Las Vegas Weekly

July 17, 2008 · 12:30 PM

Mamma Mia! musical stars welcome Mamma Mia! Movie

By Robin Leach

If the stars of our Mamma Mia! musical at Mandalay Bay were movie critics like Ebert & Roeper, they’d give the new Mamma Mia! movie "two thumbs up." Our local cast and crew got a sneak preview of the Meryl Streep-Pierce Brosnan-Christine Baranski-Colin Firth movie, which opens across the country tomorrow.

Photo: KirvanDoak

Current and former cast members of Mamma Mia! at the Mandalay Bay show were joined by Jersey Boys and Phantom -- The Las Vegas Spectacular cast members.

At the special preview in the Town Square movie complex, current and former cast members of the Mandalay show were joined by Jersey Boys and Phantom of the Opera cast members from the Palazzo and the Venetian. Carol Linnea Johnson, Jacquelyn Holland-Wright, Victor Wallace and Tina Walsh represented Mamma Mia! and Jeremy Kushnier (Tommy DeVito) and Erich Bergen (Bob Gaudio) were there from Jersey, while Kristi Holden (Christine) was there from Phantom.

"I'm going to steal a lot of the stuff that Meryl did in the movie that hadn't occurred to me for the same role on stage," said musical lead Carol Linnea Johnson. "I absolutely loved the movie. It's gorgeous from start to finish."

Victor Wallace, who plays the role of Sam Carmichael here, added: "It's one of those films that will be a cult classic. This is the perfect feel-good summer movie." And Vegas actor Marshall Kennedy Carolan, who plays the role of Sky, summed up: "Just fantastic. Everybody will love it as much as the live show."

Photo: Universal Studios

The cast of Mamma Mia!, a film that could give a boost to the production at Mandalay Bay.

Mandalay Bay executives believe their production, which celebrated its fifth anniversary this past Feb. 13, will get a box office boost from the hit movie, and they're ready to extend it past next January if increased ticket sales warrant it. They extended it past this coming Aug. 31, when it passed the 2,300-performance mark. Worldwide, the ABBA musical has been seen by more than 30 million people with 10 productions playing around the world in five languages -- and three companies here in North America.

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