The 'Dads' of Mamma Mia! Bring the Party (and Spandex) Back to Broadway

Here we go again! After nearly two years of touring the country in the ABBA blockbuster Mamma Mia!, Jim Newman, Victor Wallace and Rob Marnell have traded hotel rooms for Broadway dressing rooms. The trio—aka the Mamma Mia! dads—have now settled in at the Winter Garden Theatre, where the international smash first played in 2001.

“What a way to end the experience after being on the road for 20 months,” Marnell told The Broadway Show recently. “To come back home, bring Mamma Mia! back home and bring ourselves home to our families—it’s so exciting.”

For Newman, enjoying his seventh run on Broadway, this show stands out. “There’s something about having 25 Broadway debuts in this company that [makes] this really emotional and very, very special,” he shared. “We’ve been musical theater nerds since we were kids, and now we get to knock that dream off the list together.”

When the actors first signed on for the anniversary tour, they had no idea it would end with a Broadway transfer. “We’d heard the rumors,” Wallace admitted, “but I think because we’ve all done this before, it was like, ‘I’ll believe it when I get a contract.’”

That surprise makes the moment even sweeter. “It’s lovely to call the Winter Garden home,” said Marnell. “Unpacking, settling in—it’s not just in and out. We’re very lucky to end the tour like this.”

In Mamma Mia!, bride-to-be Sophie (Amy Weaver) is preparing for her wedding with one big question on her mind: who’s walking her down the aisle? After discovering her mother’s old diary, Sophie learns there are three possible fathers—Sam (Wallace), Bill (Newman) and Harry (Marnell)—and invites them all to the wedding, hoping to solve the mystery.

Wallace, who first played Sam when the Broadway run ended in 2015, knows why audiences keep coming back. “There’s something for everyone,” he said. “Yes, it’s about a mother and daughter, but it’s also about friendship, about joy, about connection. We can all identify with it.”

The would-be dads also love the way the show has grown into a family event. “So many kids have grown up with the movies,” Marnell said. “Audiences of all ages come ready to sing and dance along. By the end of the show, everyone’s just losing their minds with joy. You feel like a rock star up there.”

“Spandex and platforms,” Newman added with a laugh. “That’s rock star.”

The dads are ready for audiences to grab their feather boas and join the party once again. “At the end of the day, Mamma Mia! is about joy,” said Wallace. “And that’s exactly what Broadway needs right now.”

Watch the full interview with Rob Marnell, Victor Wallace and Jim Newman below!