DIRECTOR ' S NOTE
CHRISTOPHER OKIISHI
“ WE ’ RE BACK AND READY TO BLOW OFF THE ROOF .”
I must have been 10 years old . In the back seat of my parents ' Dodge Rambler . The radio tuned to central Iowa FM . And suddenly , something magical came out of the speakers .
Disco , yes , but with a full choral ensemble , strings , synthesizers , and sweet , sweet Scandinavian voices .
I remember thinking : Is there really a dancing queen ? Was there a competition ? What were her duties ? But wherever she was , I wanted to be there .
I had started working a paper route and used my new-found wealth to buy The Magic of ABBA available from K-Tel records , purchased at a discount at Woolworths , and worn to scratchy vinyl ribbons on my hand-me-down record player .
A life-long fan was born !
Soon , I would come to know I was not alone . ABBA reached into a groovy , un-ironic place in many people ’ s hearts . Yes , there was some cheese there , too , but ABBA made it okay to sing along , to dance along , to risk a little in pursuit of a perfect disco moment .
I followed them through their last album in the early 80s . Their solo careers . The musical Chess . The cover album by Erasure called , appropriately , ABBA-esque .
So , when word came that a British playwright named Catherine Johnson had teamed with the very high-brow National Theater director Phyllida Lloyd to create a brand-new story featuring the songs of ABBA , my heart did a little flip . In the wake of 9 / 11 , the show opened on Broadway and brought a much-needed evening of solace to a literally shell-shocked city .
And now , we get to bring it to Cedar Rapids , in the wake of another life-altering event . We were meant to open in Summer of 2020 and had exactly one rehearsal before COVID shut us all down . Now , we ’ re back and ready to blow off the roof , with the best collaborators , the most energetic and talented cast ( led by the icon , Janelle Lauer ), and new friends along the way .
Let ’ s go to Greece , y ’ all . This is your invitation to celebrate with us !
See that girl ? Watch that scene ! Dig it .
28 Mamma Mia ! | theatrecr . org