Before they danced and jived on screen, some of the stars of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again had the time of their lives on stage. On a press trip on the Greek island of Skopelos (which served as the fictional Kalokairi in the first film), Playbill sat down with the Young Dynamos and Young Dads to discuss their theatre roots and how they came into play while shooting the ABBA sensation.

Jessica Keenan Wynn, the Broadway veteran who wowed as Young Tanya, likened the rehearsal process to that of a stage musical, which allowed for her and her co-stars to build trust and a bond that carried over on screen. “The relationship that we forged and had throughout the rehearsal process was the most important,” the Heathers and Beautiful alum said. “It absolutely influenced me…it was really the easiest to play with the relationships of these three women.”

The Young Dads have varying degrees of musical pedigree, from Les Misérables and American Psycho alum Hugh Skinner to Jeremy Irvine—who once worked backstage at The Phantom of the Opera—to Josh Dylan, who admits: “I have a tricky relationship with musical theatre, actually; traditionally, I don’t particularly like it very much when it’s too over-the-top.”

Lucky for him, there’s clearly nothing over-the-top about the Mamma Mia! cinematic universe.

And Donna herself is ready to take the stage, though not in a musical. Lily James is set to star opposite Gillian Anderson in the West End’s All About Eve, beginning performances February 2, 2019.

Until then, revisit Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again on Blu-ray and DVD, as well as digital and streaming platforms.