SMITHFIELD – If you’ve been wondering when busy local performing artist Celeste Baillio will return to the stage as an actress instead of a director – and who hasn’t? – the wait is now over.
The Fours Seasons Theatre Company here has announced that Ms. Baillio will reprise the role of former songstress turned hotel-owner Donna Sheridan in its upcoming production of Mamma Mia!
Before trying her hand as director in the delightful 2024 Music Theatre West production of Catch me If You Can and that group’s still upcoming production of Emma, Ms. Baillio previously performed the title role in the ABBA musical for the Cache Theatre Company in April of 2019.
Since that time, she has graced local stages with her singing and acting talents in productions of Freaky Friday, Annie, Singin’ in the Rain, Ragtime, A Christmas Story, The 39 Steps and Something Rotten!, among others.
Joining Ms. Baillio will be Jenn Schmidt as Tanya Chesham-Leigh, another veteran of the fictional 1970s girl-group “Donna and the Dynamos.” Ms. Schmidt is also well known to local audiences for previous roles in the CTC productions of Matilda, Legally Blonde, Seussical, Spamalot and others.
In Mamma Mia!, Ms. Schmidt will get to sing lead in the hot Act II production number “Does Your Mother Know?”
Danielle Israelsen will appear as Donna’s daughter Sophie and Danilia Trisollini will round out the members of the former girl-group as Rosie Mulligan.
The roles of Donna’s former suitors will be filled by Landon Weeks, John McVey and Ryan Leonhardt.
Mamma Mia! has always been a crowd-pleaser here in Cache Valley, having been preformed previously by the Cache Theatre Company and the Lyric Repertory Company.
The musical was a late addition to the Four Seasons’ schedule for 2025, substituting for the previously announced Sister Act.
The Four Seasons Theatre Company is well known for staging musicals featuring huge casts and the upcoming production of Mamma Mia! will be no exception to that rule.
Other name cast performers will include Geoffrey Seamons; Germaine Cost, Jr.; Andrew Crumpley, Annaliese Resendes; and Jessica Christensen.
Singing and dancing in the female ensemble will be Aly Burns, Alycia Loftus, Alyssa Tipps, Ava Wilkes, Brighton Walker, Clara Bensen, Emma Adkins, Emma Dawson, Erin Shelton, Jenny Matthews, Kim Rash, Maddi Mo, Morgan Nadauld, Olivia Sundwall, Taylee Klein and Dani Allen.
Performing as the male ensemble will be Ammon Jensen, Caleb Haehnel, Dustin Haywood, Joe Wall and Nathan Jones.
Performances of Mamma Mia! will be staged in the auditorium of Sky View High School in Smithfield from Thursday, March 20 to Saturday, March 29.