Coming to Indonesia for the first time with the help of Sorak Gemilang Entertainment, local ABBA and musical fans will be treated to 16 shows of the legendary musical from Aug. 28 to Sept. 9 at the Teater Jakarta of Taman Ismail Marzuki arts center. 

The roughly 2.5-hour Mamma Mia! musical has been enjoyed by more than 60 million people around the world since it began touring regularly in 2004, with 60 productions performed in 16 languages since its debut in London’s West End in 1999. 

The original musical, written by playwright Catherine Johnson based on the ABBA tunes by songwriters Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus and produced by Judy Craymer and directed by Phyllida Lloyd, inspired the films that eventually hit the big screen.

Featuring the immortal music of the peerless Swedish pop sensation, the musical arrives in the nation’s capital after the recent release of Mamma Mia!Here We Go Again, the eponymous sequel that follows the trials and tribulations of the Sheridan mother and daughter, played respectively by Meryl Streep and Amanda 

Seyfried.

ABBA is probably the most karaoke-able band in history, as their hits never snag and remain ever catchy. It is almost certain that songs like “Dancing Queen”, “Gimme Gimme Gimme”, “Voulez Vous” and “Does Your Mother Know” will shake up the theater as the audience rises in song. 

Associate producer Nick Grace recently told reporters in Jakarta that he was confident that the two-week showing of the musical, which had sold out countless times in the West End, would also sell out here on the universal appeal of ABBA’s brand of pop. 

“We’re excited to bring the entire Mamma Mia! crew to Jakarta, and the crew are excited to come as well. It’ll be a treat for Jakartans not to have to go all the way to London to see it,” said Grace. “I guarantee the audience will be spoiled by the cheerful music, coupled by the sunny Greek atmosphere the production evokes.” 

Mamma Mia! will be the third Western musical for Sorak Gemilang to bring to Indonesia, after its earlier successes in bringing The Sound of Music and Madagascar to local musical lovers. Tickets for Mamma Mia! range from Rp 850,000 (US$58.6) to Rp 2.6 million. 

Sorak Gemilang Entertainment director Denny Sumali said that the 1,200-seat Teater Jakarta was the perfect spot to present the world-class production. Apparently, the Mamma Mia! crew agree. 

“It was lovely to hear that when the crew surveyed the theater, they felt that it was as world class as the theaters they were used to in the West End. After [such a comment], it would be wrong not to carry on,” said Denny.

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