Directorial duo ready to present “Mamma Mia!”

This is an exciting month for longtime FDLCT director team Mary Runde and Maggie Patton, their 35-member cast, and the production team, crew and band. More than two years in the making, Mamma Mia! will finally go up June 23-26, 2022, and tickets are selling fast!

Here we go again!

Julie (Donna), Sue (Rosie), Ian (Sky) and Blair (Sophie) rehearsing on their old set back in 2020.

Originally scheduled for April 2020, the cast of Mamma Mia! were already past the bulk of their rehearsals when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing FDLCT to postpone the show. At that point, Maggie and Mary promised the cast that if the show could resume, everyone could keep their original roles. With very few exceptions, the cast came back—and now, they’re performing with a fresh group of additional cast members!

“Putting the show off for 2 years was rough—and a lot happened in between,” Mary said. “However, despite the hiatus, the venue change, and cast and production team changes, I think we are blessed to have a fabulous group of folks working together to make our vision finally a reality.”

The same actors, now finally on stage and ready to perform!

FDLCT dynamic duo

Maggie Patton, director
Mary Runde, director

This will be the sixth show that Mary and Maggie direct together. They met while working for the Fond du Lac School District and soon developed a friendship. Maggie had already been directing shows at Woodworth and around the district for years, and it wasn’t long before the two decided to take on a show together. Mary remembers: “Our directorial debut was a small show: The Littlest Angel. It was a super sweet show-only 45 minutes-and we only charged $5. It was at that time we realized we finished each other’s sentences….still do.”

Newcomers and old-timers

Ian (Sky) and Cody (Pepper) having just a bit of fun.

This cast is a diverse blend of FDLCT regulars and fresh faces. Mary is excited that the musical and its fantastic soundtrack attracted so many new people to FDLCT. “Cathy Drew is so excited to be part of the cast-it’s her first show, and she auditioned because she loved the movie and the music. I am not sure how we got Ian and John Hawkins. They are both new to our theater group, and are a phenomenal addition. On the other side of the equation are people like Lynn and Blair Moon, who have been active in FDLCT for years.”

Maggie shares, “The coolest part for me is seeing the family members who come together to audition for shows. Mary and I encourage that so families can share something they love with their kids.”

The Mamma Mia! cast working on a dance number.

Mamma Mia! is not just fun songs… though the songs are fun

After encouragement from her son Alex to do a full directorial analysis on the show, Mary shared her take on the story: “It’s the conflict between the 70’s worldview of Donna where life is meant to be lived fully and in the moment, and the worldview of Sophie who has always wondered who her dad is. There are the small lies and the untruths that Donna has always kept secret that are finally resolved. It is a story of a daughter finally understanding her mother’s choices with an adult lens.”

“Or it’s just a bunch of ABBA songs that we can sing along with. Either way, it is going to be a great time for the audience.”

Mamma Mia! will run June 23–26 at the Fond du Lac High School PAC. Learn more and buy tickets here.