Columbia High School to Present Mamma Mia! This March

Columbia High School to Present Mamma Mia! This March

The Columbia High School Drama Department will bring the music of ABBA and a story full of laughter, friendship, and heart to the stage this spring with its production of Mamma Mia! 

Performances will run March 26–29, 2026, at the Columbia High School Stage.

Directed by CHS drama teacher Annie Dent, the beloved musical follows Sophie, a young woman preparing for her wedding while trying to discover the identity of her father. After secretly inviting three men from her mother Donna’s past to the celebration, long-buried memories resurface and unexpected relationships take center stage on a picturesque Greek island.

Featuring iconic ABBA songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Lay All Your Love on Me,” and “Mamma Mia,” the production blends energetic choreography, humor, and heartfelt storytelling.

Alina St. Clair, who plays Sophie, said the character’s optimism and determination first drew her to the role.

“Sophie is drawn to the idea of family and figuring out where she comes from, which is something a lot of people can relate to,” St. Clair said. “She believes that if she can just bring the right people together, everything will fall into place.”

Portraying Sophie’s emotional journey has been one of the role’s biggest challenges.

“At the beginning she’s excited and confident about her plan, but as the story goes on she realizes things are more complicated than she expected,” St. Clair said. “Finding the balance between her excitement, nervousness, and growth throughout the show takes a lot of work.”

Lillian Arnold plays Sophie’s mother Donna, a fiercely independent woman and former lead singer of Donna and the Dynamos. Arnold said the role has been a dream come true.

“Ever since I first saw the Mamma Mia movie in middle school, I was drawn to Donna as a character,” Arnold said. “Ever since I was about 12, my dream role has been to play Donna, so this has been such a special experience for me.”

Arnold added that the role requires a wide range of vocal styles.

“Some of the songs are placed in a deeper range, and then toward the end Donna has a booming power ballad,” she said. “While it has been challenging to prepare for all of the different songs I sing, it truly represents the vastness of Donna’s character and emotions.”

Donna’s lifelong friends Rosie and Tanya add humor and personality throughout the show. Grace Hunsucker, who plays Rosie, said the lively characters and music are part of what makes the show so fun.

“Everything from the catchy music to the one-of-a-kind, fun characters is a draw to Mamma Mia,” Hunsucker said. “Rosie in particular is a very layered character, containing energy and spunk while also touching on the true struggle of carving your own path in a world full of expectations.”

Abby Menke, who plays Tanya, said the show’s music and choreography immediately caught her attention.

“What drew me to Mamma Mia was the amount of singing, dancing, and the wonderful costumes,” Menke said. “As someone who loves ABBA, getting to choreograph and dance to their music has been a blast.”

Stepping into Tanya’s bold personality has also pushed her outside her comfort zone.

“I would describe my character as sassy, witty, and having a dry sense of humor,” Menke said. “It sometimes forces me out of my comfort zone, but it has been so much fun to explore such a unique role.”

Sean Woodcock, who plays Sky, said he was drawn to the character’s balance between humor and sincerity.

“What drew me most to Sky was the duality in his seriousness and playfulness,” Woodcock said. “With Sky, he always seems to know exactly what to say and when to say it—something I could probably take a few notes on.”

Woodcock is also part of the choreography team for the production, which adds another layer of responsibility during rehearsals.

“The hardest part was definitely the choreography,” he said. “As someone who’s part of the cast that also doubles as a choreographer, remembering all of my moves and my lines can definitely be a challenge.”

The musical also features Sophie’s three potential fathers: Sam, Bill, and Harry.

Charles Bass, who plays Harry, said the opportunity to perform a show built around ABBA’s music made the production especially exciting.

“I’ve been a huge fan of ABBA’s music for a long time,” Bass said. “When I first heard about the possibility of doing Mamma Mia, I knew I would want to be part of it.”

Bass said he relates to Harry’s personality in several ways.

“Harry as a character is calm and sensitive, but he’s got a spontaneous side to him—something I can relate to myself,” he said.

Rehearsals this year have also come with a unique challenge as work continues on the school’s auditorium.

“One of the strangest things to get used to has been rehearsing in an active construction zone,” Bass said. “However, it’s been pretty cool to see the auditorium come together as we get the show together at the same time.”

Jonah Velnosky, who plays Bill, said he was especially excited about the choreography featured in the show.

“I’ve seen a few professional productions of Mamma Mia and my favorite part is the choreography for ‘Lay All Your Love on Me,’” Velnosky said. “Having the chance to perform that is what motivated me to audition.”

Despite the hard work, the cast hopes audiences leave feeling joyful and energized by the music.

“Something I would love for our audiences to take from the show is the urge to dance,” Menke said.

Woodcock added that the cast hopes audiences feel immersed in the world of the story.

“I want audiences to feel like they were up on stage with us the whole show,” he said. “If we do it right, they should feel like they’re dancing, singing, laughing, and crying with us.”

Bass hopes the music stays with audiences long after the curtain falls.

“My biggest hope is that each and every person who sees the show will leave with an ABBA song stuck in their head,” he said. “That’s just about what I’ve experienced after every rehearsal anyway.”

Performances of Mamma Mia! will take place Thursday through Saturday at 7:00 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 2:00 p.m. at the Columbia High School Stage.

Tickets and additional information are available at tinyurl.com/MammaMiaCHS.