I love a good musical and was in need of a night out, so I headed to Sydney's famous casino The Star at the weekend to catch the latest incarnation of Mamma Mia! The Musical.
Here's what to expect, if you're thinking of braving the traffic - or public transport - to see the hits of Swedish supergroup ABBA transposed into narrative.
Getting There
I went with a friend and we decided to drive from Wollongong. It can be so much easier rather than getting the train in the cold then a connecting train, bus or light rail to Pyrmont/Darling Harbour.
Parking inside The Star isn't too expensive, total cost was $35.35 for a seven-hour stay on a Saturday night.
Food
The casino has an array of food to try though can be a tad expensive. Saturday we decided to try the three-course $69 banquet special at nearby French restaurant, The Little Snail.
It's about a five to seven minute walk to the Lyric, so easy to have a bite before the show.
The banquet was good value with a good selection of dishes to choose from. We ordered: smoked salmon and pate for entree, we both had duck for mains, then a chocolate mousse and hazelnut ice-cream for dessert. Plus a glass of bubbles!
The Show
It is a well-loved show that has been around before, but the production was slick with added Australianisms into the script and physical comedy too.
It's not the done thing to sing along to every ABBA song you know and love, so you might need to resist the urge.
However, there is a fabulous medley in the finale where the audience is encouraged to stand and sing and dance.
I did spot a few grumpy men standing around, arms crossed and scowls on their faces - even the pops of confetti falling from the sky wasn't enough to entice them to boogie.
Overall, it was a really well executed production with a fun, light-hearted storyline.
If ABBA isn't your thing, there's always The Tina Turner Musical on at the Theatre Royal, and later in the year the beloved Wicked returns to town also.
Mamma Mia! The Musical is on at the Sydney Lyric until July 30, before moving to Brisbane's QPAC Lyric Theatre from August 6, then to Melbourne's Princess Theatre from October 4.
Tickets rand from $65 and up.
Desiree Savage
I write about arts and entertainment, plus other bits and pieces in between at the Illawarra Mercury.
I write about arts and entertainment, plus other bits and pieces in between at the Illawarra Mercury.
