Life is Short. Kiss Slowly, Laugh Crazily.

Mamma Mia- The Winner Takes It All

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It has been two months that I participated in the musical, Mamma Mia.
The performance day has just come around the corner. The musical will be performed in October 3rd and 4th at Ewha Womans University Performance hall, so it would be a great pleasure to present in front of my friends since musical has been on my bucket list of my University years.  

I am playing the role, Donna, 50 year old women. She was a singer in her past with bright and strong soul.  But now she is sick and tired of her boring daily life, fighting every day with banking workers for her financial problem . The musical starts from her daughter Sophie's idea to find her father. Sophie has her wedding soon but she does not know who her father is. Then she found from Donna's diary that there are three men who are presumed to be her father. The musical starts from sending letters to three men.

In the end, the Musical ends that three of Donna's past lovers both agreed to be Sophie's father and Donna's  first true love Sam propose to her and they get married.
All of the songs in the musical are so touchy and moves listeners heart. 

While singing the songs, I deeply get touched by the depth of the lyrics. Especially, my favorite song is "The Winner Takes It All" which expresses the feeling of Donna by looking back her past times. Of course, it is one of the most difficult songs in the musical, but the lyrics of the song makes listeners to look back on the life.

The lyrics goes; She was hurt by her lovers and her times that she feels powerless that there is nothing she can do in her life.  She wants to ignore the situation but still it comes as a shadow of her memory. She needs to accept the fact that her lovers left her and she should be more strong.  Since she doesn't want to get hurt, she builds her own fence and pretends but she finds out that she was protecting herself not to be hurt.

I don't wanna talk

About things we've gone through

Though it's hurting me
Now it's history
I've played all my cards
And that's what you've done too
Nothing more to say
No more ace to play

The winner takes it all
The loser's standing small
Beside the victory
That's her destiny

I don't wanna talk
If it makes you feel sad
And I understand
You've come to shake my hand
I apologize
If it makes you feel bad
Seeing me so tense
No self-confidence
But you see

The winner takes it all
The winner takes it all

The Musical Mamma Mia was written by British Playwright, Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, Swedish group. The title of the musical, Mamma Mia has been named after the ABBA's 1975 chart topper, "Mamma Mia."

ABBA is a Swedish pop group formed in 1972 in Stockholm. Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad were the member of the groups. The name, ABBA has named after the first character of the each members, A-B-B-A. ABBA was the first non-English speaking group who won gained success in English speaking countries such as U.K, Ireland, U.S.A. etc.

Because of the reason that four members were in relationship each other, the lyrics of the songs composed by them are ingrained with their true heart. The members, Fältskog and Ulvaeus loved each other and Lyngstad and Andersson loved and both of two couples got married but they divorced later. For these reasons, even though ABBA was in its own peak of the popularity in 1981, the group was disbanded in 1982 when both of relationship of two couples were not good. 

As I participate in the musical, I can deeply understand the feeling of Donna, who was hurt by her three lovers of the past but still lives day by day for her daughter and her life itself. Her life could have been sustained thanks to the help of her best friends, Rosie and Tanya who are always willing to be next to her.

Life comes with times. Love is forgotten by another love and it becomes the beautiful memory of the times. Rather than pretending to be strong, accepting the emotion of ones true heart is more easier and frank way to oneself to overcome the sorrow. The musical Mamma Mia, depicts the truth of the life in this context. 

The winner takes it all, the loser has to stand stall.

However, we are the fate owner of our life which decides to be winner and the loser.