February 16, 2022
Story and photos by Joe Vinduska
The Barton Community College Performing Arts Department will bring a classic musical to the Fine Arts Auditorium this spring as it presents “Mamma Mia,” with multiple showings March 4-6 and 10-12. Tickets are available at shows.bartonccc.edu. There will be no tickets sold at the door.
Director Dr. Eric Foley said the show will be a vibrant, memorable experience that attendees won’t soon forget.
“This show is perfect for our time because of its great energy and upbeat musical emphasis,” he said. “It is full of rhythm, life and the enchantment of love. It’s also nostalgic in many ways for those who love to sing along to the classic songs by ABBA, like ‘Dancing Queen.’ However, the musical has a deeper story underneath the pop songs that tells of a parent reconciling their own life decisions while learning to support those of their adult child.”
Foley said this show is unique for Barton in that because of the number of showings they are using “swings,” which means there are alternating female leads, and it allows for key roles to get proper rest for their vocal well-being between performances. He said this is a common practice in professional theatre settings. The following lead roles have swings: Emma King (Sophie), Shelly Duvall (Donna) and Jennifer Hopkins (Rosie), and their respective counterparts are: Ellyson Somers (Sophie), Maddy Kevins (Donna), Aprille Ullerick (Rosie). Performance lineups are available at shows.bartonccc.edu.
The vibe of the cast and crew is overwhelmingly positive as they prepare for opening night.
Duvall, a community member and Barton Theatre veteran, has participated in multiple productions at the college over the past 11 years and plays the role of Donna Sheridan.
“’Mamma Mia’ is a show full of music that makes you want to get up and dance,” she said. “The energy from the cast will be felt throughout the auditorium. Each emotion you have will be brought out by the music of ABBA. Be prepared to see it all! Each time I finish a show I feel like I can never top what I just accomplished. It makes me eager to see what show is up next. We are very blessed as community to be given an opportunity to do what we love… perform!
Sayaka Kawai, who plays Ali and lives on campus is excited to get up on the stage again after performing in the fall production of “Clue, On Stage.”
“This is a musical by amazing directors,” she said. “We have wonderful singers, dancers and actors. I’m extremely excited to show this to everyone. It’s like a dream to be a part of a musical even though I don’t have any experience in singing on stage. I can’t wait to perform my second Barton Theatre production.”
Community member Shannon Somers plays Tanya and her daughter Ellyson plays Sophie’s swing and is a member of the chorus.
“It’s been a blast,” she said. “I’ve done lots of Barton Theatre productions when I was younger, but this is my first show since “Beauty and the Beast” in 2010. I’ve loved being on stage again. Especially since my daughter is joining me this time.”
“Mamma Mia” will be Ellyson’s foray into the world of musicals.
“This is my first year participating in a musical and I am beyond excited,” she said. “I’ve loved singing and dancing my whole life. I also get to enjoy extra time with my mom. We love musicals and doing this together makes it special.”
For more information, contact Foley at (620) 792-9395 or foleye@bartonccc.edu.