Students Took a Chance on "Mamma Mia!" and Brought the House Down

2/26/2025

Picture a Greek island getaway filled with the timeless disco tunes of Swedish pop group ABBA.

Last weekend, the upper school Mainstage musical production of “Mamma Mia!” transported audiences to this magical celebration about a young woman, her mother and their mysterious past.

The cast and crew of 60 upper school students put on a fun, toe-tapping production that delighted all audiences. Numerous faculty members helped bring the show to life, including Director Beth Manspeizer; Peter Wylie, technical director; Katie Meadows, music director; Melissa Edwards, choreographer; Gilles Pugatch, sound designer; and Jules Cunningham, costume designer.

“I selected this show to bring joy to our Masters community,” Manspeizer explained. “I thought a musical that had recognizable music, was contemporary and had fabulous dancing, would be a great show to direct, be a part of as a student and watch as an audience member!”

Natalie Beit ’25 embraced the lead role of Donna, the mother of 20-year-old Sophie, with passion and warmth.

“I loved being able to explore the emotions of a character who is significantly older than I and has a lot of life experiences I have never encountered,” Beit said. “Being able to dig deep into my emotions and life experiences and leave everything I have on the stage is a part of acting that is irreplaceable.”

While “Chiquitita” and “The Winner Takes It All” were Beit’s favorite songs, she also loved performing the moving “Slipping Through My Fingers.” She noted it’s “the song Donna sings to her daughter before she gets married. Next year I will be going to college, so being able to sing a song about growing up and having wonderful adventures, but never enough time to complete everything you dreamed to do, hit close to my heart.”

Behind the scenes, Alex Carnevale ’25, who is heading to SUNY Purchase this fall to study lighting design, made sure all performances went well.

“What I loved most about stage managing this musical is just seeing everything come together,” Carnevale said. “I felt insanely proud of everyone and how hard everyone on our team was working to get the show to run smoothly, and I am eternally grateful to our assistant stage managers Ally Tarter ’25 and Elizabeth Fletcher ’25. I feel like the tech team bonded a lot.”