Hands On Stage to show Mamma Mia! : By Kathryn Franson and Maddox Talmadge

This spring, members of the DHHS Hands On Stage program will be performing Mamma Mia! On April 23 and 24 at 7 p.m. and April 25 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Last fall, many in the Madison community voted for the musical over other options, with around 100 votes more than the second-most voted option. As a result, a sizable turnout is anticipated. Between the cast and crew, the work and preparation that go into the performance begins long before the showtimes.

Behind the scenes, the stage crew is working hard to guarantee a solid performance. For this performance, the crew is required to build and paint sets, along with planning other backstage details.

“The crew is mainly focused on building the sets and moving the props,” Claire Morris, one of the crew Stage Managers and a senior at DHHS, said. “Anything that’s not the actors, that’s what the crew does.”

Morris said that the crew is working hard to prepare for the show, and will be working even harder during tech week.

“It can be a daunting process when there’s a lot of different set pieces that all need to come together as one,” Morris said. “But by the second tech week, which is when everyone practices for hours on end, it really comes together.”

The two tech weeks are coming up in the near weeks prior to the show, in which the crew works 3-9 each night. The crew is also looking to recruit for future years.

“If you are interested [in joining],” Morris said, “Hands On Stage Crew, [is] welcome to anybody and everybody.”

Meanwhile on stage, the cast is working just as hard. Kasey Chen, another senior at DHHS, plays Rosie in the musical.

While the crew works hard during tech week, the cast makes sure to apply themselves as well.

“We don’t normally pull it together until tech week,” Chen said.

The results post-tech week are expected to be positive.

“It’s super fun to watch,” Chen said. “Since people voted for it, most likely people are gonna go to it.”

Students may see Mamma Mia! for free upon bringing a student ID. Otherwise, tickets to see the show cost $15 when ordered ahead of time on handsonstagedhhs.ludus.com. At the door, tickets cost $20.