Theatre ��ӽ紫ý performs musical hit ‘Mamma Mia!’

Student cast members from the upcoming Theatre ��ӽ紫ý production “Mama Mia!” rehearse at the McComas Hall main stage. — A 19-member Theatre ��ӽ紫ý student cast will perform “Mama Mia!” Feb. 19-23 at the university’s McComas Hall main stage. Tickets for the hit musical are available in advance and at the door. (Photo submitted/courtesy of Tim Matheny)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi ��ӽ紫ý’s Theatre ��ӽ紫ý presents “Mamma Mia!”—the musical story of a bride-to-be in search of her biological father and told with songs from the 1970s pop supergroup ABBA.

Performances at the McComas Hall main stage Feb. 19-23 begin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $15 for the general public, $10 for students, and may be purchased in advance through or at the door.

“We are excited to bring this well-known production to ��ӽ紫ý and the community of Starkville,” said Tim Matheny, assistant professor in the Department of Communication and “Mamma Mia!” director.

“I love getting to know and work with not only our talented theater students but also theater lovers from other departments,” Matheny said of the 19-member student cast, noting the open auditions draw a variety of majors to campus theatrical productions. “This has been a great group to work with,” he said.

Anna-Katherine “AK” Lewellen, a senior communication major from Collierville, Tennessee and second-year stage manager for Theatre ��ӽ紫ý, said “Mamma Mia!” has been one of her favorite shows since childhood.

“My mom and nana practically raised me on ‘Dancing Queen,’” Lewellen said. “‘Mamma Mia!’ is a fun, lighthearted show, and I don’t know how you can’t be happy when watching it,” she said.

Matheny said the university’s show features strong musical talents, as well as excellent dancing and acting.

“I am really excited for our audiences to see the hard work of these students,” he said.

��ӽ紫ý’s Department of Communication is online at . Follow Theatre ��ӽ紫ý on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @Theatre��ӽ紫ý.

��ӽ紫ý’s College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,200 students, 325 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs, 14 master’s programs, and 27 undergraduate academic majors offered in 14 departments. It also is home to the most diverse units for research and scholarly activities, including natural and physical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and the humanities.��For more about the College of Arts and Sciences visit .��

��ӽ紫ý is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at .

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