The Norwin Theatre Company performed the beloved Mamma Mia as their spring musical for the 2025-2026 school year. The performance took place in late March, with performances from March 19-22.
According to Music Theatre International, Mamma Mia tells “the hilarious story of a young woman’s search for her birth father. This sunny and funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago.” The songs in the musical are based on the songs recorded by Swedish musical group ABBA.
In the Norwin Theatre Company’s production of Mamma Mia, senior Sophia Tokay played Sophie Sheridan, the young girl searching for her father. Senior Sienna DeJesus played Sophie’s mother, Donna, and the character of Sky was played by junior Mikey Barone.
For many of the cast members, this musical marked their last performance in the Norwin Theatre Company. Mamma Mia certainly seemed to be a favorite among the cast.
“Mamma Mia was the crowning production of my high school theatre experience,” said Sienna DeJesus, who played Donna. “I have been in six prior shows (in which I have all made amazing memories), but Mamma Mia was by far the best. It was a culmination of all of my hard work with singing for the past eight years, which made it the most rewarding show. For me, there will never be another experience like our production of Mamma Mia, and I am so grateful to the cast, crew, and staff that I worked so hard with to make it happen.”
“The musical was an immersive experience for me,” said sophomore Malena DeJesus, a featured vocalist in Mamma Mia. “Getting the opportunity to meet so many new friends and perform alongside my sister during her senior year was an honor, and I know that the theatre company is in good hands for the upcoming years.”
In 2025, the Norwin Theatre Company performed High School Musical, and before that, they performed Grease and Mean Girls. Mamma Mia was the first musical set outside a high school in a couple of years. This proved to be a fun challenge for the cast.
“Mamma Mia is definitely different from the past shows I’ve done,” said Sophia Tokay. “It’s not a high school show. Ever since my eighth-grade year, they started doing high school performances. So they would be set in a high school setting. That’s all we’ve all experienced. I think it is different in the sense that Mamma Mia is not set in a high school, so we get to play characters that aren’t teenagers. It really challenges our acting.”
“I think there is something to be said for the dances; they seem a little more difficult this year, but that just makes it more fun that way,” said Mikey Barone when asked about what sets Mamma Mia apart.
The musical marked the first performances for the new Norwin Performing Arts Center. Construction on the high school auditorium ended soon before opening night. The cast and crew had to be creative in finding ways to rehearse.
“We’ve been practicing at the high school the entire process,” said Tokay. “While the stage was being under construction, we were practicing in either Mrs. Faulk’s room or Mrs. Scheirer’s room. Once we got the go-ahead to start practicing on the stage, we started practicing there.”
“This year the biggest challenge was time and space,” said Norwin Theatre Company’s technical director, Todd Leighty. “Thankfully, the crew was able to begin working on the set while the auditorium project was still being finished but it still came with challenges. We only had limited space to work on stage as we had to work around equipment and materials from the renovation project. We also were not able to add the stage extension on till after the renovation was complete so that limited the time the cast was able to adjust and rehearse on the complete set.”
Despite the challenges, Mamma Mia proved to be a success. The directors, cast, and crew were all extremely proud of the performances they put on for four nights. Mamma Mia will certainly be a musical to remember.
“Mamma Mia was such a special show for me,” said Norwin Theatre Company director Mrs. Lauren Scheirer. “It was certainly exciting to be the first big production in the new Performing Arts Center. Not only that, but this year’s cast and crew are absolutely outstanding in every way – their talent, work ethic, and positive attitudes made this show one to remember forever.”
