Emma Germain, left, Odessa Stade and Annika Wheeler rehearse for “Mamma Mia,” which will show at the Fairmont Opera House beginning next week.

FAIRMONT — Here they go again! Fairmont Area Community Theater will present “Mamma Mia! The Musical” at the Fairmont Opera House beginning next week.

Fairmont Opera House’s Executive Director Blake Potthoff said this year’s show will be a full production following last year’s “Little House on the Prairie,” which saw Covid restrictions.

Last year’s cast had just 12 members, whereas this year’s has 26.

“This year is really different because we have a lot of new people,” Potthoff said.

He said more than half the cast hasn’t been in a community theater show at the Opera House before and he estimates that about two-thirds of the cast are 18 or younger, including students from Fairmont High School and Martin County West, and about 10 are college-aged or older.

Potthoff said there’s also a lot of experience on the stage. He himself has been doing the community theater show for 16 years and said some other cast members have been in it 10 or more years.

There also will be a dance core for the first time in a long time. Nine dancers that are either from Borchardt Dance Company or Dancin’ Plus are in the cast.

Steph Johnson plays the lead role of Donna. Johnson said this is the first time she’s been in any Fairmont Theater show and the first time she’s done any theater since she was in high school.

“My son Jaxon and I went to “Mamma Mia” a few years ago at Chanhassen and we said if it ever comes here, we would do it together. It’s a bigger role than I thought I would get,” Johnson said with a laugh.

Odessa Stade will be a senior at Martin County West. She has the lead role of Sophie.

Last year Stade was in “Little House on the Prairie” and with her school she’s been in a number of productions including “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

Stade said her favorite part of being involved in theater is being a part of something that encourages creativity and always being able to have fun with the cast at every practice.

“Everyone in this cast fits so well together. It really is an amazing experience,” Stade said.

The group began rehearsing at the end of May. They have been meeting for two to three hours each night Monday through Friday.

As for helping with the costumes and set, Potthoff said they typically don’t have to hire things out as most cast members have a talent or interest in an area and are given the opportunity to try their hand at it and this year is no different.

Potthoff is the music director. Samantha Rosenberg and Logan Potthoff do the lights. Jay and Tamarae Schmidt designed and built most of the set and Tamarae is also the choreographer. Izzy Munsch is the assistant director and is also helping with costumes, along with Megan Potthoff.

Brandon Vincent is the musical’s director. Vincent lives in the metro area and commutes to direct the show.

“He’s really good and we’re very fortunate to have him here,” Potthoff said.

Vincent has directed shows in Chanhassen as well as at Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. He’s also done film work in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

Vincent shared that he saw a Facebook post from Potthoff last year seeking a director.

“I wasn’t doing much at the time because it was Covid so I reached out and Blake and I clicked right away,” Vincent said.

He directed “Little House on the Prairie” last year and Potthoff asked him to return this year to direct “Mamma Mia.”

“It’s been a fun production, challenging but fun,” Vincent said.

Performances are set for 7 p.m. beginning Wednesday, July 21, through Saturday, July 24. On Sunday, July 25, there will be a matinee performance beginning at 2 p.m. Performances start up again on Thursday, July 29, and Friday, July 30, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 31, and Sunday, Aug. 1, at 2 p.m.

While they typically put on six shows, Potthoff said this year three additional performances were added for a total of nine performances.

“It’s “Mamma Mia.” It’s a popular show and I think having two weekends is beneficial because sometimes people are on vacation and they miss it, so we added a second weekend,” Potthoff explained.

He said they also added the additional performances because they’re still trying to recover from Covid and they want as many people to come see it as possible.

Potthoff said FACT has always been self-sustaining. The ticket sales, sponsorships and donations always cover the performances for the next year.

“We want to try to capitalize on that to make sure that we’re highlighting local talent and businesses who sponsor. We want to give everyone the opportunity to be involved whether it’s on stage or engaging in the seats. That’s what drives it. A lot of people want to have fun and we want to make sure this sustains for another 56 years,” Potthoff said.

Tickets can be purchased online at fairmontoperahouse.org or by calling 507-238-4900. General admission tickets are $20 and tickets for youth 14 and under are $8.

“We want to encourage people to sing along. A lot of people know the music. It’s a fun show, it’s high energy. Come out and enjoy the music,” Potthoff said.