The 25th Anniversary Tour of the blockbuster musical Mamma Mia! returns to Montreal with a brand new cast, including rising star Grant Reynolds.
The Chicago native plays Sky, fiancée of lead character Sophie at the centre of a family drama ahead of their Greek island wedding. Mamma Mia! tells the tale of a mother, her daughter Sophie on the eve of Sophie’s wedding to Sky, and her three possible dads, magically told through the songs of ABBA.
Since premiering in London in 1999 and on Broadway in 2001, the jukebox musical has been seen live by 70 million people worldwide and turned into two Hollywood films, Mamma Mia! The Movie and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Reynolds was the first Black actor to play Sky when the 25th Anniversary remount of the musical opened on Broadway in August 2025 for a limited six-month run at the Winter Garden Theatre. Reynolds is now travelling across North America on the Mamma Mia! 25th Anniversary Tour which headlines Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier from October 13 to 18.
Reynolds recently sat down for a candid Q&A about the tour and his flourishing career.
You beat 6,000 applicants to become one of 14 musical theatre students accepted into Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama in Pittsburgh.
Grant Reynolds: I started seeing Broadway productions in New York when I was a kid. Then I started doing theatre when I was really young. I always wanted to go to Carnegie. My idol Billy Porter went there! I worked really hard, and thankfully I was selected. It was some of the best years of my life. I graduated in 2021.
You joined the 25th anniversary cast of Mamma Mia! in 2024. You guys were on the road for 18 months before your Broadway run at the Winter Garden Theatre. What was it like to perform on Broadway?
Grant Reynolds: It was a dream come true. And it was incredible to be the first full-time Black actor to portray Sky on Broadway. I was proud to represent because when I was a kid I remember wanting to see Black actors on the stage. Representation matters so much. That’s one of the reasons I’m so happy to be a part of Mamma Mia!
Is an actor’s life on Broadway glamourous?
Grant Reynolds: It’s a deceiving type of glamour. There are a lot of privileges, but there is a lot of very hard work, especially when you’re touring. People don’t see the hotels, the travel, being in a new place every week, the early wake up calls. There’s a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes. And you have to listen to your body because your body is your tool.
Your journey to the stage included a role in the acclaimed film Anything’s Possible directed by Billy Porter. What was it like to work with Billy?
Grant Reynolds: I saw Billy Porter in Kinky Boots. He was such a huge influence. Being a gay Black man who also went to Carnegie Mellon, it was amazing to work on the film with Billy. He was incredibly generous with his time, his wisdom, and he became like a mentor to me.
Has being an out gay man affected your career?
Grant Reynolds: Almost every role I’ve played thus far has been that of a straight man. We often see straight men portray gay roles. But I think the reverse – being a gay man – I have the experience of having to code-switch as a Black man all of the time. As a gay man, one may also have to code-switch for your own safety. Those are things I have internalized my whole life. How I present is how I present. But I tend to play a lot of straight guys, and I think that’s very cool. I think being a gay man gives me more perspective for things. It gives me comfort, gives me a freedom and a malleability in the way I’m able to communicate with and comfort my scene partners, especially if there’s intimacy involved.
You are also now a role model for younger Black actors.
Grant Reynolds: It’s a huge thing for me to be the first full-time Black actor portraying Sky because it shows Black men can be leading men. I’m thankful to be a part of the leading pack of Black men on Broadway. There aren’t that many opportunities in reality. It is a very hard industry, especially for people of colour – and especially for women of colour. It’s a very hard journey. I feel very blessed and super privileged to have held this role for so long. I bring my best to Sky. I love who he stands for as a character. He is charming, the pillar of strength throughout the chaos in Mamma Mia! as his fiancée Sophie pieces together her identity. Sky really stands as this reflective mirror to show her that all of these things she was searching for outwardly have always lived inside of her. I love bringing that to life every night. And I love who I am.
What is your favourite number in Mamma Mia?
Grant Reynolds: “Voulez-Vous” and “Lay All Your Love on Me” are my favourite songs to perform.
Why is Mamma Mia a must-see?
Grant Reynolds: Because it’s for everybody. It’s intergenerational. I love looking out and seeing the audience. We’re a show that prides ourselves on having fun and spreading joy. That’s what we want, so see audiences leave the theatre feeling joyful and happy.
MAMMA MIA! headlines Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts from October 13 to 18. Click here for tickets.
Performance schedule:
- Tuesday, October 13 at 7:30 pm (opening night)
- Wednesday, October 14 at 7:30 pm
- Thursday, October 15 at 7:30 pm
- Friday, October 16 at 7:30 pm
- Saturday, October 17 at 1 pm
- Saturday, October 17 at 7:30 pm
- Sunday, October 18 at 1 pm
- Sunday, October 18 at 7:30 pm
Production photos by Joan Marcus. All photos courtesy Broadway Across Canada.
