GREENFIELD — It didn’t take long for the romantic leads to spark chemistry for an upcoming local production of “Mamma Mia!”
They’re just as betrothed offstage as their characters are under the theater lights.
The couple head up the CrazyLake Acting Company cast bringing Greece to Greenfield with the ABBA-inspired musical.
Jamie McDowell plays Sophie, a young woman who invites three men to her upcoming wedding, one of whom she believes is her father.
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Austin Fisher, McDowell’s fiance, portrays Sky, Sophie’s husband-to-be.
The actors have been performing since their school choir days, but “Mamma Mia!” marks the first time they’ve each been cast in lead roles in the same production.
“He’s usually always the lead,” McDowell said of Fisher. “I’ve never gotten the part of a lead yet, so it’s very fun. Last year I actually got to be the one who got to break up a kiss between him and another girl, so it’s nice to be on the other side.”
Fisher said they run lines together on their drives to rehearsal from Indianapolis’ west side.
His favorite aspect of helping bring the production to life has been his fellow actors.
“The cast is really the greatest part,” he said. “I think I would’ve been happy in any role that I could’ve been cast in. The people really make the show at the end of the day.”
Ethan Stearns has acted in plenty of plays, but he’s never been part of a musical until getting cast as a groomsman in “Mamma Mia!”
Stearns said he never thought of himself as that great of a singer or dancer, but Christine Schaefer, the production’s director, encouraged him to audition. He’s glad he took her advice.
“I’m having a great time,” he said. “It’s one of the best experiences of my life.”
The musical is also a first for Pat McCartney, who plays Sam, one of the men who might be Sophie’s father. While McCartney has a background in performing music, he’s never had a speaking part in a play before.
He finds his character’s storyline compelling.
“He’s dealing with love and divorce and marriage and possible fatherhood, so he’s going through all these emotions at the same time,” McCartney said.
All of the characters’ backstories and motivations make for a plot that all audience members will be able to see some of themselves in, he continued.
“There’s so much more to it that everybody can relate to,” he said. “Everybody deals with relationship issues. There’s so many things that are relateable at different levels.”
Amy Studabaker plays Rosie, one of Sophie’s mother’s friends. Studabaker is also the production’s music director and choreographer. She said she enjoys playing Rosie because of her down-to-earth dynamic and because she gets to sing “Take a Chance on Me,” one of her favorite ABBA songs.
“I get to just belt it out, so that’s fun,” Studabaker said.
Coy Hutcherson plays Bill, another of Sophie’s paternal possibilities. He echoed Fisher’s feelings on the cast and crew being the best parts about working on the play.
“I enjoy pretending to be somebody else for a summer, but really it’s just the people,” he said. “That’s really what makes it. It’s why you do it.”
Hutcherson hopes audiences will recognize a similar sense of community when deciding to come out and see the show and support local theater.
“It’s people that you go to work with, you go to church with, you do life with,” he said.
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WHAT: "Mamma Mia!"
WHEN: 7 p.m. July 12, 13, 19 and 20; 2 p.m. July 14 and 21
WHERE: H.J. Ricks Centre for the Arts, 122 W. Main St., Greenfield
TICKETS: $10 online at crazylakeacting.com or at Hometown Comics, 1040 N. State St., Greenfield, or $12 at the door
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