The disco dance tunes and pop ballads of Abba provide the songbook for the musical, "Mamma Mia!," which first appeared on Broadway in 2001.

"Mamma Mia!" book writer Catherine Johnson's sunny, funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise.

"Mamma Mia!" tells the story of Sophie, a young bride-to-be, her fiercely independent mother Donna, and her mother's two best friends as they plan Sophie's wedding.

On the eve of her wedding, the daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago.

The 2008 movie musical starred Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan and Allentown's Amanda Seyfried.

The character of Tanya, one of Donna's best friends and former band mates, is played by Gabrielle Mirabella.

Mirabella, born and raised in Hudson, Fla., is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music. She has been living out of suitcases for the past few years as she travels the United States on the "Mamma Mia!" tour.

"I'm staying with different family and friends between shows," she says in a phone interview. "I love being on the road and performing musical theater. I was always a theater kid, dragging my mom with me to auditions."

Mirabella embraces the opportunity to play a character like Tanya.

"Tanya is so different than I am. She is twice-divorced and has a third husband. She is very wealthy and glamorous and fun to play. She is always dressed impeccably with very high heels.

"There's quite a transformation to become Tanya, with wigs and costume changes. She's such a fun, interesting, bold woman."

Mirabella believes "Mamma Mia!" is timeless and appeals to different generations.

"People of any age love it, from my mother's generation who remember Abba to people my age whose parents played the music of Abba, to teen girls who relate to Sophie and enjoy seeing the cute young male actors. You see dads and grandpas in the audience dancing."

"Mamma Mia!" is the ninth longest-running Broadway show and the longest-running jukebox musical in Broadway history. With more productions playing internationally than any other musical, "Mamma Mia!" is said to be the world's No.1 musical.

The title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia." Abba members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus were involved in the development of the show from the beginning.

The musical includes such hits as "Super Trouper," "Lay All Your Love on Me," "Dancing Queen," "Knowing Me, Knowing You," "Take a Chance on Me," "Thank You for the Music," "Money, Money, Money," "The Winner Takes It All," "Voulez Vous," "SOS" and the title track.

For Mirabella, the music of Abba is a character in itself.

"It's magical. The music is storytelling in itself. Each song is a mini-musical on its own. 'Dancing Queen' is my favorite [song]. It just makes you stand up and dance. The audience always joins in for 'Dancing Queen.'"

Mirabella looks forward to traveling to Easton to perform "Mamma Mia!"

"We will be returning from a week in Boston when we get to Easton. We will be well-rested and full of energy and ready to go. It's going to be a great show. Get ready for lots of fun."

Tickets: statetheatre. org, 1-800-999-STATE, 610-252-3132