More than a quarter-century after its 1999 London premiere, the ABBA-fueled phenomenon, Mamma Mia!, continues to lure with its brand of silver platform shoes and rhinestone-studded jumpsuits. The 25^th Anniversary North American Tour began in Denver in October 2023 and concludes in July 2027. The show made an unexpected return to Broadway in 2025 and into 2026, where it played for six months at the Winter Garden Theatre, the same venue where it had its opening in 2001.

The production is currently running at Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, closing on July 19. The next stops include Ottawa, Toronto, Minneapolis and Milwaukee.

Jalynn Steele Brings Sauce And Sass To Her Character, Along With Loyalty

Cast member Jalynn Steele, who plays Tanya, has been with the production since its launch.

“Mamma Mia! is such a classic tale of friendship, love, and discovering who you are,” said Steele in an interview before she went on stage in Colorado Springs in mid-June. “We’ve got kids, grandmothers, great-grandmothers coming to see the show.”

Tanya and Rosie (Carly Sakolove) are bookends to Donna Sheridan (Jessica Crouch), who, starting in her youth, built a taverna on a Greek island where she’s been a single parent to Sophie Sheridan (Juliette M. Ojeda). Tanya and Rosie inject plenty of sauce and sass into the production, along with over-the-top physical comedy.

The musical centers on 20-year-old Sophie preparing for her wedding on a sunny Greek island where she lives with her mother, Donna, who has never revealed the identity of Sophie’s father. In truth, Donna herself doesn’t know. Sophie secretly reads her mother’s diary and invites three of her mother’s suitors from the 1970s to her wedding, signing her mother’s name. Odds are, she thinks, one is her dad. What follows is a romantic comedy threaded with more than 20 ABBA hits, all crowd pleasers: “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia!,” “S.O.S.,” “Super Trouper,” “The Winner Takes It All,” and others.

The Mamma Mia! Juggernaut That’s Amassed Billions

Since premiering in London’s West End in 1999 and a Broadway run in 2001, the Mamma Mia! juggernaut has captured the cultural zeitgeist with its feel-good, “How can you resist it?” brand of nostalgic escapism. Seventy million people worldwide have seen the musical, which has been produced in 16 languages and has amassed billions at the box office, according to Broadway World. Mamma Mia! was the genesis for two blockbuster films released in 2008 and 2018.

Steele’s portrayal of imperious, glamorous Tanya provides some of the show’s biggest laughs. “I wanted to make the character my own,” she said, noting that strong, funny women she admired growing up fueled her inspiration. She also wanted to emphasize her character’s loyal nature because “the story is about friendship,” said Steele, who lives in New Jersey.

This is Steele’s second portrayal of Tanya; the first was at the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis. She partly bases her character on Jackée Harry, who starred as Sandra Clark on the NBC sitcom 227 (1985-1990). “There’s also a little Jasmine Guy in my character, and also a couple of influential people I knew growing up, and of course, Christine Baranski," she said. "And I threw a little bit of Jalynn in there, too.”

The Steamy Romance Novel That Kept Jalynn Steele Company In The Wings

Steele’s earliest memories of ABBA came from hearing her musically inclined parents play records and CDs. “My dad especially loved listening to 70s music,” said Steele, who makes seven costume changes during the performance. “I remember ‘Dancing Queen,’ but the one that really struck me was ‘Fernando.’”

During the tour’s early days, Steele spent much of Act Two waiting behind a set piece before making her entrance for her showstopper, “Does Your Mother Know?” Reaching into Tanya’s handbag prop, she pulled out a steamy historical romance novel and began to read, soon finishing it. She discovered the book was part of the “Princess Bride” Regency Romance series written by Tracy Anne Warren. “I ended up reading all of the books in that series,” Steele said.

Mamma Mia! features music and lyrics by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. The book is by Catherine Johnson, with direction by Phyllida Lloyd and choreography by Anthony Van Laast. Mark Thompson does the costume and scenic design, with lighting by Howard Harrison. Sound design: Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken.