''Summer: The Donna Summer Musical'' is a

jukebox musical A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known, pre-existing popular music songs, rather than original music composed for the musical. Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while ...

with book by

Colman Domingo Colman Jason Domingo (born November 28, 1969) is an American actor, playwright, and director. Prominent Colman Domingo on screen and stage, on both screen and stage since the 2010s, Domingo has received List of awards and nominations received by ...

, Robert Cary, and

Des McAnuff Desmond Steven McAnuff (born June 19, 1952) is the American-Canadian former artistic director of Canada's Stratford Festival and director of such Broadway musical theatre productions as '' Big River'', '' The Who's Tommy'' and ''Jersey Boys''. ...

and music and lyrics

Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...

Giorgio Moroder Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer and music producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering Euro disco and electronic dance music. His work ...

Pete Bellotte Peter John Bellotte (born 28 August 1943)Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Birth Index: 1916–2005 atabase on-line Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data: General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Inde ...

Paul Jabara Paul Frederick Jabara (January 31, 1948 – September 29, 1992) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He wrote Donna Summer's Oscar-winning " Last Dance" from '' Thank God It's Friday'' (1978), as well as "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough ...

, and others, based on the life of Summer. The musical made its premiere at the

La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a nonprofit professional theater on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. History La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under the ...

in November 2017 and opened on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

in April 2018.

Productions

The

presented the musical in a limited engagement from November 7 until December 24, 2017. The musical premiered on Broadway at the

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, originally the Globe Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 205 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1910, the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was designed by C ...

on March 28, 2018 (previews), prior to an April 23, 2018 opening. The musical is directed by Des McAnuff, with scenic design by Robert Brill, costumes by

Paul Tazewell Paul Tazewell (born September 15, 1964) is an American costume designer for the theatre, dance, film, opera and television. After training at New York University Tisch School of the Arts he started his career on Broadway (theatre), Broadway. He ha ...

, lighting by

Howell Binkley Howell Bagby Binkley (July 25, 1956 – August 14, 2020) was an American lighting designer in modern dance and musical theatre. He received the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design in a Musical for ''Jersey Boys'' in 2006, and again in 2016 for ' ...

, projections by Sean Nieuwenhuis, sound by Gareth Owen, and was produced by

Tommy Mottola Thomas Daniel Mottola (born July 14, 1948) is an American businessman, record executive, television producer, theater producer, film producer, investor, and serial entrepreneur. Mottola is the chairman of Mottola Media Group, co-founder of Nter ...

and

Thalía Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda (; born 26 August 1971), known mononymously as Thalía, is a Mexican singer, songwriter and actress. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Pop", she is considered one of the most ...

. The musical closed on Broadway on December 30, 2018 after 289 performances. The First National tour opened September 29, 2019. The tour started at the RBTL Auditorium in Rochester, New York. The cast featured Dan’yelle Williamson (Diva Donna), Alex Hairston (Disco Donna), and Olivia Elease Hardy (Duckling Donna). The Second National Tour opened November 15, 2021. Launching at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh, PA. The cast featured Brittny Smith (Diva Donna), Charis Gullage (Disco Donna), and Amahri Edward-Jones (Duckling Donna). In July 2022,

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is an American cruise line founded in Norway in 1966, headquartered in Miami, Florida, and incorporated in the Bahamas. It is the List of cruise lines, fourth-largest cruise line in the world by passengers, controlling ...

announced its at-sea tour of the musical aboard the all new Norwegian Prima, which premiered in August. The cast features

Kimberley Locke Kimberley Dawn Locke (born January 3, 1978) is an American singer and television personality. She has recorded in the dance and pop genres, and has targeted the adult contemporary radio format. She was the cohost of the daytime talk show ''Dr. ...

(Diva Donna), Valerie Curlingford (Disco Donna), and D'Nasya Jordan (Duckling Donna).

Broadway Licensing Broadway Licensing Global is a theatrical licensing agency and publisher based in New York City, founded in 2017 by Sean Cercone. In 2023 the company rebranded from Broadway Licensing Group to Broadway Licensing Global to reflect its internationa ...

acquired the rights for all future stock and amateur performances.

Overview

The musical highlights Donna Summer at three stages of her life. Duckling Donna is in her pre-teens, starting out in Boston; Disco Donna, in her late teens and 20s, has her initial success; Diva Donna is in her 50s and at the top of her career.

Musical numbers

* The Queen Is Back – Diva Donna and Ensemble *

I Feel Love "I Feel Love" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Donna Summer. Produced and co-written by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, it was recorded for Summer's fifth studio album, '' I Remember Yesterday'' (1977). The album concept was to ha ...

– Diva Donna and Ensemble * Love to Love You Baby – Disco Donna and Female Ensemble *

I Remember Yesterday ''I Remember Yesterday'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Donna Summer. It was released on May 13, 1977, seven months after the release of her previous album. Like her previous three albums, it was a concept album, this tim ...

– Duckling Donna and Sisters * On My Honor – Duckling Donna * Faster and Faster to Nowhere – Disco Donna and Ensemble * Munich:

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" is the popular English title of the chorale from the 1723 Advent cantata ''Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben'' (Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life), BWV 147, by Johann Sebastian Bach. The chorale occurs twice in the ca ...

/ White Boys / Love to Love You Baby (Reprise) – Diva Donna, Disco Donna and Ensemble *

MacArthur Park MacArthur Park (originally Westlake Park) is a park dating back to the late 19th century in the Westlake, Los Angeles, Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. In the early 1940s, it was renamed after General Douglas MacArthur, and la ...

– Diva Donna, Disco Donna, Duckling Donna and Ensemble * Heaven Knows – Disco Donna and Bruce Sudano *

No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" is a song recorded by American singers Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer, released in October 1979. It was written by Paul Jabara and Bruce Roberts (singer), Bruce Roberts, and produced by Giorgio Moroder and G ...

– Diva Donna, Disco Donna and Duckling Donna *

Pandora's Box Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology connected with the myth of Pandora in Hesiod's c. 700 B.C. poem ''Works and Days''. Hesiod related that curiosity led her to open a container left in the care of her husband, thus releasing curses ...

– Duckling Donna, Diva Donna and Ensemble * On the Radio – Disco Donna and Diva Donna *

I Love You The phrase "I love you" is a declaration of love. I Love You, I Love U, or I Luv U may refer to: Film and television Films * ''I Love You'' (1918 film), a silent drama written by Catherine Carr, starring Alma Rubens * ''I Love You'' (1925 ...

– Bruce Sudano, Disco Donna and Mimi Sudano * Bad Girls – Disco Donna and Female Ensemble *

She Works Hard for the Money "She Works Hard for the Money" is a song by American singer Donna Summer and the title track from her eleventh studio album of the same name (1983). The song was written by Michael Omartian and Summer, and produced by the former. It was relea ...

– Full Company * Dim All the Lights – Disco Donna, Joyce Bogart and Ensemble * I Believe in Jesus – Disco Donna and Ensemble *

Unconditional Love Unconditional love is known as love without judgment. There are many ways of describing unconditional love, but most will agree that it is that type of love which has no bounds and is unchanging. In Christianity, unconditional love is thought ...

– Diva Donna, Mimi, Brooklyn and Amanda Sudano * To Turn the Stone – Disco Donna and Diva Donna * Stamp Your Feet – Diva Donna and Ensemble * Friends Unknown – Diva Donna * Hot Stuff – Disco Donna and Ensemble * Last Dance – Diva Donna, Disco Donna, Duckling Donna and Full Company

Cast

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

Notes

References

{{reflist

External links

Internet Broadway Database Listing
2017 musicals African-American musicals Broadway musicals Biographical musicals Cultural depictions of American people Cultural depictions of pop musicians Donna Summer Jukebox musicals Musicals set in the 20th century Giorgio Moroder