PNC Broadway Opens ‘Mamma Mia!’ at Benedum; Joshua Radin in Concert at City Winery (Tues., 3/26/24)

MAMMA MIA! (jukebox musical) by Catherine Johnson, with songs by ABBA. Touring company; PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series. March 26 – 31. 

1) One of the more puzzling success stories in contemporary theater is Mamma Mia! The show has been a long-running hit with audiences worldwide for years, despite never winning any major “Best” awards and being what seems like a niche product—a jukebox musical that’s all ABBA. To enjoy the tunes, you’ve got to like disco-inflected Europop from a group defunct since 1982. Yet Mamma Mia! premiered to sold-out houses in London in 1999. The Broadway production whiffed on Tony Awards but ran for 14 years in New York. The 2008 movie got tepid reviews but did well at the box office, and the fan base for the live musical lives on. Of course part of the draw is playwright Catherine Johnson’s script: a young bride-to-be wants to be walked down the aisle by her father, which is tricky because her mamma had more than one candidate. Maybe this funny-but-touching story combines with ABBA’s music to create a certain jag vet inte vad. That’s Swedish for je ne sais quoi. Hurry, hurry to reserve for the 25th anniversary touring production of Mamma Mia! Seats are going fast at Benedum Center, 237 7th St., Cultural District. (M.V.) 

Tuesday, March 26 & Wednesday, March 27

2) Successful songwriters often find inspiration in various subjects and times. Taylor Swift mined gold from past relationships. In the 1960’s Bob Dylan wrote about politics, culture, and the Vietnam War. Gold-selling performing artist Joshua Radin has most recently found inspiration in his travels. These influences can be heard in his 2023 EP’s though the world will tell me so, volume. 1 and though the world will tell me so, volume. 2. Radin will be in concert at City Winery in the Strip District on March 26 and 27.

Radin’s distinctive, melodic singing voice, insightful lyrics, and deft acoustic guitar playing have garnered him a large audience including several high-profile fans like Michelle Obama and Ellen DeGeneres. Degeneres loves his music so much that he performed on the “Ellen” show several times and even sang at her wedding to Portia de Rossi. Another big name, Zack Braff, who attended Northwestern University with Radin, pushed for several of Radin’s songs to be included in various episodes of Braff’s NBC (and later ABC) TV comedy, “Scrubs.” This led to over 200 film and TV placements for Radin’s songs. He has more than one billion streams and one million records sold. His 2008 song, “I’d Rather Be with You,” is his biggest hit, reaching no. 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Radin has performed with many top stars including Ed Sheeran and Sheryl Crow. See our interview and story with Radin. Special guest is Maddie Pope. 8 p.m. 1627 Smallman St., Strip District. (R.H.)

Joshua Radin writes songs that inspire emotions in people. (Photo: Work by Minnayr)

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