Battle Mountain High School Players present ‘Mamma Mia!’

It’s time for area schools to showcase what they have been working on this semester and this weekend the Battle Mountain High School Players present, “Mamma Mia!” the popular musical that has appeared on Broadway and other stages around the world.

Since Jan. 10, when Battle Mountain High School came back after the holiday break, 40 students have juggled their schedules and filled the time with memorizing lines, learning choreography and sharpening their singing skills to hit all the notes in the popular musical that features the songs of Swedish singing group ABBA. About a dozen more students work behind the scenes as stage managers and tech crew.

“Most tech crew members deal with costumes, props and sets, but one of our tech crew members is also designing and running the lighting for the show,” said Levi Walker, who is co-directing this production with David Mayer.

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Walker said they selected the musical “Mamma Mia!” because the interest has grown in Battle Mountain High School’s drama club.

“We needed a show that could accommodate a large cast. The students had expressed interest in “Mamma Mia!” for a couple of years now and we were happy to grant their wish,” Walker said.

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The story centers around the wedding of Sophie Sheridan, who has been raised by her mother, Donna. Sophie desperately wants to be walked down the aisle by her father, but his identity is a mystery. Sophie reads her mother’s diary to learn of three potential fathers and invites them all to the wedding so that she might learn which one is her father. Confusion, drama and much dancing ensue over the course of the musical.

“Mamma Mia!” is what is called a “jukebox musical,” meaning most of the songs were written before the plot was conceived. Think “Jersey Boys” and “Rock of Ages.” The writers of “Mamma Mia!” created a plot to weave all of ABBA’s greatest hits together. Listen for popular ABBA tunes like “Dancing Queen,” “Money, Money, Money,” and “Take a Chance on Me.”

ABBA’s hit songs are now 40 to 50 years old, so how does its music resonate with today’s teens?

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“Most of the students were very familiar with the music in the show because they’ve all seen the movie. They all love these songs, even the ones who came to know ABBA this semester. We believe that everyone is an ABBA fan, they just might not know it yet,” Walker said.

In the three weeks prior to opening night, the drama club has increased the length of rehearsals to three to four hours each night.

“In total, we will have rehearsed for 98 hours by the opening night,” Walker said.

Since Walker came to the Battle Mountain High School Choir & Theater department in 2021, the Battle Mountain High School Players have put on two plays, “Radium Girls” and “The Twelve Huntsmen,” along with the musical “Pippin.”

“We like to have a variety of subjects and styles in our productions, so the ease and fun of “Mamma Mia!” makes for a nice contrast to the moral gravity of “Pippin,” Walker said.

From the beginning of rehearsals to Opening Night, Walker sees student growth in a variety of ways. The biggest change noticed over time is the student’s camaraderie.

“Many students auditioned for one of our productions for the first time. At the beginning, new students felt ostracized and unsure they would fit in with the tightly knit group of their peers,” Walker said. “Now, after putting in all that work to learn and memorize two hours of lines, notes and choreography, the new students and veterans of the program have bonded over their shared experience.”

“Mamma Mia!” will be performed at the Battle Mountain High School auditorium in Edwards at 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at BMHSPlayers.com/#Ticket-Sales or at the door.