A Few Remarks Before Reading

Mamma Mia! Synopsis

A Few Remarks before Reading:  Contains spoilers (duh!)  The name of the character or characters singing the song is in parenthesis. After that comes the description of the visuals.  Feel free to ask questions if you have a hard time figuring out what they’re saying or if you’re curious to know what it looked like on stage. I’d be more than happy to answer! And I basically know this whole show by heart, including lines and dances. (Yes I’m obsessed).

 The leads are: Donna Sheridan- Former singer, owns and runs the taverna on the island, where everything takes place. Sophie Sheridan – Donna’s 20 year old daughter, about to be married. Sky - Sophie’s fiancée Tanya – Donna’s best friend and former backup singer. Rosie – Donna’s best friend and former backup singer. Sam - Donna’s ex boyfriend, an American architect, could be Sophie’s Dad. Harry– Donna’s ex boyfriend, a British banker, could be Sophie’s Dad. Bill – Donna’s ex boyfriend, An Australian who writes travel books, could be Sophie’s Dad Eddie – Works for Donna at the taverna. Pepper - Works for Donna Ali – Sophie’s best friend and bridesmaid Lisa – Sophie’s best friend and bridesmaid

(Did you notice how almost everyone is in groups of three??)

Act one takes place the day before the wedding. Act two takes place the day of the wedding.

Act 1 1. Overture 2. “I Have a Dream” (Sophie) + Scene: Sophie sends the invitations to her upcoming wedding to the 3 men who might be her Dad. Ali and Lisa, her bridesmaids, arrive and they discuss Donna’s diary which Sophie has found. 3. “Honey Honey” (Sophie, Ali, Lisa) Sophie reads parts of the diary out loud and it is revealed she has three possible fathers – Sam, Bill or Harry. She says she invited them all to her wedding because she wants her Dad to give her away, and she hopes she’ll be able to tell who her father is right away. 4. Scene: Tanya and Rosie arrive and reunite with Donna and then get reacquainted with Sophie. Donna introduces them to Sky, Sophie’s fiancée, and also to Pepper and Eddy, part of the staff. They talk about the taverna and how they’re going to transform an old ship into a floating casino. Donna says that she hasn’t had a day off in 15 years. 5. “Money, Money, Money” (Donna)At first, Donna is sitting at the table, singing about her troubles, and looks very surprised when the town people answer her back with “Ain’t It Sad?” During the second verse she climbs up on the table, assisted by townsfolk, and they all dance together. 6. Scene: The three men arrive on the island. Sam discovers that Donna has built the taverna he had designed 21 years ago and is very excited. Bill tells them about his travels, and how he came to visit his great aunt on the island 21 years ago. Harry tells them he leads a boring life. Sophie comes in and meets the three men, and after she leaves to get their room keys Harry says he hasn’t spoken Greek in 21 years. Sam begins to suspect something is up! They were all invited by the same woman, a woman they haven’t seen in 21 years…Then Harry sees the guitar he bought Donna, back when he was nicknamed “head banger”. He complains his other half finds him boring and unadventurous- not like Donna, who knew his wild side. He remembers a song they used to sing together. 7. “Thank You For The Music” (Harry, Sophie, Bill, Sam) Sophie comes back and starts singing with Harry. After Sam asks about Donna, she tells the men that their being there is a secret and they mustn’t tell Donna or shell flip out. Sam protests and says that he thinks she’s made a mistake and that Donna said she never wanted to see him again - but Sophie insists that she wants them all there. 8. Scene: Donna comes in and the men hide. Then, one by one they reveal themselves to her- she is surprised to see Bill, then Harry, but when Sam appears… she lets out a shout…”YOU!!!” 9. “Mamma Mia” (Donna) Donna is stunned, clinging to the wall and slowly sliding down against it as she sings. + Scene: Donna is shocked and doesn’t understand why they’re on the island. They all give random reasons. She wants them to relocate to the mainland, as there is a local girl getting married tomorrow- but they decide to stay. Donna is upset and exits quickly. Meanwhile, the men are glad she is still the same gorgeous Donna they remembered! 10.Scene: Tanya and Rosie are in their room and there’s only one bed. They toss a coin for it and Rosie gets it, so Tanya starts blowing air into an air mattress... only she’s doing it the wrong way. (“Blow, don’t suck!”) They discuss the wedding and their own views about marriage. They reminisce about their act with Donna when they find a poster of it and Rosie’s old costume. Donna enters in a rush, very upset- but she won’t tell them what about. They try and cheer her up… 11.“Chiquitita” (Tanya, Rosie, Donna) Rosie and Tanya play around, trying to make Donna laugh. When that fails they force liquor down her throat, and she starts to open up. 12.Scene: Donna confesses that she doesn’t know who Sophie’s Dad is, even though she’s always claimed it was Sam, and that all the three men are currently on the island. Rosie and Tanya immediately rush to get a glimpse of them. Donna is upset that they will ruin the wedding, and feels guilty. Also, she is scared she is going to be “muscled out by an ejaculation” - Rosie assures her that Tanya and she will take them fishing. Donna is still upset and they tell her she has nothing to be ashamed of! 13.“Dancing Queen” (Rosie, Tanya, Donna) Rosie and Tanya start horsing around again, singing to their hair brushes and swinging fruit around. Then Donna joins them and they act goofy and dance together. After Rosie hurts her back and has to sit down, Donna comes back with sunglasses and a boa- vamping it up and dancing some more. They simulate some plastic surgeries that will make them look 17 again (Breast lift, face lift etc.) And then dance like old ladies for a second. At the end they collapse on the bed together, laughing. 14.Scene: Sophie and Sky are hanging out and she can’t bring herself to tell him about what she’s done. She seeks reassurances from him and wants to know he will never leave her. 15.“Lay All Your Love on me” (Sky and Sophie) Sky and Sophie sing about their love for each other. His friends then come in, wearing scuba diving gear, and drag him off to find a pearl necklace for his fiancée, which is the island tradition. 16.Scene: Sophie’s bachelorette party. Donna and the Dynamos appear; wearing white spandex outfits, and start vamping it up…. Singing ”Super Trouper” (Donna, Tanya, Rosie) 17.Scene: The three men enter the party and Sophie invites them to stay despite Donna’s protests. Donna, Rosie and Tanya leave to get changed. “Gimme Gimme Gimme” (Ensemble) Sophie dances with Sam and gets to know him a little bit. 18.“Gimme Gimme Gimme” Sophie dances with Harry and then with Bill. When Bill finds out how old she is, he panics and runs out of the party. Sophie follows him. 19.Scene: Sophie pleads with Bill to help her solve the mystery…Is he her father? 20.“Name Of The Game” (Sophie and Bill) 21.Scene: Sophie and Bill come to the conclusion he’s her father. Sophie then asks Bill to give her away at her wedding. He agrees, and they agree to keep it a secret from Donna. Lisa informs them Sky and the boys are back. 22.“Voulez Vous” (Ensemble) The boys carry Sky in and he puts the necklace on Sophie’s neck as they kiss. Donna, Rosie and Tanya come back to the party and everyone dances. Sam grabs Sophie and says he’s figured out he’s her Dad and he wants to give her away tomorrow. Then Harry dances with her, and tells her he finally realized that he’s her Dad, and he won’t let her down and will give her away at her wedding.

Act 2 1. Entr’acte. 2. “Under Attack” (Sophie) Sophie’s in bed, having a nightmare. The stage is lit with a special light that makes everything glow in the dark. The ensemble appears and they are all wearing very colorful swimsuits and caps. She sees her mom in bed, caressing and kissing Sam, then Harry, then Bill. Then Donna leaves the room with the three of them holding her. The men are all dressed up in suits with top hats and all, and when they come back, they are all leading a bride down the isle…who turns out to be Sky in a wedding dress. Sophie is pushed around by all the people and she is frightened. 3. Scene: Sophie wakes up and she’s in the lobby. Donna comes to see what the matter is and they end up fighting. Sophie yells at her mom that “it’s crap not knowing who your father is” and runs off. Eddie, Pepper and Sky come back drunk and Donna yells at them, taking out her anger on them. She gives them a bunch of stuff to do before the wedding and they leave. 4. “One Of Us” (Donna) Donna is left alone in the lobby. She takes out a chair and looks very sad as she sings. 5. Scene: Sam comes in. Donna doesn’t understand what he’s doing there, and on the island in the first place, and they fight. He offers his help with the Taverna and she doesn’t want it, and after he tells her he knows it must be hard doing it all on her own, she yells at him to stop patronizing her and that she doesn’t need a man in her life. She’s single, she’s free and it’s great! She grabs a chair and sits down. 6. “SOS” (Sam and Donna) At first, Sam sings and Donna’s back is turned to him. Then she gets up and sings the second verse, looking at him as he looks towards the audience. When they sing together, they face the audience and not each other –this is an internal monologue they each have with themselves. 7. Scene: Near the bar, Pepper hits on Tanya. Harry arrives and they talk about what a father should do when his daughter is getting married. Tanya says they usually pay for the wedding. After he leaves, Pepper persists and wants to catch up from last night- but then Ali, Lisa, Rosie, Bill and a bunch of staff members from the taverna arrive. Rosie and Bill talk about the fish they caught and then leave to cook dinner for themselves… Tanya wants to leave but Pepper won’t let her- and she decides to show him some moves! 8. “Does Your Mother Know” (Tanya and Pepper) Pepper tries to show Tanya his dance moves to get her to stay. Pretty soon, all the boys are dancing, trying to impress her. She then dances a little with Pepper before leaving with the girls. 9. Scene: Sky arrives at the bar, followed closely by Sophie who is very upset. She confesses about the three men being there, who they are, and that they all want to give her away, and he gets very angry with her for lying to him. Sam arrives and interferes and Sky leaves. Sophie doesn’t want to hear Sam’s advice but gives in eventually. He tells her about his divorce. 10.“Knowing Me Knowing You” (Sam) Sam sings to Sophie as she sits on the edge of the stage with her back to him. Slowly she begins to be more interested, but at the end decides that it’s not the same with her and Sky and runs off. 11.Scene: Donna is in her bedroom, trying on a hat for the wedding. You can tell she is very nervous. Harry comes in and they talk about the wedding- he gives her a check to help out, she doesn’t want it, and they start reminiscing about old times. 12.“Our Last Summer” (Harry and Donna) Harry and Donna pretend they’re in France and they literally act out the lyrics: they “ride” a bike together, have a pretend picnic and even pretend to smoke marijuana together at the end… 13.Scene: Sophie comes in and interrupts them – Harry leaves without the check. Sophie asks Donna to help her get ready. 14.“Slipping Through My Fingers” (Donna and Sophie) Sophie sits in front of the mirror and Donna fixes her hair. Then she helps her get into her dress and zips her up- while telling her the real story about her birth. Sophie asks Donna to give her away at her wedding and tells her mom she’s proud of her. 15.Scene: Sam comes in and he and Donna end up fighting again. 16.“The Winner Takes It All” (Donna) This time Donna looks at Sam as she sings, but he looks down as if ashamed, and eventually he leaves. 17.Scene: The wedding reception. Rosie is lighting the candles as Bill walks in, all confused. They start talking and Rosie figures out he shares her views about marriage and babies, which turns her on. 18.“Take A Chance On Me” (Rosie and Bill) Rosie is trying to act seductive and at first Bill resists her and even runs away from her. After she kisses him, though, his mood changes and now he’s the one chasing her! They dance and flirt and act goofy. They almost go at it on the floor when Pepper comes in. Everyone soon follows and they all take their seats. 19.Scene: Donna and Sophie are walking down the isle, Sophie stops and stands next to Sky and Donna walks off to the side. The minister begins. Donna interrupts him and tells Sophie her Dad is there…but she doesn’t know which one of the men he really is. Sophie admits she was the one who invited them, apologizes to her mom and says she doesn’t care if she’s slept with hundreds of men. Donna leans over to the minister and says she hasn’t slept with hundreds of men…. Sam is angry but Sophie tells him he only has himself to blame since he left her mom to marry someone else. He says he told his fiancée he couldn’t marry her and came back for Donna, but he was told she was already off with some other guy and so he went back and married his fiancée. Harry cuts in and reveals he is gay, and says he doesn’t mind being a third of Sophie’s Dad cause he never thought he would even have a child. Sam and Harry agree. Sophie decides she doesn’t want to know who her real father is, or to get married, but instead she wants to start traveling all over the world with Sky. Sky accepts. Then Sam proposes to Donna, who at first refuses since she isn’t a bigamist- but Sam reveals he is divorced and says he has loved her for 21 years, and has been bursting to show her how much! 20.“I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” (Sam and Donna) Sam kneels down, and all the women urge the stunned Donna to say I do – which of course she finally does. She runs off and quickly changes into a wedding dress, and marries Sam. Everyone dances and Sam and Donna kiss. Rosie asks the conductor to take a picture of everyone and he does –they all pose for the camera with their cheesiest smiles… Donna throws the bouquet and Tanya catches it. She then throws it to Rosie who freaks out and throws it away. Each couple holding hands, they walk off - Sam and Donna, Rosie and Bill and Tanya and Pepper (with his hand on her behind). 21.“I Have A Dream” (Sophie) Sophie and Sky are leaving for the trip around the world. They say goodbye to the three dads, and then there’s a tearful goodbye between Sophie and Donna. 22.Bows!!! Followed by the mini concert, not connected to the plot: 23. “Mamma Mia” (Ensemble, without Donna, Tanya, Rosie, Sam, Harry and Bill), 24.“Dancing Queen” (Donna, Rosie and Tanya –dressed in colorful spandex costumes) 25. “Waterloo” (Everyone, and the 3 Dads also come out wearing spandex costumes in colors that match their partners- Yellow for Donna and Sam, Red for Rosie and Bill, and Orange for Tanya and Harry. They dance in those pairs and at the end, one by one they take a bow again).