Novato Theater Company’s Marilyn Izdebski’s choreography and lighting design increase in excellence with each musical she works on. She’s been at it for 50 years, and critics are simply running out of words for “incomparable.”  

Her light-hearted choreography in “Mamma Mia!” onstage in the Novato Playhouse through June 7 guarantees smiles. She once again has turned community theater thespians of all shapes and sizes into a cohesive chorus. Her choreography is the star of the show; she’s nicely assisted by conductor-keyboardist Nick Brown. 

Izdebski — president of Novato Theater Company and a recent winner of the San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle’s Gene Price Award “for embodying superlative professionalism and passion for Bay Area theater” — dares patrons not to tap their toes to ABBA’s 1970s hits.  

In addition, her smooth lighting design nicely parallels the range of moods in playwright Catherine Johnson’s flimsy and illogical storyline.  

Julianne Bretan, the actor-dancer with the strongest voice in the cast, is outstanding as Donna, whose about-to-be-married daughter Sophie secretly invited three of her mom’s ex-lovers to her Greek island wedding so she could determine which is her father.  

Gia Mirra is excellent as Sophie, who switches emotions on a dime from joyous to confused; as are Lauren Sutton-Beattie and Jane Harrington as Rosie and Tanya, Donna’s oldest and best friends. The same goes for the dads: Lorenzo Alviso as Sam, Cordell Wesselink as Bill and David Cole as Harry.   

The minimal set and props provide plenty of room for the large cast, who seem to be having as much fun as the audience. All members of the company are wearing mikes, so the song lyrics are clear, even when the chorus is dancing; that can’t be said of many local theaters.  

Huda al Jamal’s terrific costumes range from sparkly for chorus lines to pure black for a nightmarish fantasy. And director Lisa Morse does a great job making the show’s bizarre action feel natural (except when the hoofing is appropriately extra-silly). 

Notable numbers range from the flirting in “Take a Chance on Me to the bouncy “Knowing Me, Knowing You” and the especially poignant “Our Last Summer.”  

The crowd, however, saved up its noisiest enthusiasm for chartbusters like “I Have a Dream,” “S.O.S.,” and “The Winner Takes All,” and kept up the spirit after the bows to sway and clap along to “Dancing Queen” and “Mamma Mia.” 

In the lobby after, one elderly man couldn’t wait to tell a friend, “This show could pull you out of a depression.” 

“Mamma Mia!” runs through June 7 at Novato Theater Company, 5420 Nave Drive, Novato. Tickets are $25 to $37 at novatotheatercompany.org. 

Reach Sherwood “Woody” Weingarten at voodee@sbcglobal.net, https://woodyweingarten.com or https://vitalitypress.com.