Drake Park’s outdoor stage is set to transform into a Greek-inspired paradise with nearly sold-out performances of “Mamma Mia” Friday and Saturday. The musical is the perfect choice for the venue, said director Rachel Robinson, who makes her directorial debut for Theater in the Park this season, a decadelong tradition sponsored by Lay It Out Events. “I think there’s something so fun about literally being outside and once the sun goes down, being under the stars and next to the water,” she said.
Environmental factors serve to support the storytelling. The city park and adjoining Deschutes River set the scene for the production with its celebratory atmosphere, Robinson said. And unlike a formal venue where the audience may be separated the cast by an orchestra pit, spectators will be situated near the action.
“Hopefully, by the end of the night everybody who is in the audience feels like they were a guest at the wedding at Donna’s tavern, you know, having a good time, too,” Robinson said. A fresh addition to Bend’s nightlife: Hasta que Olvidemos Stephanie Von Aydan was drawn to auditions because she wanted to have a good time, she said. “‘Mamma Mia’ is always such a great time because it has great music.
There’s not really too much of a complicated storyline. So it’s one of those shows that you can just fully involve yourself in," Von Aydan said. But while some may write the musical off as superficial, Von Aydan and Robinson agree that deeper messa.