Film: Mamma Mia!

Mamma Mia! 'ABBA Gold' Tops Chart!

(L to R): JULIE WALTERS as Rosie Rice, MERYL STREEP as Donna Sheridan and CHRISTINE BARANSKI as Tanya Chesham-Leigh in the musical romantic comedy that celebrates mothers and daughters, old friends and new family found--"Mamma Mia!"
Photo Credit: Peter Mountain. Copyright: © 2007 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Genre: Musical Romantic Comedy

Cast: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski

Directed by: Phyllida Lloyd

Screenplay by: Catherine Johnson

Based on the Musical MAMMA MIA! With Music by: ABBA

Producers: Judy Craymer, Gary Goetzman

Executive Producers: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson

Movie Synopsis

PIERCE BROSNAN as Sam Carmichael and MERYL STREEP as Donna Sheridan in the musical romantic comedy that celebrates mothers and daughters, old friends and new family found--"Mamma Mia!" Photo Credit: Peter Mountain. Copyright: © 2007 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Meryl Streep leads an all-star cast in the feature-film adaptation of the beloved musical that has been seen by more than 30 million people in 160 cities and 8 languages around the world. Bringing the timeless lyrics and melodies of iconic super group ABBA to movie audiences, Summer 2008 is the season for Mamma Mia!

The three women who created the worldwide smash stage hit--global producer Judy Craymer, writer Catherine Johnson and director Phyllida Lloyd--repeat their roles in bringing this joyful, musical story to the big screen. The Mamma Mia! film is produced by Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman.

Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper join Streep in this celebration of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads.

An independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, Donna (Streep) is about to let go of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), the spirited daughter she's raised alone. For Sophie's wedding, Donna has invited her two lifelong best girlfriends--practical and no-nonsense Rosie (Julie Walters) and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tanya (Christine Baranski)--from her one-time backing band, Donna and the Dynamos. But Sophie has secretly invited three guests of her own.

On a quest to find the identity of her father to walk her down the aisle, she brings back three men from Donna's past to the Mediterranean paradise they visited 20 years earlier. Over 24 chaotic, magical hours, new love will bloom and old romances will be rekindled on this lush island full of possibilities.

Inspired by the storytelling magic of ABBA's songs from "Dancing Queen" and "S.O.S." to "Money, Money, Money" and "Take a Chance on Me," Mamma Mia! is a celebration of mothers and daughters, old friends and new family found.

Mamma Mia! 'ABBA Gold' Tops Chart!

LOS ANGELES, July 23, 208 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the success of the feature film "Mamma Mia!" which opened in theatres this past weekend, "ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits," the compilation CD released by Swedish pop group ABBA in 1992 has hit #1 on the national catalog chart. The announcement was made today by Bruce Resnikoff, President and Chief Executive Officer, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe).

The hit songs on "ABBA Gold" were recorded between 1973 - 1981, and the album has long been the best seller of all ABBA releases. Currently, it is one of the Top 40 best selling albums of all time worldwide, with sales topping 26 million. The album contains popular ABBA hits such as "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia," "The Winner Takes It All," "S.O.S.," "Fernando," "Voulez-Vous," and "Waterloo."

"ABBA Gold's #1 chart position this week speaks to the everlasting popularity of the group and their music," stated Resnikoff. "This resurgence in interest shows that their music can stand the test of time over and over."

Source: Universal Music Enterprises

Mamma Mia! The Musical Based on the Songs of ABBA: A Decca Broadway Original Cast Recording (1999 London Cast)

Put together by Abba's own Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, Mamma Mia! manages to cram over 20 of the Swedish supergroup's songs into a threadbare plot. It goes a little like this: Young Sophie is getting married and she's trying to identify which of three men is her father. That's about it. Wisely, the musical doesn't mess around with the songs, save for the insertion of some dialogue or for having some of them performed by a man (it works amazingly well). Abba fans will jump on this import of the London production, but traditional fans of musical theater should consider it as well. After all, Andersson and Ulvaeus's songs have always felt as if they were more than isolated pop gems and actually belonged to a longer narrative. --Elisabeth Vincentelli, Amazon

Listen to music from Mamma Mia!