Mamma Mia! Riverdale Collegiate students set to bring musical to school’s stage next week

By JESSICA SHACKLETON

Here we go again…Riverdale Collegiate Institute is set to present the musical Mamma Mia! starting on Wednesday, April 15.

When students and staff decided to try and bring the drama program and stage productions back to Riverdale four years ago, the show they first wanted to do was Mamma Mia!. Since it’s such a popular musical a lot of other schools were also doing it, and Riverdale was not able to secure the production rights.

In 2024, the school performed the musical Legally Blonde, which was a great success.

Frankie DiGiuseppe, the teacher/director for this year’s show, has worked with the Riverdale students over their high school careers and knew they wanted a chance to do Mamma Mia!

“When it came time to option out musicals again this year, we thought about what the kids would really want. The decision was easy. We applied early, and when we announced to the cast that we would be running Mamma Mia!, they were explosive,” said DiGiuseppe. “What’s best about this title is that producing it is full circle; the kids we revived drama with now get to close out their senior year with their dream show.”

Mamma Mia!is an energetic show with songs that everyone knows. It began performances in London’s West End in 1999 and features ABBA songs. The 2008 film has a star-studded cast and is hugely popular.    

The story follows Donna and her daughter Sophie, who is getting married and invites her father to the wedding. The problem is that she doesn’t know if Sam, Bill, or Harry is her father. When all three show up, chaos and groovy music ensue.

Other characters include Donna’s best friends, Tanya and Rosie, and Sophie’s fiancé, Sky. To top it all off, it’s set on a Greek island.

Edina Lepeniotis plays Donna in Riverdale’s upcoming production, and she said she has always dreamed of being in a musical.

“High school theatre is such a great way to meet people and form a community with your peers. Performing is always such a joy, and it’s even more fun when done with others,” she said.

Along with all the other busy parts of high school, being in the musical requires after-school hours and weekends spent rehearsing and memorizing.

“I think performing is definitely nerve-wracking as there is a lot of pressure behind it. I find that stage fright is a big challenge when performing. But the excitement and fun of performing beats all negatives. It has been so fun to sing, dance and act with so many people that share my love of theatre,” said Lepeniotis. 

The role of Sophie is played by Meaghan Grant, who also loves the community aspect of theatre. Getting up in front of the audience is both rewarding and hard, she said.

“Performing is definitely the best and most difficult part of being in a musical. It’s an amazing feeling to be applauded for and have people react to the lines you deliver. It’s also at the same time very scary because you don’t want to mess up,” said Lepeniotis. “Always try to join a theatre community. They are some of the best people you will ever meet, and you can learn a lot about yourself through it. Always remember that you are doing it because you love it, not because you need to be perfect at it.”

Tommy Tran plays Sam, an architect and possibly Sophie’s father. He said he joined the musical to get over his fear of public speaking, as English was at first a difficult language for him to speak fluently.

“I would shy away from speaking up for myself, but the moment I was given a position of becoming a leader for the city, I knew that I needed to get over this fear of mine, so I asked my English teacher to sign me up,” he said.

Sam’s charater has some big moments throughout the show, and Tran had to work hard to get into character. 

“The most difficult part is pretending that you don’t know the lines and embodying the character’s personality within you. Thinking like them, feeling their pain, their happiness and their love has been the most difficult part of performing Sam. Though the best part is the aftermath and the rush of adrenaline going away after bowing,” he said. 

Another potential father and eventual friend of Sam’s is adventurer Bill, played by Eric Edwards.

“I wanted to be part of a project and maybe make some friends. When I auditioned, I expected a small part or someone in the background, something fun, but not big. When I got the part, it was a bit scary. But I decided that I would still try my best,” he said.

Though they are all students at the same high school, being part of a production creates a special connection. As mentioned, many found community. Here’s the advice the actors had for others who are thinking of getting involved in a high school musical.

“Theatre is a lot less scary than it seems. If you have a love for it, you should go for it. Even if you think you cannot sing or act, it’s super important to try because all that work is worth it in the end. You can create bonds and memories that will last forever,” said Lepeniotis.

“Be OK with feeling like you look a bit silly, and just roll with it. It looks way less silly when you are having fun,” said Edwards. “When you don’t give it your all, not only do you suffer, but it looks like you don’t care. You don’t have to look cool all the time, just do what makes you happy.”

Actors and crew at Riverdale have been working on the show since the start of the school year, and are now less than a week from curtain call.

As the program’s welcome message says: “This production is the result of a great deal of care and creativity. We have done our best to guide and support our students in ways that extend far beyond what you see on stage tonight.”

Performances are on Wednesday, April 15; Thursday, April 16; and Friday, April 17, at 7 p.m. in Riverdale’s auditorium, located at 1094 Gerrard St. E.

Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased in advance via School Cash Online or at the door.

For April 15 tickets, please go to https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/419008/153/False/True

For April 16 tickets, please go to https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/420434/153/False/True

April 17 tickets, please go to https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/420436/153/False/True