will begin previews on August 2 and open on August 14, 2025. This unusually short preview period reflects how closely this production will mirror the original. The entire original creative team is back on board for this latest trip to the Greek Isles: director Phyllida Lloyd, choreographer Anthony Van Laast, musical supervisor Martin Koch, set and costume designer Mark Thompson, lighting designer Howard Harrison, sound designers Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken. Casting for the production has not yet been announced.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on March 14 at 10am. Fans who sign up for priority access can buy tickets one day earlier, and Capital One credit card holders can buy them as early as March 11. You can find out more (and sign up for early access) at the production's website, MammaMiaBway.com. Bon voyage and many happy returns!
