Shania Twain Has Her Sights Set on a ‘Mamma Mia’-esque Musical
Shania Twain remembers hearing ABBA at 12 years old, even mentioning her love for Mamma Mia. The “That Don’t Impress Me Much” singer even has her sights set on a jukebox musical, saying there’s “an interest” in creating a stage adaptation of her country-pop music.
Shania Twain is an ABBA fan — and a ‘Mamma Mia’ fan
Twain is a friend of Harry Styles and a fan of the Beach Boys. Twain also expressed her love for Mamma Mia, a musical featuring original songs by the Swedish supergroup ABBA.
“I could go on forever about my love of ABBA songs, but ‘Dancing Queen’ is the first song that I ever got up on the dance floor to in grade 7 at the school dance,” Twain said during an interview with U Discover Music.
She added that at 12 years old, she was “really shy,” but when that song is playing, “you just can’t help yourself. You don’t care who’s looking, you just close your eyes and move your body and celebrate the music.”
This artist is interested in doing a musical — ‘Mamma Mia’ style
As the “Queen of Country Pop,” Twain has several chart-topping tracks under her belt — “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “You’re Still the One,” and “Man! I Feel like a Woman” among them. As a result, a musical featuring her original songs is a possibility.
“Yes, there actually is an interest in doing a musical, you see our music is very different, and I can definitely visualize your music,” Twain said in the same interview. “I just wanted to take a second to say how much ABBA music has inspired me and in the sense of broadening my sense of…I grew up listening to two, three chord songs, very simple and a lot of storytelling.
“But musically, when I heard ABBA, I’m like, ‘This is a whole other planet of arrangement and time signature changes,’ and [it] just went to so many unexpected places,” she added. After finding success onstage, Mamma Mia became a movie musical, with Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again premiering in 2018.
This wouldn’t be the only “Jukebox Musical” that made its Broadway debut, as other productions featured songs from specific artists. That includes Jagged Little Pill (with music by Alanis Morissette), Jersey Boys (describing the life of The The Four Seasons), Head Over Heels (featuring hits by The Go-Go’s).
Is Shania Twain still writing music in 2023?
There’s no word when, or if, the “Shania Twain” musical will debut. In the meantime, Twain releases originals on most major streaming platforms. In February 2023, that included Queen Of Me, complete with “Giddy Up,” “Waking Up Dreaming,” “Best Friend,” and “Not Just a Girl.”
Additionally, this performer embarked on her Queen of Me tour. Aside from her role as a songwriter and producer, Twain is a published author, penning her autobiography, From This Moment On, in 2011.
