{"id":313044,"date":"2019-11-29T06:06:03","date_gmt":"2019-11-28T20:06:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=313044"},"modified":"2019-11-29T06:06:03","modified_gmt":"2019-11-28T20:06:03","slug":"mcs-theatre-club-presents-mamma-mia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/mcs-theatre-club-presents-mamma-mia\/","title":{"rendered":"MCS Theatre Club presents\u00a0Mamma Mia!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Mamma Mia!\u00a0director Brandee Hunter, left, poses with lead actor Tessie Rose Schweiger, who plays Sophie. (MCS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mount Carmel School\u2019s Theatre Club is gearing up to present its next production,\u00a0Mamma Mia!, the hit Broadway musical featuring the music of ABBA. The show is set for performances on Friday, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 7, at the school\u2019s historic auditorium.<\/p>\n

Mamma Mia!\u00a0is directed by junior and Theatre Club veteran Brandee Hunter. <\/p>\n

Since this is her first time directing, Hunter was at first nervous but now that the show is about a week away, she is confident and excited.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel overwhelmed with joy that I get to direct and be a part of such a beautiful production,\u201d she said. \u201cThe cast and crew have been working hard these past months and will deliver a great show that everyone should come and watch.\u201d <\/p>\n

Hunter is no stranger to the Theatre Club, having been an extra in the club\u2019s 2014 production of Disney\u2019s The Little Mermaid and production manager for the club\u2019s most recent entry into the successful \u201cWe Drank Our Tears\u201d film series.<\/p>\n

The show also stars AlumKnight and teacher Keiko Yamagata, in her debut theatrical performance as lead character, Donna, the mother of Sophie, who is played by Tessie Rose Schweiger. Their tumultuous relationship stands at the heart of the show\u2019s story, which unfolds on the Greek island of paradise to the music of ABBA. On the eve of her wedding, Sophie\u2019s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother\u2019s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have never been involved with theatre but I am truly grateful for this experience,\u201d Yamagata said.<\/p>\n

She was particularly impressed with the talent, skill, and commitment of her fellow cast and crew members. \u201cIt was an awesome experience working with the cast and crew. They are very talented and committed to putting on a great show for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is not Schweiger\u2019s first time on stage, having acted in several productions, including the lead role of Mulan in the club\u2019s 2017 production of Disney\u2019s Mulan Jr. \u201cAs opening night approaches, I feel nervous and anxious.\u201d Still, she is excited, especially to put on another show with the club. \u201cWords cannot explain how I feel, but I am beyond grateful to share this same feeling of love and passion with people who enjoy the stage just as much as I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Mamma Mia!\u00a0lead actors Keiko Yamagata, right, who plays Donna, and Tessie Rose Schweiger, who plays Sophie, read through their lines in preparation for the show. (MCS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The show also features teachers Eleanor Alejo and Criselda Aldan as Donna\u2019s best friends, with Jonathan Hernandez, Jener Pineda, and Eric Atalig as the men from Donna\u2019s past. Also appearing in the show are John San Nicolas as Sophie\u2019s fianc\u00e9 and Kyla Cabrera and Raven-Mae Banez Driver as Sophie\u2019s best friends. The show will also feature live music under the direction of school music teacher, Julian Greening, with vocal direction by AlumKnight Jan Bobadilla.<\/p>\n

Mamma Mia!\u00a0will also mark the school\u2019s first performance in its historic auditorium since it was destroyed over a year ago by Super Typhoon Yutu. While the auditorium was reopened earlier this school year, the stage had yet to be repaired. However, with recent funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a temporary structure, the school was able to move forward with remaining repairs for the stage.<\/p>\n

School president, Theatre Club adviser, and show producer Galvin Deleon Guerrero is very happy about returning to the auditorium. \u201cThis stage has so much significance for so many AlumKnights. They remember not only the signing of the CNMI Covenant and Constitution, but also playing basketball, holding dances, and, of course, performing here. \u2026Performing here will be a homecoming of sorts, and we look forward to many more productions to come.\u201d Since the repairs were completed to provide a temporary structure, the school plans to continue working with FEMA on a more permanent structure.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Mount Carmel School Theatre Club co-adviser and AlumKnight Victoria Deleon Guerrero, left, guides cast and crew members through the production process as they prepare for\u00a0Mamma Mia! (MCS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mamma Mia!\u00a0features music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Bj\u00f6rn Ulvaeus with some songs with Stig Anderson and book by Catherine Johnson. Originally conceived by Judy Craymer, the show was originally produced in London by Craymer, Richard East, and Bj\u00f6rn Ulvaeus for Littestar in association with Universal with additional material and arrangements by Martin Koch. The music is published by Universal Music Publishing Group and EMI Grove Music Inc. and EMI Waterford Music Inc.\u00a0Mamma Mia!\u00a0is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI at\u00a0www.MTIShows.com.<\/p>\n

Mamma Mia!\u00a0will be performed on Dec. 6 and 7 at Mount Carmel School. Admission is $25 for front-row premium seats, $10 for preferred seating, and $5 for general admission. Tickets may be purchased at the Mount Carmel School Business Office or at the door. However, due to limited seating, advanced purchase of tickets is recommended.<\/p>\n

For more information call 234-6184 or visit\u00a0www.mountcarmelsaipan.com. (PR)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mount Carmel School\u2019s Theatre Club is gearing up to present its next production,\u00a0Mamma Mia!, the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-313044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313044","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=313044"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313044\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=313044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=313044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=313044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}