Every once in a while a musical comes along that makes the rare transition from a hit to a worldwide sensation and must-see cultural phenomenon. Few places are lucky enough to be a stop on a national tour for such a production. For fans of the smash hit musical “Mamma Mia!” your number has been called, as this wildly popular musical will be making a stop in Salt Lake City at Kingsbury Hall for a limited engagement March 13-15.

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“Mamma Mia!” has rapidly become one of the world’s most popular and beloved musicals since its premiere in London in 1999. The musical has been performed in more than 40 countries all over the world and has been seen by nearly 54 million people in 14 different languages. It has set a record for premiering in more cities worldwide faster than any other musical in the history of Broadway. The fact that Salt Lake City made the cut and is a stop on its 2015 North American Tour at a theater as intimate as Kingsbury Hall is an extremely rare occurrence that fans of “Mamma Mia!” should not miss out on.

While many people have seen the 2008 film version of “Mamma Mia!” that became a box office hit featuring a host of Hollywood stars like Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan, seeing this musical live on stage is a completely different thing. While the aforementioned actors did a credible job singing, their voices don’t quite match up to the professionally trained voices of Broadway stars. That, combined with the excitement and thrill of seeing a Broadway musical in person, makes seeing “Mamma Mia!” at Kingsbury Hall an experience that is far superior to seeing it at the movie theater.

“Mamma Mia!” is based on songs by two former members of ABBA, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, who composed the original music for the band. The musical includes hits like “Thank You for the Music,” “Super Trouper,” “Lay All Your Love on Me” and “Dancing Queen,” just to name a few that you have probably heard. These songs, which are good enough to listen to outside of the musical, powered by colorful costumes and impressive production value, make it an experience that theatre fans will not forget.

So even if you have seen the movie or have listened to the soundtrack countless times, nothing quite lives up to seeing “Mamma Mia!” in all its big Broadway glory. Tickets are going fast, so be sure get yours soon at kingsburyhall.utah.edu.

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