PETALING JAYA: The decision to be The Star’s main partner in bringing West End musical Mamma Mia! to Kuala Lumpur was easy for Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, group managing director and chief executive officer of SP Setia.

He said it was because the musical was his all-time favourite and he wanted to share the joy of watching it with Malaysians, especially SP Setia customers.

“Mamma Mia! is by far the best musical I have seen, and I have seen many in my time. It appeals to people of all ages and personally, it brings back so many memories of my youth and things I have done in my life,” said Liew, who has watched the musical numerous times in London, New York, Sydney and Melbourne.

“I think everyone in their 40s will feel the same and these people are exactly who our customer base is. I think that if I enjoyed it so much, they surely will too.” An ardent ABBA fan, Liew said although he enjoyed the Swedish pop group’s upbeat songs such as Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia and Honey Honey, it was the group’s sentimental hits that struck a chord in him.

“My favourite song is Slipping Through My Fingers. In the musical, Donna sings the song to her daughter, Sophie, before her wedding in a very touching scene,” he said.

“As a parent I can empathise and understand exactly what it is like to watch your child grow up right before your eyes. It is a really meaningful song.”

While people may wonder why a property developer would venture into bringing in an entertainment act such as this one, Liew said it was natural for SP Setia which had in the past supported and brought in many entertainment acts.

He said this was the second time the company was working with The Star with the first being the Shaolin Kung Fu Masters Return! in 2004.

“On our own, we have also brought in acts like Hong Kong stars Sally Yeh and Maria Cordero and Taiwanese pop star Emil Chau,” he added.

Liew said the company felt it was their social responsibility to bring in such quality acts, especially in current times where there seemed to be doom and gloom, besides the world economy in crisis.

The Mamma Mia! musical cast also made a stop at SP Setia’s preview of the Setia Eco Park Rainforest Villa.

The cast performed snippets of the hit musical. During the event, 60 tickets were given away in a lucky draw.

Mamma Mia! will be staged at Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur from Dec 17 to Jan 1 and is brought to Malaysia by The Star and SP Setia with the support of the Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry.

Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel is the official hotel; HSBC Bank Malaysia Bhd the official credit card and TNT Express Worldwide the official logistics partner.

Media partners include ntv7, Utusan Malaysia, Sin Chew Daily, Red FM, 988 and Suria FM.

Tickets to the Charity Night on Dec 17 (from RM450 to RM900) are available. For details, call 03-7967 1232/ 1238.

Tickets for the other shows are priced from RM150 to RM500 each and can be obtained via the AXCESS Hotline: 03-7711 5000, online at www.axcess.com.my and all authorised AXCESS ticket outlets. There is no free list.

Take advantage of the 20% early bird discount on tickets bought before Oct 31.