by Julie Gowel ·
Friday, April 3, 2026
The Bromfield School stage was transformed into a Greek island for the spring musical on Friday, March 27, through Sunday, March 29, with three performances of “Mamma Mia!” The show blended music, humor, and high-energy dance numbers set to the songs of the 1970s iconic band ABBA.
The auditorium was packed on Friday evening for the opening show. Unlike the fall play, “Clue,” which was for high schoolers only, or the middle schoolers winter show, “High School Musical Jr.,” the spring production includes the whole Bromfield school, and turnout led to crew members having to open upper balcony seating to accommodate the large audience.
A few technical glitches proved to be a nonissue for the actors, who spent the night smiling through the toe-tapping musical ensembles and comedic one-liners. By the time the Saturday and Sunday performances hit the stage, the kinks were worked out and the show went off without a hitch.
“Mamma Mia!” is the story of Sophie, played by junior Thalia Ruark, and her upcoming nuptials. She invites the three men she believes could be her father to the ceremony in hopes of figuring out which one is her dad. Sophie’s mom, Donna, played by senior Adelle Besse, is a former musician and independent innkeeper on the Greek island of Santorini. The story unfolds through a series of songs from the disco era and funny and heartfelt encounters between mother and daughter, and between the three potential fathers: Sam Carmichael, played by junior Cary Walker; Bill Austin, played by sophomore Eleni Kekis; and Harry Bright, played by sophomore Cecil Morton.
The show’s choreography was a highlight throughout the night, particularly during “Lay All Your Love on Me,” when dancers performed in swim flippers, drawing guffaws from the audience. “We had an unusual arrangement for choreography,” said Liz Ruark, the show’s director. “Our choreographer, Emily Lambert, has a job [that] made it impossible for her to come to all the after-school rehearsals. She took four afternoons off from work to teach the two most complex dances, but for the rest of the dances, she recorded videos.”
The choreography wasn’t the only impressive part of the show. Many of the songs required strong vocal performances, including “The Winner Takes it All” in the second act, performed by Besse. The audience’s enthusiastic response to her emotional portrayal of a heartbroken woman spoke to her talent.
Another standout moment of the show came during the song “Take a Chance on Me.” Morton and sophomore Jackie Beauchemin, who played Rosie, a friend of Donna’s romantically interested in Bill, performed an entertaining cat-and-mouse exchange. The number was almost as much fun to watch as it was to perform, if the playful smiles and high-energy of the actors were any indication of their enjoyment.
The backstage crew played a critical role in bringing the production together. Senior Will Stoddard, one of the show’s two stage managers, described the extensive coordination required. “We did a lot of the behind-the-scenes work, organizing who moves what, what the set looks like, what props are needed,” said Stoddard. “During the show, I’m up in the tech booth calling cues to everyone. It’s kind of wild while the show is happening.”
Some of that wildness came in the form of malfunctioning microphones, lighting issues, and sound problems. “A bunch of unexpected technical glitches happened,” said Liz Ruark. “They weren’t mistakes by the tech crew; we call it ‘gremlins in the system,’ and it happens in live theater all the time.” She said the students ignored the gremlins and performed exactly as they had veen practicing.
Thalia Ruark said balancing her leading role with her other responsibilities in the show was challenging. “I was teaching most of the dances and doing a lot of other odd jobs,” she said. Thalia would watch the videos from the choreographer, and along with fellow castmates and dancers, senior Ameila Haley and sophomore Sabina Haley, teach them to the rest of the cast.
“We got to ‘Voulez Vous,’ the big showstopper, and they nailed it, the hardest number in the whole show,” said Liz Ruark. “I just started sobbing, and I basically didn’t stop crying until well after the final pose.”
“It’s my senior show, so I’m really happy with it,” said Stoddard. “Seeing everything come together into such an exciting, happy show is really special.”
The show concluded not with a curtain call, but with a full audience dance party that had students and families alike on their feet. “Words simply can’t express how proud I am of these students,” said Liz Ruark. “They put in the work, and they discovered what they were capable of.”
See photos from the production: Skylight Youth Theater & the Bromfield Drama Society present 'Mamma Mia!'