Mamma mia!

The global hit musical “Mamma Mia!” is being staged in Lithuania for the first time. It is an incredibly human story, born from the lyrics of the legendary band ABBA and the vision of one woman. Leonard Charl Prinsloo, director: “People fell in love with the musical ‘Mamma Mia!’ because it’s full of the joy of life. This music inspires you to live.” “Mamma Mia!” began with a vision from British producer Judy Craymer. As a devoted fan of the legendary Swedish pop group, Craymer came up with the idea of creating a musical based on their popular songs. “I just felt that ABBA’s songs told a story. You could feel everyday life in them,” she said. ABBA took the world by storm in 1974 after winning the Eurovision Song Contest (group members: Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad). Having sold over 300 million albums and singles, the group launched the billion-dollar “Mamma Mia!” franchise. The musical score for this musical features hits by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus: “Super Trouper,” “Dancing Queen,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “Thank You for the Music,” “Money, Money, Money,” and, of course, “Mamma Mia.” The songwriters did not immediately agree to collaborate on creating the music for the stage production of the musical. “I thought ABBA was dead and forgotten, just like so many other bands of that era. In the 1990s, ABBA was viewed very unfavorably,” said B. Ulvaeus. J. Craymer recalled that it took a long time to convince Benny and Björn: “They no longer considered themselves pop stars and had left ABBA in the past. After the group broke up, everyone was convinced that no one would listen to their songs anymore.” The libretto for the musical was commissioned by J. Craymer and written by British playwright, film, and television screenwriter Catherine Johnson. “I was a complete unknown and had no money, so it certainly wasn’t as if I was hanging out with famous writers and directors. At the time, I could only afford to pay for the writer’s train ride from Bristol, and the rest of the money was just enough for a sandwich and a glass of beer,” J. Craymer said, recounting the beginning of the creative process. The musical “Mamma Mia!” explores women’s power, freedom of self-expression, and human frailties. ABBA’s lyrics are incredibly candid, sensitive, and reflective of human experiences: the passage of time, falling in love, marriage, motherhood, the feeling of loss, relationship breakdowns, and so on. The early, more youthful songs about falling in love, such as “Honey, Honey,” as well as later songs about fading love, inspired a story about two generations of women. “I’m a single mother raising two children myself, so I knew I wanted to write about a single mother and her daughter,” said screenwriter C. Johnson. The musical premiered in 1999 at the Prince Edward Theatre in London’s West End. Later, the story took on a new form—transforming from a stage production into a film comedy. In 2008, the film *Mamma Mia!* was released, featuring an all-star cast: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Amanda Seyfried, and Christine Baranski. The success of “Mamma Mia!” exceeded all expectations. The musical, which became a global hit, has captivated over 70 million people worldwide. The film “Mamma Mia!” earned Golden Globe, Grammy, and BAFTA nominations. It is the longest-running “jukebox” musical of all time. ABOUT THE CREATOR Judy Craymer, the creator and producer of the “Mamma Mia!” musical, has produced 50 productions of the show in 16 languages across more than 440 cities worldwide. Ten years after the film “Mamma Mia!” grossed more than $600 million, Craymer produced a second musical film based on original ABBA songs, “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.” The film premiered in 2018 and became the most successful live-action musical sequel of all time, grossing nearly $400 million. In 2002, J. Craymer received the “Woman of the Year” award for the international success of “Mamma Mia!” In 2007, on the occasion of the Queen’s birthday, she was honored with the Order of the British Empire for her contributions to the music industry. In 2008, the producer received the “Women in Film ITV” Achievement of the Year Award and was also nominated for the BAFTA “Carl Foreman” Award.   Concept by Judy Craymer Libretto by Catherine Johnson Music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus Translation of the musical’s lyrics into Lithuanian – Virginijus Pupšys The event will be filmed and photographed. General Sponsor