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Home > Blogs > Sir Critic on Cinema > Archives > 2008 > July > 14 > Entry
Guess what?? ‘Mamma Mia’ is a musical!
So there’s a new movie musical coming out Friday, but you’d never guess it from the previews.
It’s Mamma Mia, whose ads make it look like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but Actually in Greece This Time! However, people familiar with showbiz know the title is a musical featuring the songs of ABBA.
So yes, Meryl Streep sings! And so do Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard! And I believe some of them dance too!
So why is Universal trying to hide that fact? I haven’t seen a single ad with anything resembling a musical number. If there is such an ad, it hasn’t been shown much. And that makes no sense to me.
Paramount took basically the same tact with Sweeney Todd last year, obscuring the fact that Johnny Depp can carry a tune - and quite well, at that. But as dishonest as that strategy was, it was understandable. A certain segment of Johnny Depp’s audience believes that if they get stuck at a musical, they will no longer be able to breed. And given the mindset, maybe that’s all for the better.
However, Mamma Mia’s target audience is predominantly female, and women usually have not been so quick to reject musicals as men. I’ve heard more than one person refer to Mamma Mia as “this year’s Hairspray.” Hairspray was a big hit last year - and that film didn’t hide the fact that it was a musical at all!
So I don’t get it. Do you? Did you know Mamma Mia was a musical? And now that you do, does that make you more or less inclined to see it?
Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment | Categories: Coming Attractions
Comments
By Catherine Barnes
July 16, 2008 2:27 PM | Link to this
Mamma Mia! is a fabulous show and based on the previews promises to be an enjoyable movie! Go see Mamma Mia!By SwissMiss
July 14, 2008 9:57 PM | Link to this
I knew it was a musical, and despite not being an ABBA fan (grew up in the wrong generation for that wave), I am interested in seeing it. I only know Stellan Skarsgard from his role in ‘Arthur’ as the brutal Germanic tribal king, and I really liked him in that role, so I’d really love to see him sing! That all said, the film seems like a fun one to see with friends.By KatieFS
July 14, 2008 9:26 PM | Link to this
I can’t believe people wouldn’t know it was a musical. Have these people been hiding under a rock for the past couple of years? Mama Mia was on Broadway and a huge hit in Toronto. Of course, I was shocked when people said they were surprised Sweeney Todd was a musical. It’s been done on Broadway and on the London stage several times. I guess some people never pay any attention to anything concering live theatre.By Katie
July 14, 2008 5:21 PM | Link to this
The first time I saw a preview for Mamma Mia was at the Sex and the City movie. My friends and I, a mixture of musical lovers and not-so-comfortable with musicals people all knew that it was a musical and are all excited for the film. The women behind us however loudly expressed their dismay. “It’s a musical?! Ick? Why would they do that?” So apparently there are some target audience members (can’t target much better than SATC) who do not like musicals and need to be tricked into seeing what I hope will be a new classic / modern musical.By Sir Critic
July 14, 2008 1:44 PM | Link to this
To be clear, I certainly knew Mamma Mia was a musical, but Universal’s marketing department seems to believe many people don’t know that. Hence their strange strategy for the movie.By Theatre patron
July 14, 2008 1:37 PM | Link to this
Uhhh… you must’ve been living under a rock to not know it was a musical - considering it has been to Dayton at least twice within the last few years - playing at the Schuster Center as part of the Victoria Theatre line-up.By Allie D
July 14, 2008 12:33 PM | Link to this
Yes, I did know Mamma Mia was a musical, due mostly to the fact that they had a feature on it on the little video reel that plays before the trailers start at the theater. And there were people singing and dancing all over the place. Musicals as a rule do not turn me me off. ABBA’s music, however, does. Big time. I have no plans to see this movie.By Kim s.
July 14, 2008 12:20 PM | Link to this
Course I knew it was a musical! And from the last ad I saw, which had a huge production number in it, and Meryl singing with the music in the background, I think the studio may have caught on to the fact that they needed to publicize it. I’m going to try to see it this weekend, but I’m seeing TDK first.