As Mamma Mia! Comes Back to Broadway, Director Phyllida Lloyd Recalls How ABBA Won Her Over

This summer, Mamma Mia!—the ABBA musical that became a worldwide sensation—is returning to Broadway at its original home, the Winter Garden Theatre. The limited engagement from August 2 to February 1, 2026, will officially open on August 14, bringing ABBA’s greatest hits back to the stage 24 years after its Broadway debut. But what led director Phyllida Lloyd to take on this unexpected project in the first place?

Lloyd, coming from a background in opera and more esoteric theater, wasn’t actively seeking a commercial musical, especially one based on ABBA’s pop hits. Initially, she was wary of the "Faustian pact" many Broadway shows could feel like. But when she met producer Judy Craymer and writer Catherine Johnson, she was drawn in. “It sounded kind of mad and interesting, and had such a strong female drive,” Lloyd told Broadway.com in 2019. “I was immediately seduced by Judy herself.”

At first, Lloyd had little personal attachment to ABBA’s music, but after listening to the greatest hits album, ABBA Gold, she realized the band’s songs were more than just catchy tunes—they were part of our collective musical DNA. “I hadn’t fully acknowledged it before,” she said, “but ABBA was everywhere!”

As Mamma Mia! premiered in London in 1999, Lloyd still worked to refine the show. “I realized it was going to sell tickets,” she said, “but we still had to find the right balance.” With its infectious energy and unforgettable songs like “Dancing Queen” and “The Winner Takes It All," the story of bride-to-be Sophie Sheridan's quest to find her father among a trio of her mother's erstwhile paramours soon became a global phenomenon.

And as for her favorite ABBA song? “I absolutely loathe karaoke,” she laughed. “But when a gun is put to my head, I tend to do ‘Lay All Your Love on Me.’ It’s not necessarily my favorite, but I think I can do it.”

In an amusing twist, Lloyd found parallels between Mamma Mia! and Wagner’s Ring Cycle, which she was directing at the same time. “It’s about lost parents,” she said. “One lasts 17 hours, and the other lasts two hours and 40 minutes!”