Queens

Here we go again: Twenty-five years after “Mamma Mia!” premiered on Broadway, the national tour returns to Los Angeles at the Ahmanson Theatre with show-stopping set pieces and a crew that knows the show inside and out.

The beloved jukebox musical, which chronicles a Greek wedding with three potential fathers of the bride, has taken over the Ahmanson through July 19 as part of its 25th anniversary tour, and audience members should expect a full-on ABBA sing-along dance party.

“People come dressed up,” said associate choreographer Janet Rothermel. “There’s a lot of boas, and there’s a lot of spandex, and platform shoes.”

Rothermel is one of many people on the creative team who have worked on the show since its original Broadway run in 2001. Associate director Martha Banta and associate music supervisor David Holcenberg have also seen the musical through its nearly 14-year original Broadway run, national tours and numerous international iterations (Holcenberg was its original music director).

“When we were all back together again in rehearsal, it was an extraordinary feeling,” Banta said. “Not with the same cast, but Janet, David and I and others that have done it for years. With everything that’s been going on in the world in the last three years, it was just a soothing thing to do.”

“We’ve just been embraced beyond what we were used to, which was pretty great,” she added.

Everyone involved in the production echoed a similar sentiment: that the “ultimate feel-good musical” is exactly what audiences want to see during painful or overwhelming times. The show’s traveling costume supervisor and associate designer Eva Maciek put it most bluntly: “I love working on it because nobody dies.”

Rehearsals for the original Broadway run coincided with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Holcenberg explained, and he was struck by audience members’ emotional responses to the first shows.

“I’d have people coming down to the pit after the show with tears streaming down their faces saying, ‘Thank you for letting us forget the world for a couple hours and just have joy,’” he said. “Because this show is joy. It’s full of joy.”

Beyond the absurdly catchy music and the rom-com story, part of the show’s joyfulness comes from its colorful costumes and beachy aesthetic. The onstage set is relatively sparse, consisting only of a pair of rotating “taverna” walls, but backstage, hundreds of moving parts, including stage mechanics, hand props and costume changes, propel the story forward and keep the production looking effortlessly glamorous.

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Blingy microphones backstage for the “Mamma Mia!” production at the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.  (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

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Eva Maciek, the travel costume supervisor of the show, shares some wardrobe pieces backstage.  (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

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Ryan Sander, assistant choreographer, left, and Eva Maciek, travel costume supervisor of the show, show off Sander’s “Voulez-Vous” costume.  (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

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Life jackets backstage for a musical number.  (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

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Shelves full of hats are seen during a backstage tour.  (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

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The show‘s stage is seen during a backstage tour of the “Mamma Mia!” theater production at the Ahmanson Theatre.  (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

The obvious choice for coolest costumes, according to Maciek, are the bejeweled jumpsuits worn by titular mamma Donna Sheridan (played by Jessica Crouch) and her Dynamos, Tanya (Jalynn Steele) and Rosie (Carly Sakolove). Each one has hundreds of glittering silver stars attached.

“I’m glad I’m not the one who had to sew them on originally!” Maciek joked. The costumes all originated in London or New York, but they’ve been traveling from city to city in storage “gondolas” since the current tour started in 2023, requiring constant repairs and touch-ups from local stitchers.

Thematically, Maciek said, the costumes’ evolving colors tell their own story throughout the show.

“When everybody arrives at the island, they’re all in beige with a little hint of blue,” she explained. More blue gets added by “Voulez Vous,” and then they transition into jewel tones. “When you get into the wedding scene, everybody is in pinks, soft reds, oranges and yellows,” Maciek said. “So there’s a real color story that goes throughout.”

Ryan Sander, the show’s assistant choreographer, dance captain and current “swing” (an actor covering multiple ensemble roles), has a special relationship to his “Voulez-Vous” costume. He originally wore it as a performer on the national tour more than 20 years ago, and when he was called to come back onstage, he found that it still fit like a glove. The costume, a denim vest and pants set with extremely Y2K lace-up details, is representative of the show’s approach to fashion trends.

“There is something timeless about these pieces that’s just so interesting,” he said. “It is a period piece and we stick to that, but there is something timeless about the costumes.”

Besides the costume racks, another crucial backstage element are the vocal booths, where the ensemble contributes to the musical soundscape from behind the curtain.

“One of the main things about the ‘ABBA sound’ is how they layered the vocals, and we do that all live in our show,” Holcenberg said. “The ensemble works really, really hard, because when they’re not on stage, they don’t get any time off. They’re just singing their little faces off.”

Even though the show has been running for decades, the creative team said each cast brings a new energy and tone.

“Our new Donna, Jess, brings a real rock chick energy to it,” Holcenberg said. “Even though the notes on the page stay the same, the casting and the way they perform it still changes from person to person and night to night.”

According to stage manager Andrew Volzer, the most “unique” aspects of the show are its long history with a tight crew and its multigenerational appeal — “Not only from the audience perspective, but also for the people working on the show. People are always coming and going,” he said.

“We always say, you never leave the island.”

Fery may not be well-known outside of British tennis circles but sport is a huge part of his family life – his mother, Olivia, was a professional player, while father Loic owns Ligue 1 football club Lorient.

As a teenager, Fery opted to go on a scholarship to Stanford University in California and also played collegiate tennis.

He lost just two games in his opening-round win over compatriot Toby Samuel at Queen’s, before recording what he described as the “best result” of his career against veteran Frenchman Mannarino.

He and Cerundolo both made nervous starts, with numerous break point opportunities, but Fery broke to serve for the set at 5-4.

However, Cerundolo won the next three games and dominated the tie-break, with the only point Fery won in it coming from a double fault from his opponent.

Cerundolo broke to start the second set but took a painful hit at the net when Fery accidentally sent a volley straight into his throat.

The Argentine fell to the floor, with Fery hopping over the net to check on him – and the pair shared a wry smile as on the next point, Cerundolo came close to hitting Fery with a passing winner.

But from that moment on, Cerundolo’s serve disappeared, and Fery restored parity before breaking to serve for the set.

A lovely serve and volley from Fery to force the deciding set established the tone, and a horrible double fault from Cerundolo handed the Briton the early initiative.

Cerundolo’s experience showed, though, as he put enough pressure on his opponents’ forehand to first break back and then secure victory on Fery’s serve.

Britain’s Emma Raducanu overcomes an injury scare to beat Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 7-5 and advance to the semi-finals of the Queen’s Club Championship.

READ MORE: Raducanu battles into Queen’s semis but Boulter goes out

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Serena Williams’ doubles campaign at Queen’s has been curtailed as her playing partner Victoria Mboko has withdrawn with a left knee injury.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, 44, made her return to tennis on Tuesday after almost four years away from the sport.

The pair had been scheduled to play their quarter-final on Thursday but Mboko, 19, suffered a nasty fall in her singles match on Wednesday, which forced her to retire from the match.

Trailing 6-2 3-4 against Karolina Pliskova, the Canadian teenager cried out in pain as she went down clutching her knee and she limped off the court in tears.

It means her compatriot Leylah Fernandez and Germany’s Laura Siegemund, who they were scheduled to face in the doubles on Thursday, advance to the semi-finals.

“What a fun and memorable week at the HSBC Championships. Thank you to everyone who made it so special,” Williams posted on Instagram.

“Vicky Mboko, you’re an incredible talent and you’ll be back out there in no time.

“Wishing you a speedy recovery.”

Williams returned with a winning performance on Tuesday as she and Mboko won 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 to upset third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez.

Playing 1,375 days after her last competitive match, Williams – one of the greatest players of all time – didn’t look a touch out of place as she rediscovered her powerful serve and groundstrokes.

The extent of Mboko’s injury has not yet been confirmed but there are concerns that the world number nine could miss Wimbledon, which starts on 29 June.

Raducanu had looked far from her best in her past two matches following illness but, 16 days after her first-round exit at Roland Garros, the Briton made afresh on Andy Murray Arena.

The 2021 US Open champion held a commanding 3-0 lead before rain halted play – but that would not disrupt her rhythm.

She captured the first set without reply after just 20 minutes on court, winning 25 of the 31 points played – hitting 11 winners and just two unforced errors.

Raducanu maintained that excellent level to begin the second set with a break of serve – although she would not have it entirely her own way.

A Queen’s quarter-finalist last year, Raducanu was hampered by double-faults as she allowed Blinkova back in – with four successive breaks of serve tying the set at three games apiece.

However, Raducanu broke again, courtesy of a fortuitous net cord, to set up the chance to serve out the match, and she wore a beaming smile in the sunshine as a closing backhand winner down the line on her second match point was met by huge cheers.

Writing ‘back home’ with a heart on a TV camera lens before exiting the court, Raducanu will return to face either Romanian Sorana Cirstea or Australia’s Maddison Inglis in the second round.

“Already what I did last year was amazing and to be a champion here, I thought I deserved a wildcard and to get a little bit of respect.”

In further comments to reporters, Maria added: “I did it last year. It was not five years ago.

“I was surprised when I got the message of [tournament director] Laura Robson saying all the wildcards would go to the British players, which I understand. But as a champion, it’s tough for me.

“It is something that should be normal. If you are champion of an event and you don’t get in the year after, I think automatically this should be considered.”

Maria, watched by her two daughters, beat four top-20 players en route to the title, becoming the oldest winner of a WTA 500 tournament.

She is ranked 52nd in the world – too low to earn direct entry for the 28-strong main draw but higher than each of the four British players awarded wildcards.

This year’s recipients were Katie Boulter (world number 73), Fran Jones (98), Harriet Dart (160), and Mika Stojsavljevic (261).

A spokesperson for the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) said: “The LTA owns and invests in staging these events for the benefit of the British game as a whole – so fans can see world class international players from around the world, and support our British players, but also so British players are afforded the playing opportunities to progress their careers and climb the rankings.

“We have seen British success at these events, and breakthrough wins, so there is clear value in giving British players these development opportunities.”

The recent wet weather in London has prevented much practice on grass, so Quayle has been helping to source indoor courts at venues like the Hurlingham Club and the National Tennis Centre.

“The practices we have been having have been pretty special,” Quayle continued.

“She’s not lost it – she’s still operating at a very high level. She is just the ultimate professional.

“For me, she’s the greatest of all time, and you see that in the way she does things on the court.

“It’s incredible to just be a part of and witness – never mind to actually be learning from her and seeing her as a friend and an opponent.”

Despite being a well-established hitting partner on the professional tour – and with a job already lined up at Wimbledon – Quayle says his first few practice sessions with the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion made him “a little bit nervous”.

“It’s a funny thing to see someone that you have watched their serve on TV for so many years, and then all of a sudden that serve is coming at you,” he explained.

“You’re fighting between admiring some of the shots and actually playing them. She’s got that kind of aura and it’s hard sometimes not to feel a little bit nervous.

“I’m starting to getting a little bit more used to seeing her over the other side of the net, but every day is special.”

Quayle, who would one day like to move into coaching, is encouraged to speak up if he has observations about the way Williams is training.

He praised the environment around her, saying the team are “easy to get along with”.

“She’s got a lot going on off the court so we don’t spend a lot of time outside of the gym or the practice court, but when we’re together, she’s so nice,” Quayle said.

“She’s so welcoming. We’re always cracking jokes and we’ve got a similar sense of humour.

“Everyone in that team makes it such a nice environment for everyone.”

Quayle has been asked to head on to Berlin next week, where Williams will play the second tournament of her comeback with a partner yet to be announced.

He says he does not yet know whether his boss will be playing at Wimbledon, which begins on Monday, 29 June, but he is at least relieved he no longer needs to be quite so vague to friends about his movements.

“I feel like I can breathe and relax a little now the secret is out there,” he added.

There are two doubles wildcards available for the tournament at Queen’s, and one is reserved for a team which includes a former world number one, a Grand Slam champion of the past 10 years or a current top-30 player.

WIlliams has never liked the word retirement, preferring instead to say she was “evolving away” from tennis in 2022.

She lost to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the 2022 US Open, in what the world thought would be her final match.

Williams had reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open earlier that year, and won her last Grand Slam singles title in Melbourne in 2017 at the age of 35.

The Lawn Tennis Association has consistently prioritised British players when determining who should receive wildcards at domestic grass court events.

All four available for the singles draw are very likely to go to British players, but the LTA are likely to feel differently about the doubles given the “exceptional circumstances” of a potential Williams return.

“Never say never, and not wanting to speak of any one individual player, but you will have seen over recent years that those wildcard opportunities are afforded to British players – that is absolutely my fundamental personal belief and philosophy,” LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd said at a briefing for journalists in April.

“There might be exceptional circumstances which might influence a unique wildcard, but otherwise those playing opportunities we want to afford to British players.”

The organisation’s performance director Michael Bourne also hinted commercial opportunities could be a factor.

“It’s also really important to remember that we in the performance team understand that players have to earn that right,” Bourne said.

“We don’t take them for granted. If we didn’t think we had a depth of player where it was right for them to take those opportunities, and there was something else that was good for the business, we would hold our hands up.”