SMITHTOWN – This past weekend, Smithtown High School West’s theatre students took the stage for their spring production of the hit musical Mamma Mia!
The well-known show focuses on Sophie, a young bride-to-be who secretly invites three men from her mother’s past with the goal of determining who her father is so he can walk her down the aisle on her big day. The show takes on themes of past choices – or mistakes – the identity of oneself, and setting aside long-harbored bitterness and resentment for the sake of moving on…
…and, of course, its usage of disco hits by ABBA.
The show-stealing scene was the number “The Winner Takes It All”, performed flawlessly by Marilena Castoro in the lead role of Donna.
However, it was absolutely apparent throughout the night that there were so many winners. Jillian Caulin, who played Sophie, captured the full essence of her character with her beautiful singing voice, acting skills, and excellent stage presence. Cordelia Comando, playing Rosie, and Emmerson Lebrecht as Tanya, the two best friends of Donna, get to join Donna as the old band reunites for a big performance, going all out on songs such as “Chiquitita”, “Dancing Queen”, “Super Trouper”, and the big finale, “Waterloo.”
There were some very touching moments as well. Harry – one of the potential fathers – played by Jacob Donlon, sang a beautiful version of “Thank You for the Music” with Sophie (Jillian). Sam – another potential father – played by Mikey Lagnese, had his shining moment on stage with “S.O.S.” in a duet with Donna (Marilena). These are a few specific highlights involving the lead roles, but the whole cast and the performance were truly sublime. The students involved looked like they were having a great time, and the love, support, and enjoyment from the audience was palpable.
All the memorable ABBA songs saw half the audience doing some of the moves along with the cast. I think a few may have wanted to get up on stage and join in…
…it was me, that one was me.
In addition to the list of winners, add the school’s theatre program in general and the community at large. The obvious part is the money that comes back to the theatre program by way of ticket sales and ads placed. Everyone who walked in bought tickets, joined in on the raffles, and bought concessions in an added attempt to show appreciation for all the hard work we know goes into these events and their tremendous benefit to all. It is an absolute pleasure when you see the auditorium full of people from all over, not just the immediate families or even the immediate area. In speaking with various audience members, some came because it is simply a fun and affordable night out to see a great show.
Others showed up with younger children who are starting to show interest in wanting to be on stage. I personally had the pleasure of sitting with Dean Cestari, a past graduate of Smithtown East who had his dream come true this past year by making it to Broadway in, you guessed it, Mamma Mia! He was there to enjoy the show, support the theatre, and to see his earlier years’ theater director, Mr. Brosnan, who was the producer of this show.
For Director Sophia DiStefano, not only is Mamma Mia! one of her favorite shows, but it’s also a recent return to her alma mater.
“Last year was my first high school show,” DiStefano, 24, HSW ‘19, told The Messenger. “We did Les Miserables and while it was a challenging show, it was worth it in every sense.”
DiStefano described the experience as pleasantly “odd” since she’s returned to her old high school to work with her former teachers.
“It’s my dream job,” said DiStefano. She earned her B.A. in Directing from Marymount Manhattan College with the goal of starting her own theatre company. Her former high school director was retiring, so she took the position.
But Mamma Mia! is also one of those shows with more adult themes, something DiStefano said was part of the process.
“There’s a lot of different parenting styles, and there’s a lot of things that kids are exposed to already. I try to water it down where I can, but I explain as much of the material to them as I can,” said DiStefano. “I encourage them to ask friends, family, or a teacher about it because I want to make sure that everyone understands what they’re saying and doing on stage.”
DiStefano added that the establishment of boundaries paired well with a mature theatre club.
Auditions for Mamma Mia! were held in November and work began in January, leaving about two months and several blizzards until opening night.
Both DiStefano and Mr. Brosnan said after Saturday night’s closing performance that the show was almost entirely produced by the students, from set design, to costumes, to music and choreography. Jillian (Sophie) was one of the dance captains who choreographed the “Dancing Queen” sequence at the finale. The audio and lighting boards were run by two sophomore rookie board operators.
“We treat this program like a mentorship,” said DiStefano. “We want to set them up so that if they’re ready to do this in the real world, they have the training. I picked two dance captains this year – someone older, someone younger – that way, they can mentor each other and bring each other up.”
DiStefano, of Nesconset, also teaches dance classes at Revelations Dance Studio in the Nesconset Plaza on Smithtown Boulevard. One of her favorite shows is, coincidentally, Mamma Mia! She remembers her first role in Legally Blonde when she was a freshman, and her senior-year role as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.
It was also nice to see Matt Kelly, who is heavily involved in all things Smithtown, doing a little bit of everything for the production, which also leads us to take a serious look at the playbill. The amount of support from the local businesses was also very impressive. For a little shameless plug, when you see the many businesses and individuals repeatedly putting their money behind the events and projects that make Smithtown all that it is, remember to support them when you have the chance. This is truly what keeps a community strong.
Mamma Mia! is a great story mixing young love, celebrating milestones, acknowledging regrets, and falling in love all over again. I believe it is a show that can be seen over and over again.
Bravo to the cast, crew, and production staff for a fantastic show where we can all say, “Thank you for the Music!”
