Mamma Mia

JUDY CRAYMER (Creator/Producer) originated the idea for MAMMA MIA! and in 1996 founded Littlestar Services Limited with Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Richard East to produce the stage musical in London. She has since produced over 50 productions of MAMMA MIA! in 16 languages worldwide. In recognition of her international success, Judy received a Woman of the Year Award in 2002 and was appointed CBE in the queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2020 for services to theatre and charity. In 2008 she produced MAMMA MIA! The Movie, starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan, which received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations and grossed over $600 million worldwide. She later produced MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again. From September 2021 to January 2023, Judy served as Chairman of the Board and Independent Non-Executive Director of Universal Music Group. MAMMA MIA! celebrated its 25th anniversary in London’s West End in April 2024, and Judy was thrilled by the show’s recent return to Broadway.

BJÖRN ULVAEUS (Music & Lyrics) was born April 25, 1945, in Gothenburg. In the mid-”50s, Björn fell in love with rock ”n” roll and skiffle. By the early ”60s, he was a member of a folk group called The West Bay Singers. 1966: Björn met with Benny Andersson, a member of Sweden’s number-one pop group, The Hep Stars. 1970: Björn and Benny started releasing records as a duo. 1972-82: ABBA. 1982: Björn and Benny started writing the musical Chess with Tim Rice. 1986: Chess opened in London’s West End. 1990: Björn and Benny started to write a new musical. Kristina From Duvemala opened 1995. Björn writes most of the lyrics for the Benny Andersson Orchestra and has involved himself in the stagings of MAMMA MIA! 2008: Mamma Mia! The Movie was released. 2016: MAMMA MIA! The Party opened in Stockholm, with Björn as one of the producers. 2018: MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again was released. 2021: ABBA announced the release of the first album in 40 years, Voyage, as well as a virtual stage show, Voyage, which opened in a new custom-built arena in London in 2022. Björn is president of CISAC, an umbrella organization for all royalty collecting societies for songwriters in the world.

BENNY ANDERSSON (Composer) was born December 16, 1946, in Stockholm. 1952: he received accordion lessons from his father and grandfather. 1964-68: Benny was a member of The Hep Stars, Sweden’s most popular rock band in the ”60s. During this time, he began composing music. “Sunny Girl” and “Wedding” were huge hits for The Hep Stars. 1972-82: ABBA. 1982-84: Benny composed the music (together with Björn Ulvaeus and Tim Rice) for the musical Chess. 1987: he began collaborating with Orsa Spelman rooted in Swedish folk music. 1990-95: working with Björn, Benny composed the music to Kristina fran Duvemala, which premiered in October 1995. 1995: received the title of professor from the Swedish government. 2001: his collaboration with Orsa Spelman led to the formation of Benny Andersson’s Orchestra, a 16-man constellation with vocalists Helen Sjoholm and Tommy Korberg. This has resulted in 11 albums and several summer tours. 2007: Benny was inducted into the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. 2008: was appointed Honorary Doctor of the College of Humanities at Stockholm University, and at Lulea University of Technology in 2012. Founder of ABBA Voyage, a virtual stage show, which opened in London in 2022.

CATHERINE JOHNSON (Book) Theater includes Rag Doll, Too Much Too Young, Suspension (Bristol Old Vic); Boys Mean Business, Dead Sheep, Shang-A-Lang, Little Baby Nothing (Bush Theatre); MAMMA MIA! (worldwide). TV includes “Casualty,” “Love Hurts,” “Byker Grove,” “Gold” and original series “Love in the 21st Century.” Film: Catherine wrote the screenplay for MAMMA MIA! The Movie, released July 2008. Awards include Bristol Old Vic/HTV Playwriting Award, Thames TV Writer-In-Residence Award, Thames TV Best Play Award, U.K. Film Council Best Script Award for MAMMA MIA!

PHYLLIDA LLOYD (Director) Grenfell: In the Words of the Survivors (National Theatre), Donmar all-female Shakespeare trilogy (London and St. Ann’s Warehouse), The Taming of the Shrew (The Public Theater at the Delacorte), Mary Stuart (Donmar Warehouse, Apollo and Broadway; Tony nomination), Josephine and I (Bush Theatre/Joe’s Pub). MAMMA MIA! (London, Broadway, worldwide), Tina: The Musical (London, Broadway, worldwide), The Ancient Mariner (BAM). Film: Mamma Mia! (Universal), The Iron Lady (Pathe/DJ Films), Gloriana A Film (Illuminations, International Emmy), Herself (Element Pictures). Opera in London, Paris, Copenhagen, Tokyo, Barcelona, Toronto.

ANTHONY VAN LAAST (Choreographer) Theatre: Tina – The Tina Turner Musical (Tony nomination, Outer Critics Circle Award), MAMMA MIA! worldwide, Side Show (Helen Hayes nomination), Bombay Dreams (Tony nomination, Drama Desk Award), Sister Act (Olivier nomination), Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song and Dance (Green Room Award Australia), Candide (Olivier Award Best Musical). Films: both MAMMA MIA! films, Beauty and the Beast, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Concerts: Cher, Sarah Brightman, Kate Bush and Dame Edna. Anthony is an honorary Doctor of the Arts and was awarded the CBE by The Queen for services to dance.

MARK THOMPSON (Production Designer) Awards/nominations: two Critics Circle Awards, five Olivier Awards and seven Tony Award nominations. Theater in NYC: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; The Taming of the Shrew; MAMMA MIA!; Tina: The Musical (London, Broadway, worldwide), A Raisin in the Sun (set only); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; God of Carnage; Life (x) 3; Bombay Dreams; Art; Follies (set only); La Bete; One Man, Two Guvnors; The Blue Room; Arcadia. Opera at The Met: The Queen of Spades, Macbeth. Other work in the U.K. includes multiple productions for the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

HOWARD HARRISON (Lighting Designer) has been nominated for six Best Lighting Designer Olivier Awards and won for City of Angels (Donmar Warehouse) and Macbeth (Gielgud Theatre, Lyceum Theatre, Broadway). His recent theater credits include Das Falco Musical (VBW Vienna) and As You Like It (@sohoplace). His West End productions include MAMMA MIA! (global), Blithe Spirit (Harold Pinter Theatre), The Wind in the Willows (Palladium), Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre/New Amsterdam Theatre NY), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Old Vic), The Importance of Being Earnest (Vaudeville Theatre), Guys and Dolls (Piccadilly Theatre), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Lyric Theatre). Dance includes The Phantom of the Opera (Shanghai Ballet), Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! and Edward Scissorhands (Sadlers Wells, U.K. and U.S. tours). Operas include The Barber of Seville (Lyric, Chicago), Nabucco (Metropolitan, NY).

ANDREW BRUCE (Sound Designer) began his theater career at Glyndebourne Festival Opera in 1968 and was appointed head of sound at the Royal Opera House in 1971. A year later, he co-founded Autograph Sound, a leading British sound design and rental company that celebrated its 50th year in 2022. He was appointed Associate Sound Designer for Evita, Cats and Starlight Express and Sound Consultant on the original Paris version of Les Miserables in 1981. He subsequently designed the sound for the 1985 London production and all its reproductions. Original West End productions include Song and Dance, Chess, Follies, Into the Woods, Children of Eden, City of Angels, Martin Guerre, The Fix, Witches of Eastwick, MAMMA MIA!, Miss Saigon, The Secret Garden, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mary Poppins.

BOBBY AITKEN (Sound Designer) Recent productions include PRIDE (The National Theatre), Standing at the Sky’s Edge (The National Theatre) and Tammy Faye (Almeida). Bobby’s West End and Broadway productions include Grease (Piccadilly Theatre), MAMMA MIA! (worldwide), Desperately Seeking Susan (Novello Theatre), Dirty Dancing (worldwide), We Will Rock You (worldwide), Lennon (Broadway), Blast! (London, U.S.), Return to the Forbidden Planet (Cambridge Theatre, London, U.S., Japan and Australia), Five Guys Named Moe (Albery Theatre and tours), Which Witch?, Metropolis (Piccadilly Theatre). Opera credits include Carmen, Madame Butterfly, Aida, Cav and Pag, Tosca and La Boheme (Royal Albert Hall). Bobby’s design for the Australian production of We Will Rock You won him the 2005 Helpman Award for Best Sound Design. Bobby was the Sound Designer for opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

MARTIN KOCH (Musical Supervision and Orchestrations) London: Chicago, Pirates Of Penzance, The Boy Friend, Blondel, Follies. International: Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Oliver!, MAMMA MIA!, Billy Elliot. Orchestrations: Just So, Moby Dick, Which Witch, Tutankhamen, MAMMA MIA!, Jerry Springer The Opera, Billy Elliot, Bad Girls, Kombat Opera, Shoes and Viva Forever. Also for Shirley Bassey, Charles Aznavour, Jennifer Rush, Micheal Ball, Sir Elton John, Anastasia, Denise Van Outen, Jamelia, John Barrowman, Emeli Sande, Lesley Garrett, Venessa Mae, Will Young, Beverly Knight, Birdy and John Newman. Film: MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again. Television: “The Olivier Awards,” “The Royal Variety Show,” “BAFTAs,” “Sports Personality of the Year,” “Kombat Opera Music Live,” “The Sound of Music Live.” Music supervisor: Cameron Mackintosh Ltd, Eurovision Song Contest, Commonwealth Games Handover, London Olympic and Paralympic Ceremonies. Grammy and Tony nomination (Mamma Mia!), Tony and Drama Desk winner (Billy Elliot).

THE TRC COMPANY (Casting) Broadway: Beaches, Dead Outlaw, BOOP!, Sondheim’s Old Friends, Buena Vista Social Club, Death Becomes Her, The Outsiders, SIX, Aladdin. Tours: The Outsiders, The Phantom Of The Opera, Beauty & The Beast, Water For Elephants, The Wiz, Back To The Future, Les Miserables. The TRC Company is proud to continue the casting legacy of Tara Rubin Casting and Johnson-Liff Associates.