“Mamma Mia!” An Interview with Jessica Crouch

Mamma Mia! the iconic Broadway musical inspired by ABBA’s musical catalogue, is coming to Tulsa April 7-12, 2026. I had the opportunity to speak with Jessica Crouch, who plays the leading role of Donna — a role previously played by Meryl Streep in the movie adaptation, and countless others over the show’s 25+-year history.

If you’re unfamiliar with Mamma Mia!, the plot may sound a little unbelievable: A girl invites three of her mother’s former lovers to her wedding, hoping to discover which of them is her father — all unbeknownst to her mother, Donna, of course. Amazingly, they all show up just in time for the wedding, set in gorgeous Greece, at Donna’s somewhat-crumbling hotel. But the musical is about far more than solving the mystery of who Sophie’s father is. It’s about connection, family and friendship.

(L to R) Jalynn Steele (Tanya), Jessica Crouch (Donna Sheridan), and Carly Sakolove (Rosie). Photo by Joan Marcus

Donna and the Dynamos

Donna is supported throughout the show by her two best friends, the Dynamos. “The dynamic between the Dynamos and that female friendship is such a leading drive and heart of this show,” says Crouch. “It’s really, really beautiful to see women supporting women, but like, female friendship that has lasted a lifetime.” Crouch says she frequently sees audience members attending the show in groups – women who have been friends since they were kids, and who may now be in their 70s or 80s. “It just feels really special,” she says.

Beyond these relatable themes of friendship, Crouch says, the show resonates with people for a variety of reasons. “It touches so many different people in different ways. It gets the people who love ABBA and the music; it hits this really beautiful family element of mothers and daughters, and then also female friendship. It’s able to do so many things all within this joyous love bomb of a show. There’s nothing else like it.”

The audition process for the show was somewhat different than for other productions, Crouch says – and it reflected the importance of this friendship dynamic. Rather than auditioning with just a script reader, the Dynamos auditioned together. “So every time we went in, we read with Rosies and Tanyas; we did one of the earlier scenes where we played off each other, which was a really, really interesting dynamic,” she says. “It was very much playing with other people the entire time. It was very different, but it was very fun. We got to laugh.”

This laughter has continued as the show has moved from auditions to practices, and now the tour. “When we [Donna and the Dynamos] are laughing on stage, it’s so authentic,” says Crouch. “Every night is different, and there’s different little special moments that we have every night. It’s so much fun. There’s one scene where we’re having a slumber party, and we’re kids all over again. And you feel that energy.”

(L to R) Juliette M. Ojeda (Sophie Sheridan), and Jessica Crouch (Donna Sheridan). Photo by Joan Marcus

A joyful production with a lot of heart

While your overall impression of the show may be joy and laughter, that doesn’t mean it’s without substance. One of Crouch’s favorite songs to sing is “One of Us,” which she describes as a very short, simple song – one that most people might not gravitate towards out of all the other show-stopping options. But the theme of the song is unrequited love. “It just explains it so beautifully in a very simple way; it’s just this small, little moment of what it feels like to care about someone, and they’re not necessarily thinking about you,” says Crouch. No doubt many of us can relate to that!

Furthermore, in meeting with audience members backstage after the show, she can tell that it often inspires people to reach out and rebuild connections. “It hits the heart in a way of going like, ‘I want to call and talk to this person who I haven’t talked to in a little bit,'” she says. “It’s some of the most fulfilling work I’ve done.”

Playing Donna

As stated previously, Donna was played by Meryl Streep in the movie, and many other actors over the years. In addition to having a lot of fun on the stage, this legacy comes with a lot of pressure.

However, “there are moments that I definitely feel like, ‘I’ve made [this character] mine and brought myself to it,” says Crouch. “It’s always about making sure that you’re brining your authentic self into the character.” In fact, “It’s a lot of me on that stage,” she continues. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so vulnerable as myself, actually, on stage. It’s the first time I’ve done a show where I’m not wearing a wig. It’s my own hair. I mean, in the second act, I am in a robe, I am barefoot. It’s very, very vulnerable.” But “that’s kind of the beauty of this character: You have something that is so iconic, but there’s no way that you can’t bring certain elements of yourself. into it because the way the show is built, it requires to bring a lot of yourself to the part,” she says.

Donna is a single mom and business owner. She works incredibly hard, but also lives life joyously. Crouch says she feels very connected to Donna and that it “feels like a blessing” to play her. “She is such a resilient woman. She is strong, and she is a force that can’t be stopped,” Crouch sayas. “No matter what obstacle she has, when she sets her mind to something, she will do it. And she also has this hardness about her, but a beautiful, soft heart who can find the fun and the love in things…”

Because of this complexity to her character, Crouch says that people of all ages see themselves in Donna, from kids to grandparents.

(L to R) Jalynn Steele (Tanya), Carly Sakolove (Rosie), and Jessica Crouch (Donna Sheridan). Photo by Joan Marcus

See Mamma Mia! in Tulsa

While this is a written article, hearing Crouch speak in person about Mamma Mia! definitely made me excited for the show to come to Tulsa! I wasn’t previously very familiar with it, having just watched the movie for the first time this past weekend. Beyond seeing the performance come to life on stage – and without spoiling the ending, which may be different from the movie version – Crouch says that there’s an entire 15-minute “rock concert” towards the end of the show where the audience is invited to sing along to their favorite ABBA songs.

“The audience loves it,” she says. “It is so fun. I mean, the audience is very much a character in our show that we are playing with the entire time, which is very, very cool. It’s that last fifteen minutes where we kind of let go of the story line and we get to just be with you guys, and we get to have a rock concert with ABBA music.”

“There’s no way that you’re not going to go into that theater and leave feeling anything but extreme joy, lightness, happiness,” Crouch says.

Mamma Mia! is playing at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center April 7-12, thanks to Celebrity Attractions. View showtimes and purchase tickets at am.ticketmaster.com/tulsapac/buy?id=ODM1