A Cast Divided: Is "Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again" Cannon?

In a stunning turn of events, the close-knit cast of Mamma Mia at Silver River Dinner Theatre found themselves coming close to blows on Sunday evening following a cast outing to view Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again. The question? Can the events of the sequel/prequel be considered cannonical in the lives of Donna, Sophie and her 3 Dads?

For Mary Denby, who plays Sophie in the regional production, the answer is a resounding yes. “The backstory just makes sense. Spiritually, Cher would be Sophie’s grandmother. As an actor, I found the movie to be an incredibly rich research opportunity” she wrote in a lengthy Facebook post. “Anyone who denies the cosmic significance of Donna saving that horse blasphemes the sacred name of Björn Kristian Ulvaeus” she added in an apparent dig at her fellow cast members who opposed her during the evening’s argument.

One of those disgruntled cast mates was Kristianne Mosely, who played Donna for 9 years on the national tour and is reprising the role in this production. “I know Donna better than I know myself at this point and it just isn’t believable that she would have died. The woman lived on an idyllic Greek Island. She would definitely be immortal” said Denby by phone. As for her young co-star, Mosely had some choice words, “Frankly, Mary has some nutty ideas about her character to begin with. This movie is only going to fuel her dumb theory that Sophie is actually hallucinating the whole play from her bed in a mental institution.”

The cast was almost evenly divided on the issue, leading to a heated shouting match in the kitchen of actor housing, and a tense rehearsal this morning. However, there was one clear benefit to the rift: Mosley’s performance of “The Winner Takes It All” that day was more passionate and stunning than it has been in years.