The most cheerful musical in the world "Mamma Mia!" will delight and inspire the audience of Sofia Opera in the first days of the New Year. With this hit show, the company sends an optimistic message of hope, love and joy in 2023.
Due to the great interest of the audience, the production directed by acad. Plamen Kartaloff will be performed five times in January – on the 5th, 6th and 7th at 19 h, and on Sunday – on January 8th two performances are scheduled – at 11 h and 19 h.
With a lot of positive emotions, joyful smiles and sincere applause, the cast and the audience celebrated the 100th anniversary performance of "Mamma Mia!" on 6 November 6 last year. In July 2018, Maestro Kartaloff staged one of the most famous and watched musicals in the world on the Bulgarian stage for the first time.
The Sofia Opera and Ballet has a full license to stage the work, which gives the director complete creative freedom to make his own version, full of fantasy, beautiful scenography and witty dialogues.
Fans of the musical "Mamma Mia!" know that the ABBA hits tells the curious story of 20-year-old Sophie, who is searching for her own father. On the eve of her wedding on a paradise Greek island, a daughter's strong desire to discover her father's identity brings three men from her mother Donna's past back to the island they last visited 21 years ago. Which of the three is Sophie's real father – Sam, Bill or Harry? And does Sophie really want to know who her daddy is.
The talented soloists and dancers from Sofia Opera, as well as popular and beloved guest-artists take part in the performance.
The charming Vesela Delcheva has been invariably in the role of Sophie ever since the premiere of the musical in Sofia.
In the role of the charismatic architect Sam and one of Sophie's alleged fathers we will see Vladimir Mihaylov (7 and 8 January at 11 h), Orlin Goranov (5 and 6 January) and Kiril Ivanov (8 January at 19h).
Alexander Georgiev is in the character of the travel writer Bill – the other possible father of the young girl. Simeon Vladov (5 January and 8 January at 11 h) and Nikolay Petrov (6,7 and 8 January at 19 h) share the role of the third possible dad – the eccentric bohemian Harry.
Edelina Kaneva, who has recently been the director of the Musical Theatre, (5 and 6 January) and Lyudmila Kozareva (7 and 8 January) alternate in the role of the woman with a turbulent past and Sophie's mother – Donna.
Radoslav Vladimirov (5, 7 and 8 January at 19 h) and Georgi Arsov play the role of Sky – Sophie's beloved husband. Boyan Arsov will be seen in all five performances as Pepper.
Yanitsa Maslinkova and Elena Stoyanova, as well as Silvana Pravcheva and Denitsa Shopova play the roles of Tanya and Rosie respectively.
Tsvetelina Kotseva, Marina Dragomiretskaya, and Adelina Tomova perform Lisa and Alia, respectively. Georgi Dzhanov plays the role of Eddie and Plamen Granjean dons the priest's cassock.
A well-deserved ovation is also given to all the artists of the ensemble, who with their inspired performance of the songs and dances contribute to the magic of "Mamma Mia!" – Pamela Pandova, Kristina Pipova, Anna Vutova, Nikola Popov, Yanko Yankov, Mihaela Dragoeva-Simeonova, Martin Petkov, Ana-Maria Kraycheva, Anastasia Levordashka, Boryana Yordanova, Maya Gueleva, Pavlina Petkova and Vladimir Manolov.
The musical's numerous spectators are immersed in ABBA's beautiful songs "Super Trouper", "Dancing Queen", "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "Take a Chance on Me", "Thank You for the Music", "Money, Money, Money", "The Winner Takes It All", "Voulez-Vous", "SOS" created by the genius songwriters and former band members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.
Conductor of the Sofia Opera and Ballet orchestra is maestro Svetoslav Lazarov. The "Greek" scenography is by Nela Stoyanova and the costumes – Hristiana Mihaleva. The songs of ABBA sound in the musical in the masterful translation into Bulgarian by Milena Borinova.
The packed halls of the Sofia Opera show that the audience loves this musical and the interest in it has not stopped for the fifth year. The Bulgarian version of "Mamma Mia!" is enthusiastically received during the tours around the country. On the second day of Christmas – on 26 December, the show visited Velingrad for the second time and again caused a furore.
The stage, as it usually happens in this musical, is transformed into a paradise Greek island with palm trees, a windmill and white and blue Greek-style houses, while the spectacular veils moved by the artists bring the turquoise sea to Sofia and everywhere around the country.
Sincere joy and applause is also caused by the appearance on the stage of maestro Plamen Kartaloff, who sometimes joins in the final dances.
The cheerful mood of the magnificent artists, who captivate the audience with their magical voices, with their dizzying dances, with their colourful clothes, is always transmitted to the spectators.
It is no coincidence that producer Yuri Franko, who has seen the Bulgarian "Mamma Mia!" on various stages in Bulgaria, says he is impressed by the passion and enthusiasm of the director Plamen Kartaloff and all the artists and musicians who realize this inspiring spectacle.
"That is why there is nothing surprising in the fact that some spectators, after seeing your performance, quite sincerely said that they had seen "Mamma Mia!" on Broadway or in the West End, but in their opinion the Sofia Opera production is better. From the very beginning of our collaboration, I felt the desire and goal of Maestro Kartaloff to achieve the best possible result and this came true", the producer does not spare superlatives.
"Mamma Mia!" is an intelligent positive therapy. "For us, this spectacle is one of the most optimistic. Our goal and hope is to fill the audience with joyful mood and bright thoughts. With this musical it's always a holiday," the artists told Lupa.bg.
"One summer! One dream! One chance to make it come true. Give yourself an eternal summer with the musical "Mamma Mia!", invites the Sofia Opera.
https://lupa.bg/news/mamma-mia-nosi-morski-polah-v-sofiyskata-opera-prez-yanuari_213020news.html?fbclid=IwAR3PwiaLgDo0ygcq_OfjIadeNeXk-iKNiFdpB_EhgUOE8O0Ky8HAA_Ce0_c