THE British musical “Mamma Mia!” kicked off its four-month tour of China in Shanghai earlier this month. After completing a 22-show run in Shanghai, the production will head to Beijing, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Zhengzhou, Zhuhai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The Shenzhen shows will be staged July 12-21 at Nanshan Culture and Sports Center. This is the show’s second tour of China, the first being in 2007, when it was performed in Shanghai and Beijing. In 2011, a Chinese version toured extensively around the country. The smash-hit musical was written by British playwright Catherine Johnson and is based on songs by the Swedish supergroup ABBA. It premiered in London in 1999, and on Broadway in 2001. The international touring production, first staged in 2004, will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year in Dublin. Over the past 20 years, “Mamma Mia!” has been performed in 42 countries and regions, with 3,500 shows attended by more than 7 million people. It has 50 versions in 16 languages. Nick Grace, producer of the international touring production of “Mamma Mia!,” says that the musical is a “feel-good” show. “You can come and forget about everything else in your life, and just enjoy fantastic storytelling and have a great time for two and a half hours,” he says. The touring production changes cast every year, which keeps performances fresh. “There are cast members now who weren’t even born when ‘Mamma Mia!’ started, which makes me feel old,” Grace says. “I think what’s magical about the show is that when you come in and play one of the characters, you have the ability to bring some of your own character to the show as well.” He says that he has seen the musical numerous times, but still enjoys it every time, because there is always something new and fresh, and he adds that little has changed since the musical’s launch because the secret is the songs’ lasting popularity. “The songs move the story forward. It’s not just a tribute show where you just have a couple of well-known songs. The songs are so important to the storytelling.” (China Daily) | 