Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item(s) in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student assistant Kiran (class of 2024) and features the ABBA musical Mamma Mia!. Thanks, Kiran!
Mamma Mia!
Songs for the Dancing Queen
If you’re anything like me, Mama Mia! is a classic pick for movie night. The catchy songs, written by Swedish 70s group ABBA, are upbeat and danceable. The movie features Meryl Streep, who plays the hardworking Donna. Her daughter, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), is getting married and wants to invite her biological father. However, it could be one of three different men that Donna was involved with. Sophie sends invitations to all of them, leaving her mother in a predicament as she faces her former lovers. With the addition of breathtaking Greek landscapes and hilarious friends, this film embodies the music that brought it to life. The sweet, slow ballad reminds me of the waves crashing on Greek beaches while the fiery electric guitar solos personify the energy that the men bring to Donna’s life once again. I often wonder how a series of ABBA songs could correlate to form an entire movie. The original recordings are so iconic on their own but Mama Mia! brings them all together for one hilarious story. Parsons Music Library offers both ABBA CDs and the score from Mama Mia!, so you can also listen and read along with these iconic tunes.
