When Mamma Mia! opened in theaters in the summer of 2008, many reviewers were less than enthusiastic about the film adaptation of the popular stage musical. While the storyline of 20-year old Sophie living on a Greek island with her single parent mother and embarking on a quest to find her father was declared to be flat and incoherent, the cinematic realization of the stage version has similarly been regarded as unsatisfactory. In spite of critics’ dismay, however, Mamma Mia! achieved great box office success.
The discrepancy between reviewers’ predictions and the actual perception of audiences raises the question of the origin of Mamma Mia!’s popularity. Ashley Elaine York categorizes Mamma Mia!, amongst others, as a “new breed of women’s giants […] best be described as `women’s blockbusters´ and touted as the newest conglomerate trend”. While this relatively broad definition of the woman’s blockbuster and its keys for success is applied by York to different genres and will also be considered, this paper mainly sets out to look at several of its aspects from the point of view of musical studies. Particular emphasis will be put on the use of the well-known ABBA music and its function within the movie and for audience’s reception and involvement as the categorization of the film as a so called jukebox musical will be discussed. Thus, the following questions will be investigated in the course of this paper: Can Mamma Mia! be classified as a jukebox musical, deriving its success from its nostalgic representation of the much loved ABBA music, or does it go beyond this classification to reinterpret the songs in an innovative fashion?
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Mamma Mia! as a Jukebox Musical
- The Jukebox Musical
- ABBA's success story.
- Mamma Mia! as a jukebox musical
- Beyond the jukebox? ABBA songs reinterpreted
- Adding comedic elements
- Enhancing the role of women
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the popularity of the film adaptation of the musical "Mamma Mia!" by investigating the role of nostalgia and innovation in the use of ABBA songs. It aims to determine whether the film can be classified as a jukebox musical, leveraging the nostalgia associated with ABBA's music, or if it transcends this categorization by reinterpreting the songs in a novel way.
- The categorization of "Mamma Mia!" as a jukebox musical and the role of audience nostalgia
- The reinterpretation of ABBA songs in the film, including comedic elements and the enhancement of female characters
- The success of "Mamma Mia!" as a "woman's blockbuster" and its broader appeal
- The use of music in films and the relationship between narrative and musical numbers
- The evolution of musical theatre and its subgenres
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction explores the critical reception of "Mamma Mia!" and its surprising box office success, highlighting the film's categorization as a "woman's blockbuster." It then delves into the central research question: does "Mamma Mia!" rely solely on nostalgia for its success, or does it innovate with its use of ABBA music?
Chapter 2 introduces the concept of the jukebox musical and discusses the widespread popularity of ABBA. It analyzes the criteria of a jukebox musical and examines how "Mamma Mia!" fits into this category, focusing on the role of audience nostalgia in the film's reception.
Chapter 3 moves beyond the categorization of "Mamma Mia!" as a jukebox musical, analyzing how the film reinterprets ABBA songs through comedic elements and the empowerment of female characters. It examines the film's innovation and its potential for a broader appeal.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Jukebox musical, Mamma Mia!, ABBA, nostalgia, innovation, women's blockbuster, audience reception, musical theatre, film adaptation, comedic elements, female characters, reinterpretation, popular music, music in film.
- Quote paper
- Master of Arts Amelie Meyer (Author), 2012, Nostalgia and Innovation in the songs of "Mamma Mia!", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/537883
