"Mamma Mia!" seeks audience participation

By Gregg Kilday

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Moviegoers who can't resist singing along to "Dancing Queen" are in luck.

Universal aims to pump up Labor Day weekend grosses for its hit movie musical "Mamma Mia!" by presenting "Mamma Mia! The Sing-Along Edition" in select theaters nationwide.

Powered by ABBA tunes, the musical starring Meryl Streep has grossed more than $320 million worldwide. Domestically, it has grossed nearly $117 million and is close to surpassing "Hairspray" (whose box-office take was nearly $119 million) to become one of the top-grossing musicals of all time, ranking below "Grease," "Chicago" and "The Sound of Music."

For the sing-along engagements, the movie's prints will include subtitled lyrics to all the songs so that audiences can sing along. "Sing-along" showings of movie musicals have become popular on the festival circuit, and last summer New Line also employed the strategy several weeks into its run of "Hairspray."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter