Performances of the popular musical run Thursday, January 15 through Saturday, January 24, 2026, and feature a cast of Buchanan High School students who earned their roles through a competitive audition process.
Set on a sunny Greek island, Mamma Mia! tells the story of a young woman on the eve of her wedding who sets out to discover the identity of her birth father. Her search brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years earlier, leading to a series of humorous, heartfelt, and music-filled moments told through ABBA’s well-known hits.
The production began with auditions earlier this school year, drawing a large number of student performers. In a message sent to students following auditions, Director Abigail Paxton Jeffries acknowledged the courage it takes to audition and the difficulty of the casting process.
“Auditioning for a musical is very brave, especially when the talent pool is overflowing with superstars,” Jeffries wrote to students in the audition announcement. She explained that the audition panel spent hours reviewing performances and callbacks and carefully evaluated each audition individually.
In the same message, Jeffries emphasized that casting decisions were not personal, but based on how individual performers fit together in the overall production. “Casting a show is like putting together a very complex puzzle,” she wrote. “It’s about who is the best choice for these specific parts, with these other cast members, at this specific time.”
Auditions were conducted using anonymous numbers rather than student names to help ensure a fair and objective process.
Students who were cast are now preparing for the Main Stage production through scheduled meetings, read-throughs, and rehearsals. Students who were not cast were encouraged to remain involved by joining the production crew, assisting with technical and backstage elements of the show.
Buchanan High School Bear Stage Presents: Mamma Mia!
Main Stage Musical
Directed by Abigail Paxton Jeffries
Dates: Thursday, January 15 – Saturday, January 24, 2026
Location: Mercedes Edwards Theater
902 Fifth St., Clovis, CA 93612
With its high-energy music and student-driven production, Mamma Mia! marks another major Main Stage effort for Buchanan High School’s Bear Stage, bringing a well-known musical to the local community this winter.