Tina Walsh, Star, MAMMA MIA!, Mandalay Bay Theatre

Her name is Tina, but her leading role voice is anything but tiny. And it takes a big, dedicated team of creative and highly-talented professionals to stay up with her in the widely entertaining, fun and feel-good story, "MAMMA MIA!" The world-renowned, smash hit musical is based on the timeless songs of ABBA and is playing to record-breaking crowds at Mandalay Bay.


Walsh stars as Donna Sheridan, the independent single mother. The story goes like this: a mother, a daughter, three possible dads, and a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget.

"I knew what I wanted to do, ever since the age of 5," Walsh says with enthusiasm. "I just loved entertainment. It started when I went to see a movie, ‘Mary Poppins,’ the magic of Walt Disney inspired me. The singing, the dancing, the fascination of it all."

Growing up, Walsh was a self-pro-claimed "military brat who moved every couple of years." She was born in Germany, studied ballet in Turkey and lived in Chicago before the family finally put down roots and settled into Dallas while in her teens. Starting in the 5th grade, she studied jazz dance, modern dance and choreography.

"My mother was a singer. and my voice coach for four years. I still remember being mesmerized by the live shows at Six Flags Theme Parks in Arlington, Texas. The dancers were dynamic and amazing. My senior year in high school I decided I wanted to audition, and so did hundreds of other kids. It was a huge competition. I made it, my first big show, the real deal. Six Flags was like family, I learned so much there."

Singing and dancing was a release for Walsh. She loved the discipline, the structure, the music and was never one to quit. She graduated from the University of Texas in Dallas with a degree in theatre arts; however many, including her father, said she could never make a living in show biz.

"I proved to my parents I could make a living in this business. Early on, I did a lot of corporate shows." Soon, she earned the leads in top productions, "A Chorus Line" (Cassie), "Sweet Charity" (Charity), "Jubilee!," and Morgana and Bess Houdini in the spectacular "EFX!" production, in which she separately co-starred with Michael Crawford, Tommy Tune and Rick Springfield prior to landing her role as Donna in "MAMMA MIA!."

"There were rumors they would be auditioning for ‘MAMMA MIA!.’ My friends, Greg and Brian, helped me prepare. Brian selected the song, ‘Last Dance,’ by Donna Summer. I dressed up in this retro-70s, big heels, my hair all poofed up, to audition for Tanya, the girlfriend. I was certain they had already selected their Donna."

A long story made short, Walsh was cast as the perfect Donna. "It changed my life. It is a two-and-a-half-hour show, eight shows a week, I do 12 songs a show, 48 songs a weekend. It is a love story with a vast appeal. It leaves the audience feeling good, upbeat. That’s why they come back to see the show again and again."

How important is risk to success? "It changes the course of your life. If I hadn’t taken certain risks, I wouldn’t be here doing what I love to do. My original motivation was to come here and then go on to LA. I didn’t go to Broadway, yet luckily, Broadway in a twist of fate came to me."

For their admiring fans, Walsh and the spectacular cast of "MAMMA MIA!" continue to bring back happy memories of dancing in the aisles with their favorite dancing queen.

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