Theatre Aspen’s first production of the summer starts previewing tonight. “Mamma Mia!” is a jukebox musical that takes the songs of the pop-group ABBA and weaves them into a story of love and the relationship between a mother and daughter.
Mark Price performed in the original Broadway production of “Mamma Mia!”. It was right after 9/11, and on top of that, he was dealing with a death in the family. The peppy songs of ABBA were far from what he needed at that point.
It took him years to see the show after he left the cast. It was then that he could see what was so appealing about the musical.
“It was the first time I could really take in how joyful and how fun the show was,” Price said.
Price originated the role of Pepper in the original cast, but now he plays Harry, one of three potential fathers of a bride-to-be. They’re all invited to the wedding without the mother’s knowledge.
When Price was in the show more than a decade ago years ago, the script felt a little bit soft. But now because of that capacity for the joy he said he has, he understands it more. It doesn’t feel as soft.
“I think when you have a subject like joy,” Price said. “When you have a topic like fun, and the themes in this show identity, family, family that you choose or that you’re born into. People are going to have different takes on that. That’s why it encompasses such a wide variety of interpretations.”
With experience comes different outlooks, and Price will feel those when previews of the show start tonight.
