Here We Go Again! Mamma Mia! Opens in Japan with COVID-19 Guidelines

As theaters remain shut down in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, this production is bringing audiences joy in Japan. Mamma Mia! opened on July 14 at the Kanagawa Arts Center in Yokohama. The opening had originally been planned for March 28, but it was postponed as theaters were forced to close down across the globe. Mamma Mia! will play in Yokohama until August 23 before moving to Fukuoka's Canal City Theatre and then the Kyoto Theatre.

Temperature checks, social distance seating, the wearing of face masks by audience members and frequent tests and health monitoring of the company and theater staff are among the safety measures that are in place.

“It is fantastic to have opened Mamma Mia! in Yokohama. [We] hope that it is restorative at this time. Bringing people together is the joy of theater," said producer Judy Craymer in a statement. "Safety of our audiences, company and crew is paramount, and this opening gives us optimism that it is possible that live theater can happen again. We hope that it won’t be long before our other productions can open again in London and around the world. Theater is the heartbeat of any city, and the show must go on safely.”

With music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, Mamma Mia! is the sunny, funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads on a Greek island idyll, all unfolding to the magic of ABBA’s timeless pop songs. The show has now been seen live on stage by 65 million people around the world and turned into two hit movies, Mamma Mia! The Movie and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.