'Mamma Mia!' to return with new cast

Stars of the musical “Mamma Mia!” attend a press conference at Millennium Seoul Hilton in central Seoul, Tuesday. From left are Kim Geum-na (playing Sophie), Shin Young-sook (Donna), Seohyun (Sophie), Choi Jung-won (Donna) and Park Ji-yeon (Sophie). / Yonhap

Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun to play ingenue Sophie

By Kwon Mee-yoo

It’s time to shake your body to the rhythm of ABBA’s music at musical “Mamma Mia!” which triumphantly returns to Charlotte Theater in southern Seoul after a three-year hiatus in Korea.

"Mamma Mia!" is a rollicking jukebox musical featuring some 22 songs of Swedish pop group ABBA. British playwright Catherine Johnson weaved the tale of Donna and her daughter Sophie living on a Greek Island from ABBA's music.

The hit West End musical first arrived in Korea in 2004 and it has been one of Korean's favorite musicals for its joyous music and touching plot revolving around a mother-daughter relationship and friendships of middle-aged women.

Mark Whittemore, international manager of Mamma Mia!, said he is excited to bring the show back to Korea.

Seohyun of Girls’ Generation is cast as bubbly island girl Sophie in “Mamma Mia!” at Charlotte Theater in southern Seoul from Feb. 24. / Courtesy of Seensee Company

"(Producer) Park mentioned that this show is a jewel and since 2004, Park and his wonderful team at Seensee never stopped caring about this jewel. This fantastic cast with new faces will add freshness to the show," Whittemore said at a press conference at Millennium Seoul Hilton, Tuesday.

The show centers on women’s lives and relationships and coincidently, major staff members of the production in Korea are also female ― associate director Lee Jae-eun, associate music director Kim Mun-jung and resident choreographer Hwang Hyun-jung.

Lee Jae-eun, the Korean associate director, said the show is always new because it is consistent. “We tried to keep the show fresh, while maintaining the spirit of the show,” Lee said.

Music director Kim said she has been keeping the list of actors who participated in the show since its 2004 Korean premiere. “Many of the actors who were in the show are now prominent and the show has been growing up with them. I began with the mind of Sophie and now I understand the feelings of Donna. It is a pleasure for a female music director to work with this show for such a long time,” Kim said.

The new production consists of veterans who already took part in the show ― Choi Jung-won as Donna, Jeon Soo-kyung as Tanya and Lee Kyung-mi as Rosie ― alongside the new cast joining the delightful musical for the first time ― Shin Young-sook as Donna, Kim Young-joo as Tanya and Hong Ji-min as Rosie.

Choi said she dreamt of failing the audition for the new production. “I was nervous because of the dream, but tried to find something new from the role I played for a long time.”

The new Donna Shin said the trio who previously played Donna and the Dynamos were her role models for a long time. “I will bring out the excitement I felt after seeing the show,” Shin said.

Lee of Rosie said the show has been a part of her life. “I spent a significant amount of my life with Mamma Mia! I always felt emotional for Sophie’s wedding scene and my daughter got married last year, and is now expecting a baby this spring. I share happiness and sorrow with the show.”

For the role of Sophie, Donna’s mischievous daughter who invites her mother’s three former dates to find her father, three aspiring actresses Park Ji-yeon, Kim Geum-na and Seohyun of Girls’ Generation are cast.

Park, who debuted playing Sophie in 2010, returns to the role and Kim, who recently played the titular princess in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” joins the show.

Seohyun came into the spotlight at the press conference for her third attempt in musical theater after Yeon-woo in “Moon Embracing the Sun” and Scarlett O'Hara in “Gone with the Wind.”

“I really wanted to take on the role of Sophie, so I made a diary of Donna imagining how it would be written and brought that to the audition,” Seohyun said.

Music director Kim said the creative team saw possibilities from Seohyun and her effervescent energy will bring happiness to the show.

The Korean production of Mamma Mia! runs from Feb. 24 to June 4. Tickets cost 60,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, visit www.iseensee.com or call 02-577-1987.