'Mamma Mia!' set to be 'biggest' show to date

A diverse cast and ensemble will take center stage as part of Cape Girardeau Central High School's production of the ABBA-inspired 1970s musical, "Mamma Mia!"

The show runs 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Richard D. Kinder Performance Hall in Cape Girardeau.

Cape Girardeau Central High School drama instructor and theater director Belle Delacruz said this show is the biggest undertaking thus far.

Peighton Robinson, 17, sings "Mamma Mia" portraying the character Donna Sheridan during the first act of at Cape Central High School's spring musical of Mamma Mia Wednesday, April 10, 2019, in Cape Girardeau.Kassi Jackson ~ Southeast Missourian

The story of "Mamma Mia!" centers around a girl named Sophie who wants to get married, but only because she wants to figure out whom her biological father is.

"We have the orchestra in the pit for the first time, and taking that up was an adventure," Delacruz said. "If the audience comes up to the stage, they can look down and see the orchestra."

In the past, the orchestra was hidden onstage somewhere, she said, which created a "plethora of problems."

Also new this year is the show's set size -- the largest and tallest that's been in the auditorium.

In deciding the cast of nearly 30 students, Delacruz said she wanted to cast a diverse group of performers. "I have a lot of African -American friends, and it's all mixed in together," Delacruz said. "People may be confused, but that's what we're doing. ... I'd say this year, I've really been pushing inclusiveness with our theater program."

She said diversity is "what theater needs to be."

Senior Timothy Babers portrays Pepper, a fun and rambunctious type who likes flirting with older women. Babers said the storyline quickly leads to "a lot drama," requiring him to react accordingly to the situations being portrayed.

"The only challenge for me was having to do the song, "Does Your Mother Know,'" he said. "For that song, Pepper is trying to impress Tonya and be with her. That requires a lot of close dancing."

With the show incorporating many song and dance combos, Babers said, most of the side leads also are in the ensemble, participating within "all the big group songs."

Babers will be singing a lot, he said, but won't sing by himself much.

"I have to go bare-chested," Babers said. "I have to get my chest contoured for that."

Senior Elizabeth Hughes said her main concern is making sure there are enough makeup remover wipes for the cast and ensemble, while also trying to perfect the casts' hairstyles.

"Makeup remover goes by really fast," Hughes added.

Tickets are $10; Cape Girardeau Public Schools student and faculty tickets are $7. More information can be found on Facebook.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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