Chinook High School primed to stage ‘Mamma Mia!’

By Ry Clarke - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on November 18, 2022.

Grade 11 student Brooke Fitzhenry, in the lead roll of Sophie, is held high above a crowd of dancers during a rehearsal of "Mamma Mia!" on Thursday at Chinook High School. Herald photo by Ry Clarke

Students at Chinook High School are looking forward to presenting Mamma Mia! running Nov. 29 through Dec. 3. With around 85 students involved in production the show is set to have audiences singing along to the soundtrack of ABBA songs and laughing with all the hilarious hijinks involved in this classic tale.

“It is a story of Sophie, and she is trying to discover who she is, she doesn’t know who her dad is, and she is getting married in Greece,” said Alisha Hornberger, co-director teaching dance and yoga at Chinook. “Sophie invites her three mysterious possible fathers to the wedding, which her mother doesn’t know, and a whole bunch of shenanigans happen.”

With a return to bigger drama productions, the show is jam packed with actors and crew members making sure audiences enjoy the piece.

“This year is like our reintroduction of full-scale big musicals,” said Hornberger. “We have 60 plus kids in the musical theatre class, and then there is another 40 kids in the tech theatre class, so those kids are involved with the backstage and technical side of it too.”

“Coming out of COVID, we couldn’t do too much,” said Stephanie McFarlane, co-director teaching musical theatre at Chinook. “We wanted something that was going to attract people into the school to come support the students. And we also knew that it would attract the student body as well, we have over 55 students involved with the cast.”

With plenty of rehearsals, students are excited to showcase their hard work to audiences.

“It has been fantastic. We have been doing quite a lot of after school stuff, but it’s been so enjoyable to work with such amazing people,” said Luke Patrick, Grade 12 student playing the role of Sam. “Through COVID I wasn’t able to be in any of the productions. But it is amazing to be back with such a cool show with so many people involved.”

Looking to rock the stage, students have bonded into a family. “It’s been so exciting to get this huge show with a huge cast. Getting to build that huge, big theatre family,” said Isabella Rumsui, Grade 12 student playing the role of Sophie. “It is wonderful to see all these people that love being in musicals and the fine arts, all come together for the show.”

Opening on Nov. 29, the production is hoped to be a crowd pleaser.

“It is such an amazing opportunity for students. Because not only do they learn the skills of performer, actor, singer, and dancer, but they also learn skills for life,” said Hornberger. “It has been so cool to see students from the beginning of the process, to now and how they have grown and developed.”

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