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The Abba musical, helmed by stage director Phyllida Lloyd, sails to a real Greek island with its fairy-tale aura intact. Its “princess,” Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), has secretly invited to her wedding three ex-lovers (Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård, and Colin Firth) of her American expat mother Donna (Meryl Streep), certain that one is her father. To these nimble comic players, add Julie Walters and Christine Baranski as Donna’s pals. The story’s Nordic-meets-Mediterranean mix begets an irresistible visual feast of gold and azure — wispy blond hair backlit by the twinkling sea. That said, the dance numbers are passable, and the songs, though frothy fun, are arguably best heard on a transistor radio. It’s the up-for-a-pratfall Streep who makes the fluff three-dimensional, sweetly letting her daughter go in one song, releasing pent-up frustration in the showstopping ballad. The actress makes Donna’s unapologetic ability to move easily among a multitude of roles — innkeeper in overalls, mother in a peasant dress, diva in platform boots — a statement on her own relevance and capacity to reinvent herself. 92 Minutes | Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + Circle/Chestnut Hill + Suburbs
