The cast of “Mamma Mia” performs “Does Your Mother Know.”
Under the lights of Tang Theatre and the beats of ABBA’s greatest hits, Mamma Mia came to life this past weekend in a culmination of music, choreography, and shared effort. But beyond the crowd-pleasing numbers and curtain calls was something much more layered. The production became a testament to the adaptation, collaboration, and trust that forms between students learning to carry each other across the finish line
For Charles Vest ’25, that lesson began before he even stepped on stage. He hadn’t planned to audition. In fact, he wasn’t part of the Winter casting process at all. However, when the student originally cast as Bill Austin dropped out in early spring, the directors and students began asking who might be able to step in, given the limited time and full schedule already underway.
“It was an interesting selection process, because I was actually not planning on doing the play. I hadn’t even gone to the auditions during the Winter or anything. What happened is pretty early this spring, one of my friends who was doing the play called me and said, ‘Hey, the guy who was going to play Bill dropped out and we don’t have another replacement, and we were all thinking along with the directors and the students were thinking, okay, who do we think would work to fill the role?’ And so then eventually my name came up, so they called me and said, ‘Hey, would you want to do this? And so then I said, yes, I would,” explained Vest.
That ‘yes’ came with a learning curve. With less time than the rest of the cast to prepare, Vest leaned into group rehearsals and music sessions to catch up. Much of the preparation revolved around choreography and harmonization, but Vest had to spend additional time on his own, memorizing lines and even adjusting to a vocal range well outside his comfort zone.
“The hardest part for me was getting to a point where I felt confident enough to kind of sing out loud. I have a pretty low voice and all of the songs I sing in Mamma Mia are in a higher key than what my natural vocal range would be. In order to sing those higher notes, I had to sing pretty loudly because the way you get to those higher notes is by providing a lot of air and a lot of breath support, which also means you’re singing quite loudly,” said Vest.
That confidence didn’t go unnoticed. By closing night, Vest was not only holding his own among a seasoned cast but was also crowded with compliments from classmates and faculty. For someone who had stepped into the process halfway through, the validation was both unexpected and rewarding.
“I’d say it was rewarding to get a lot of compliments after the show. I got a lot of people saying they loved it, and I thought I did well. It was just really nice to see something that I threw a crap shoot for the hell of it work. Especially seeing it pay off and becoming something that I really ended up enjoying,” said Vest.
This sentiment was echoed by Amina Gorman ’26, who played Donna Sheridan, another central figure in the musical. What grounded Gorman’s performance most was the cast itself, as the flood of lowerclassmen joining this year’s production made the environment feel like a collective space where first-time performers and seniors felt comfortable working altogether. However, for Gorman, it was the culmination of months of rehearsal that became most meaningful in the presence of those closest to her.
“The cast is full of a lot of nice people. They’re all very willing to work with one another and learn from each other, which is really great. We had a large Freshman population this year, and we don’t normally have that many freshmen in the shows. It was really fun to introduce them to theatre at Andover. [But] having my parents and friends come out to see the show and see what we’ve been working on for so long, I think that was the most rewarding part of all of it,” said Gorman.
Allegra Lee ’27 reinforced Gorman’s appreciation for the cast, reflecting on how the musical was as much about the people and relationships formed as it was about the performance itself. She emphasized that the bonds created throughout rehearsals helped transform the experience into something deeply meaningful, turning a group of students into a close-knit community.
“Getting to meet all the new people, and getting to see them all bring their characters to life on stage. I think that was definitely the most rewarding part because there were some people in the cast who I knew last year, but [weren’t] really super close with, and now I’m like really good friends with them. It’s just been like a great community to work with,” said Lee.
The musical continued to bring out the best in people, encouraging growth both on and off the stage. For Gabbie Kawooya ’27, who played the lead role of Sophie Sheridan, stepping into the spotlight came with new challenges, and new confidence.
“The biggest difficulty was adjusting to [making] so many choices because most of my roles so far at [Andover] have been more ensemble roles, where I didn’t have to be in the spotlight as much. Having to be in the spotlight and be the person that a lot of people are watching was difficult because I had to stay in character and make sure that the choices I was making for my character, even when I wasn’t talking, were things that would suit a character as popular as Sophie” said Kawooya.
Kawooya’s journey with the character of Sophie was shaped not only by her own instincts but by the guidance of the show’s directors. The team helped her discover a version of Sophie that felt personal and authentic, and despite early setbacks in the rehearsal process, the cast’s ability to overcome challenges together became one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.
“Working with Mr. [Robert] Lazar and the other directors to discover what my version of Sophie was definitely made it a whole lot easier to embody her. Embodying Sophie was about embracing how reckless she is, [so] seeing the finished product and hearing so much good stuff about it was really nice because it was a long show that we had very little time to put together. In the beginning, we faced a lot of setbacks. so being able to come back from that with the cast and bond with them and produce a show that’s really, really good, was definitely the best part,” said Kawooya.
The cast’s dedication to fully embodying their characters and bringing Mamma Mia’s lively spirit to the stage was unmistakable. Audience member Adelyn Liu ’27 was moved by watching her peers thrive on the stage and appreciated the attention to detail that went into all aspects of the show.
“The quality was way higher than I expected. The singing was amazing, everything was so coordinated and polished, and you could tell how much thought they put into the costuming, lighting, set design—everything. Even the colors and layout on the stage were so well done. You can really see how talented the people at this school are. Sometimes you don’t even realize someone can sing, dance, or act until you see them up there — and it’s just so impressive. Everyone should definitely go see these musicals,” said Liu.
Editor’s Note: Charles Vest ’25 was an Eighth Page Editor for The Phillipian, vol. CXLVII.
