If you come to see "Mamma Mia!" at Manheim Central High School, be prepared for an energetic experience.

"It's a very fun performance to watch," said Annika Shull, a senior who portrays Donna Sheridan in some of the show's performances. "There's a lot of crowd interactions in the aisles, and it feels like one big party."

"Mamma Mia!" will be performed on Thursday, March 27, through Saturday, March 29, at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, March 30, at 2 p.m. A performance for patrons age 65 and older will be held on Wednesday, March 26, at 6 p.m. The show will be presented in the auditorium at the high school, 400 E. Adele Ave.

The musical follows Sophie Sheridan, a young bride-to-be on a picturesque Greek island, as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Longing for her father to walk her down the aisle, she faces one major challenge: She doesn't know who he is. When three possible fathers arrive just a day before her wedding to Sky, chaos unfolds. Filled with themes of identity, love, friendship and the enduring strength of family, the story captures the excitement and emotion of a life-changing moment, all underscored by an ABBA soundtrack featuring hits such as "Dancing Queen," "Super Trouper" and "Honey, Honey."

A 2008 movie of the musical featured performances by Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried as mother-daughter duo Donna and Sophie Sheridan.

"If you've seen the movie, it's almost like the stage show, except there are a few numbers that are in the musical that aren't in the movie," said Nicholas Margerum, a senior who portrays Sam Carmichael.

For both Annika and Eden Marcott, a senior who portrays Donna for some of the performances, getting into character for this show has been a fun challenge.

"This is a very different role from other roles I've played, because I've only played teenagers or young adults," Annika shared. "It's challenging to play a middle-aged woman who is a single mom. Normally, when I'm acting, I try to put a piece of myself in the character, but that's hard to do with this one."

She watched the movie to find the basis for her character. "It was a good place to start to see the character's mannerisms and how she carries herself," she said.

Eden agreed, noting, "Having that motherly feel and having the depth to the voice has been a challenge, but it's a fun challenge. I love this show. It's been such a fun experience."

Sophie is portrayed by junior Lydia Sensenig for some of the performances and by senior Ava Graff for the other shows.

"Through Sophie's lens, the whole first part of the show, she's so focused on finding out who her dad is and finding her identity through who her dad is and getting married to Sky," Lydia shared. "But towards the end of the show, she comes to have confidence in herself and who she is as a person. ... The people around her don't define who she is. She defines who she is through her own journey."

To get into character, Ava watched other productions of the show, but she found it was easy to step into Sophie's shoes.

"What I connect with is just coming into that young adulthood," she said. "I'm going through my own experience, and the next step is college and you're freaking out like, 'Who am I?' All the identity searching that Sophie goes through, I can really relate to."

Although the show is energetic and fun, it also contains deeper emotions, Nicholas said.

"It's a very happy and upbeat show, but there are some sad moments," he shared. "I think audiences should be prepared to cry."

Ultimately, however, audiences should get ready for a party, Eden said.

"If you want to come and sing along and dance, this is the show," she said. "There are so many great opportunities to do that, and that's what I've had the most fun with so far with this show."

Tickets for "Mamma Mia!" can be purchased at https://tinyurl.com/3dxx8vym. Admission to the Wednesday performance is by donation, and tickets are not available ahead of time.