August
25Is the World Ready for a ‘Sing-Along’ with “Mamma Mia!”?
Summer’s over and it’s no longer hip to write about film grosses. The self-anointed analysts have run out of superlatives for “The Dark Knight,” which is just as well.
But many have overlooked the most surprising (and amusing) success story of summer – “Mamma Mia!” Not only has this offbeat, critically abused movie soared to record B.O. levels to become the most successful musical of all time, but it’s about to open in yet another run – the “Mamma Mia!: The Sing-Along Edition.”
Yes, audiences will be able to watch and sing starting Friday in 100 markets nationwide. Who needs “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” anymore? The lyrics will appear on the screen, karaoke-style, and “Dancing Queen” will resound into the night.
Here are the box office numbers: In the U.S., “Mamma Mia!” has grossed $124 million and seems easily headed for a total $135 million. Overseas, the total is presently $233 million and could reach an astonishing $300 million. By contrast, “The Sound of Music” worldwide rang up $282 million. Even with a reissue in ’98, “Grease” earned $394 million. The most successful contemporary musicals, “Chicago” and “Hairspray,” did $307 million and $200 million, respectively.
Now, let’s remember that the critics by and large found “Mamma Mia!” to be a pop-culture nightmare. The movie’s score on Rotten Tomatoes was 54%. On top of all this, the “Mamma Mia!” music soundtrack has confounded naysayers by soaring to the top of the charts, selling 700,000 copies.
So how to explain the “Mamma Mia” phenomenon? I’d propose these theories:
-- Though the pros hate to admit it, Abba music is almost Beatles-like in its durability. It wasn’t ‘60s rock. It wasn’t R&B. It wasn’t especially hip or inside. But its strange mix of disco beat and Swedish folk seemed to resonate worldwide. Painful as it is to admit to industry insiders, Abba still rocks.
-- The movie may have been clumsy in spots, over exuberant if not downright dopey here and there, but it was gleeful. Just as “Dark Knight” wallowed in despair, “Mamma Mia” basked in confused merriment. People left feeling happy. How many movies can make that claim?
OK, a confession: I have been rooting for “Mamma Mia” since its inception for sentimental reasons. This was the underdog show of its generation – the show everyone said could never work. Its main proponents were Judy Craymer -- a one-time assistant to a theatrical producer she recklessly incurred $35,000 in personal debts in her fruitless pursuit to turn Abba music into a show -- and her writer, Catherine Johnson, who was living on welfare with two young children and working part-time cleaning pubs.
No showbiz outsiders ever had to overcome more naysayers than these two. Even when their show finally opened in London, the critics were embarrassed to admit it worked, “A tacky but ridiculously enjoyable wallow,” said the Express.
The theatrical production has made Craymer and Johnson two of the richest women in England. The movie only adds to their largesse.
Good for them.
But many have overlooked the most surprising (and amusing) success story of summer – “Mamma Mia!” Not only has this offbeat, critically abused movie soared to record B.O. levels to become the most successful musical of all time, but it’s about to open in yet another run – the “Mamma Mia!: The Sing-Along Edition.”
Yes, audiences will be able to watch and sing starting Friday in 100 markets nationwide. Who needs “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” anymore? The lyrics will appear on the screen, karaoke-style, and “Dancing Queen” will resound into the night.
Now, let’s remember that the critics by and large found “Mamma Mia!” to be a pop-culture nightmare. The movie’s score on Rotten Tomatoes was 54%. On top of all this, the “Mamma Mia!” music soundtrack has confounded naysayers by soaring to the top of the charts, selling 700,000 copies.
So how to explain the “Mamma Mia” phenomenon? I’d propose these theories:
-- Though the pros hate to admit it, Abba music is almost Beatles-like in its durability. It wasn’t ‘60s rock. It wasn’t R&B. It wasn’t especially hip or inside. But its strange mix of disco beat and Swedish folk seemed to resonate worldwide. Painful as it is to admit to industry insiders, Abba still rocks.
-- The movie may have been clumsy in spots, over exuberant if not downright dopey here and there, but it was gleeful. Just as “Dark Knight” wallowed in despair, “Mamma Mia” basked in confused merriment. People left feeling happy. How many movies can make that claim?
OK, a confession: I have been rooting for “Mamma Mia” since its inception for sentimental reasons. This was the underdog show of its generation – the show everyone said could never work. Its main proponents were Judy Craymer -- a one-time assistant to a theatrical producer she recklessly incurred $35,000 in personal debts in her fruitless pursuit to turn Abba music into a show -- and her writer, Catherine Johnson, who was living on welfare with two young children and working part-time cleaning pubs.
No showbiz outsiders ever had to overcome more naysayers than these two. Even when their show finally opened in London, the critics were embarrassed to admit it worked, “A tacky but ridiculously enjoyable wallow,” said the Express.The theatrical production has made Craymer and Johnson two of the richest women in England. The movie only adds to their largesse.
Good for them.
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I'm personally neither an ABBA nor a Mamma Mia fan, so I can't see myself ever going to this, but if they had done it for other musicals (Hairspray, etc.), I would have been first in line. I know the movie has a lot of die-hards, so I think it will do well.
Also, Mr. Bart, could you enable RSS Feeds for your blog? It would make it much simpler for me to use/read.
Posted by: Jake | 8/26/2008 10:22:54 PM