'Mamma Mia!' brings the party to Academy of Music in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- This week, a beloved musical classic has returned to Philadelphia.

'Mamma Mia!' is famously set to the timeless hits of ABBA.

"It's truly a party from the moment we start," says Alisa Melendez, who plays Sophie.

"You hear it in the overture, people are just losing their minds to the very end. It's so exciting. It's full of love, joy."

For nearly 25 years, Mamma Mia! has been a smash hit across the globe, and this show has stayed true to its roots.

"The set is the original. The costumes are the original, and still, it's truly timeless," Melendez says.

Melendez plays Sophie, a girl getting ready to get married.

Set on a Greek Island, she lives with her single mother and is trying to find out which of three men is her possible father.

"The first time I saw the show, it was my first Broadway tour that I ever saw," Melendez says of this full-circle moment.

"I begged my mom to take me for my Sweet 16. I'm from San Diego, and she took me all the way to San Francisco. That's where I saw it for the first time. Ever since then, I was obsessed with it."

Now, Alisa gets to tour with the very same production.

The gravity of what that means for the young people she's inspiring in the crowd does not escape her.

"I try to pass the front of the theater to see everyone lining up to go in, and I get to see who I do this for," Melendez says. "It's for me. I was there once. This is for my younger self."

In playing this role, she gets to bring a level of representation, and inclusion, to a beloved classic.

"I've always loved Sophie," Melendez says. "It's so weird. When I first saw it, I never thought I could play Sophie because I'm pushing 5'10" and I'm Mexican. Little girls, little boys, everyone can see themselves in every way in this show."

'Mamma Mia!' runs through August 11 at the Academy of Music.