Trivia for
Mamma Mia! (2008)

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• According to Variety the play's original producer and writer, "were broke when they first tried to put the show together and were even snubbed by the Swedish pop group whose music formed the basis for the show. They are now two of the wealthiest women in England."
  
  
• Based on the hit ABBA single of the same name. Mamma Mia! first opened in London on April, 6th, 1999 at the Prince Edward theater. It had its North American debut at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre on May 23rd, 2000. The original Toronto cast then moved on to Mamma Mia!'s pre-Broadway tour starting in San Francisco, moving on to Los Angeles, then Chicago. It was while the original Toronto cast was performing in Chicago that Louise Pitre (Donna) and Tina Maddigan (Sophie) were invited to play their same roles in the original Broadway cast, which opened on October 18th, 2001 at the Winter Garden Theater, the former home of Cats. It now has toured in over 140 cities across America. As of April 2007, Mamma Mia has open run productions in: New York, London, Las Vegas, Madrid, Moscow, Stuttgart, Fukuoka (opens May 19th 07) Gothenburg (opening May 9th 07) Essen, also has an US tour and an International tour traveling to cities all over the globe. Mamma Mia! has also played in Melbourne, Australia and Utrecht, The Netherlands, and in Copenhagen and Horsens, Denmark.
  
  
• Phyllida Lloyd also directed the original ‘Mamma Mia!’ Broadway Play.
  
  

• ‘Mamma Mia!’ was the first film to be shot on the new 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios following a fire after Casino Royale (2006) wrapped. The new 59,000 sq ft stage was used for song and dance numbers that could not be filmed in the sun in Greece.
  
  
• Benny Andersson, former ABBA member and co-composer of the songs, calls Meryl Streep "a miracle". Meryl Streep came to Stockholm to do her vocal for the song "The Winner Takes it All". She finished it in one take.
  
  
• Meryl Streep first saw the musical in October 2001 with her daughter Louisa and her daughter's friends in Manhattan.
  
  
• Bill Nighy was announced to star in this project but was replaced.
  
  
• Both writers of the original ABBA music, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, can be seen in cameos playing instruments.
  
  
• According to Meryl Streep, Julie Walters injured herself whilst filming the "Dancing Queen" musical sequence (by tripping over some rocks on a cobbled street), but "soldiered on".
  
  
• Mandy Moore, Amanda Bynes, Rachel McAdams, and Emmy Rossum were all considered for the part of Sophie.
  
  
• Set a new mark for the biggest weekend premiere ever for a movie musical with $27.6 mil. Former record holder was Hairspray (2007).
  
  

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