Mamma Mia

We know a star!! Pearce Bunting as Bill Austin.

For 3 years we've been talking about getting up to NYC to see Nate's cousin's husband in Mamma Mia on Broadway and finally Ellie had picked this weekend to go and as a special treat, her family, and Ken & Diana got us the tickets for a birthday gift. We rode up with them and then took the train back home in the evening. While it was the longest I've gone without my baby (and first time mom or dad didn't put him to bed) we had a great time. My mom was there all day and Grandma Melody came over for a while in the afternoon too and he did good. He wouldn't let me leave him in the church nursery on Sunday but I owed the lady who was in there some help anyway so I didn't mind staying in. It was a really nice treat for Nate and I. Besides the evening in the ER when Nate put a drill bit through his finger a few months ago, it was the first time we'd done anything alone since we went out to dinner for Valentines Day!

So..... we hit up the big Apple! The show was excellent and we even got a back stage tour. And we got a quick visit with cousin Steph and Milo.

You can't take pictures during the show so we just have before or after.Backstage.... Pearce does wear this for the finale!! (And wears it well:))Emma loved running on the stage after the show!Star/Tour guideThese are the sound booths back stage where the casts sings. Everything is done live, the singing and music. There is one conductor directing the actors on stage but she sits half under the stage where the orchestra pit is so she can direct them as well. Then it can be broadcasted on screens too so the actors can keep looking up at the screens for ques if they need and others can play music or sing from other rooms if necessary. All very impressive. Those people all work very hard, and 2 shows Saturday and Sunday.

As a side note if anyone is wondering.... I watched the movie that just came out last night and its all very similar. The movie is almost the exact same as the show, with the exception of a few small scenes missing and moved around at the very end. Some of the movie acting may have been a little better (I mean its Pierce Brosnan....) but I'm really not a Meryl Streep fan in general, though she played the role well. The Broadway singing was far better. I did like the girl who played Sophie in the movie but liked most of the smaller role characters better on Broadway. So I have to say I was impressed that the movie was such a close adaptation. But I did like the Broadway production better!