{{Short description|2017 musical}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2018}} {{Infobox Musical | name = Summer: The Donna Summer Musical | image = Donna Summer Musical Playbill.jpg | image_size = | caption = 2018 Broadway Playbill | music = Various | lyrics = Various | book = {{Plainlist| *Colman Domingo *Robert Cary *Des McAnuff }} | basis = The life of Donna Summer | premiere_date = November 7, 2017 | premiere_location = La Jolla Playhouse | productions = 2017 La Jolla Playhouse <br> 2018 Broadway <br> 2019 First National Tour <br> 2021 Second National Tour <br> 2022 NCL 1.0 | awards = <!-- Please do not include production-specific (acting, directing, etc.) awards --> }}
'''''Summer: The Donna Summer Musical''''' is a jukebox musical with book by Colman Domingo, Robert Cary, and Des McAnuff and music and lyrics Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte, Paul Jabara, and others, based on the life of Summer.
The musical made its premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse in November 2017 and opened on Broadway in April 2018.
==Productions== The La Jolla Playhouse presented the musical in a limited engagement from November 7 until December 24, 2017.
The musical premiered on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on March 28, 2018 (previews), prior to an April 23, 2018 opening.<ref name="New York Times">{{cite news|last1=Chow|first1=Andrew|title=A Donna Summer Musical Heads to Broadway|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/19/theater/donna-summer-musical-broadway.html|access-date=25 January 2018|work=The New York Times|date=December 19, 2017}}</ref> The musical is directed by Des McAnuff, with scenic design by Robert Brill, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Howell Binkley, projections by Sean Nieuwenhuis, sound by Gareth Owen, and was produced by Tommy Mottola and Thalía.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hetrick |first=Adam |title=Read Reviews for ''Summer: The Donna Summer Musical'' on Broadway |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/read-reviews-for-summer-the-donna-summer-musical-on-broadway |website=Playbill |date=April 23, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Thalía produce musical de Donna Summer |url=https://www.hoyestado.com/2018/04/thalia-produce-musical-de-donna-summer/ |website=hoyestado.com |date=April 24, 2018 |language=es}}</ref> The musical closed on Broadway on December 30, 2018, after 289 performances.
The First National tour opened September 29, 2019.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hetrick |first=Adam |title=''Summer: The Donna Summer Musical'' to Close on Broadway |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/summer-the-donna-summer-musical-to-close-on-broadway |website=Playbill |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181201003442/http://www.playbill.com/article/summer-the-donna-summer-musical-to-close-on-broadway |archive-date=December 1, 2018 |date=November 28, 2018}}</ref> 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).<ref>{{cite web |last=Gans |first=Andrew |title=Dan'yelle Williamson, Alex Hairston, and Olivia Elease Hardy Star in Tour of ''Summer: The Donna Summer Musical'' |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/danyelle-williamson-alex-hairston-and-olivia-elease-hardy-star-in-tour-of-summer-the-donna-summer-musical |website=Playbill |access-date=March 24, 2022 |date=September 29, 2019}}</ref>
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 announced its at-sea tour of the musical aboard the all new Norwegian Prima, which premiered in August. The cast features Kimberley Locke (Diva Donna), Valerie Curlingford (Disco Donna), and D'Nasya Jordan (Duckling Donna).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/AMERICAN-IDOLs-Kimberly-Locke-to-Star-in-SUMMER-THE-DONNA-SUMMER-MUSICAL-for-Norwegian-Cruise-Line-20220725 |title=AMERICAN IDOL's Kimberley Locke to Star in SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL for Norwegian Cruise Line |website=BroadwayWorld |last=Rabinowitz |first=Chloe |date=July 25, 2022}}</ref>
Broadway Licensing acquired the rights for all future stock and amateur performances.<ref>{{cite web |title=Summer |url=https://broadwaylicensing.com/shows/broadway/summer/ |website=Broadway Licensing}}</ref>
==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== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} * The Queen Is Back – Diva Donna and Ensemble * I Feel Love – Diva Donna and Ensemble * Love to Love You Baby – Disco Donna and Female Ensemble * I Remember Yesterday – 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 / White Boys / Love to Love You Baby (Reprise) – Diva Donna, Disco Donna and Ensemble * MacArthur Park – Diva Donna, Disco Donna, Duckling Donna and Ensemble * Heaven Knows – Disco Donna and Bruce Sudano * No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) – Diva Donna, Disco Donna and Duckling Donna * Pandora's Box – Duckling Donna, Diva Donna and Ensemble * On the Radio – Disco Donna and Diva Donna {{col-break}} * I Love You – Bruce Sudano, Disco Donna and Mimi Sudano * Bad Girls – Disco Donna and Female Ensemble * She Works Hard for the Money – Full Company * Dim All the Lights – Disco Donna, Joyce Bogart and Ensemble * I Believe in Jesus – Disco Donna and Ensemble * Unconditional Love – 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 {{col-end}}
==Cast== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:1000;" |- ! Character ! La Jolla (2017) ! Broadway (2018) ! First National Tour (2019–2020) ! Second National Tour (2021–2022) !NCL 1.0 (2022–2023) |- ! Diva Donna / Mary Gaines | colspan="2" |LaChanze | Dan'yelle Williamson | Brittny Smith |Kimberley Locke |- ! Disco Donna | colspan="2" | Ariana DeBose | Alex Hairston | Charis Gullage |Valerie Curlingford |- ! Duckling Donna / Mimi Sommer | colspan="2" | Storm Lever | Olivia Elease Hardy | Amahri Edwards-Jones |D'Nasya Jordan |- !Giorgio Moroder | colspan="1" | Mackenzie Bell | colspan="1" | Kaleigh Cronin | Kyli Rae | Robert Ayla |Brooke Lacy |- ! Young Dara Gaines / Amanda Sudano | colspan="2" | Kimberly Dodson | Cameron Anika Hill | Ciara Jones |Ta'kaiyah Bailey |- ! Adult Mary Ellen Bernard | colspan="2" | Anissa Felix | DeQuina Moore | Mia Davidson |Candace Washington |- ! Brian | colspan="2" | Drew Foster | Jay Garcia{{Efn|Also played Helmuth|name=|group=lower-alpha}} | David Tanciar |Jonny Rouse |- ! Maid / Michael{{Efn|Role split in national tour|name=abv|group=lower-alpha}} | colspan="2" | Afra Hines | Brittany Nicole Williams/Candace J. Washington | Diane Meck |Eloise Simpson |- ! Neil Bogart | colspan="2" | Aaron Krohn | John Gardiner | Chris Lewis |Dan Evans |- ! Norm Brokaw{{Efn|Role split for national tour|name=|group=lower-alpha}} | colspan="2" |Jenny Laroche | Tamrin Goldberg | Francisco Risso |Tym Brown |- ! Mary Ellen Gaines / Brooklyn Sudano | colspan=2 | Wonu Ogunfowora | De'Ja Simone | Meridien Terrell |Isabella Mason |- ! Bob | colspan=2 | Rebecca Riker |Brooke Lacy |Francisco Risso |N/A |- ! Adult Dara Gaines | colspan=2 | Christina Acosta Robinson | Crystal Sha'nae | Layla Tompkins |Eve Parsons |- ! Andrew Gaines | colspan=2 | Ken Robinson | Erick Pinnick | Porter Lee Anderson |Tym Brown |- ! Joyce Bogart | colspan=2 | Jessica Rush | Trish Lindström | Aubrey Young |Reagan Muir |- ! Pete Bellotte | colspan=2 | Kaye Tuckerman | Jennifer Byrne | Emiliee Theno |Molly Scott |- ! Bruce Sudano | colspan=2 | Jared Zirilli | Steven Grant Douglas | John Guragna |Tyler Burk |- !Pastor / Doctor |Jenny Laroche |Harris M. Turner |Sir Brock Warren |Lamont Whitaker |Anthony Garcia |- !Helmuth Sommer | colspan="2" |Drew Foster |Jay Garcia |Francisco Risso |Jonny Rouse |- !Don Engel | colspan="2" |Kaye Tuckerman |Jennifer Byrne |David Tanciar |Oliver Selwood |- !David Geffen | colspan="2" |Mackenzie Bell |Brooke Lacy |Robert Ayla |James Vinson |- !Detective |Drew Foster |Mackenzie Bell |Brooke Lacy |Emiliee Theno |James Vinson |- !Swings | colspan="2" |Drew Foster, Aurelia Michael, Jody Reynard, Kim Steele |Jo'nathan Michael, Jennifer Wolfe, Mara Lucas |Stephen Vaught, Kayleigh Hegarty, Nissi Shalome |Nichole Ford, Michael Marrero |}
== Awards and nominations == === Original Broadway production === {| class="wikitable" width="95%" |- ! width="5%"| Year ! width="20%"| Award Ceremony ! width="45%"| Category ! width="20%"| Nominee ! width="10%"| Result |- | rowspan="5" align="center"| 2018 | rowspan="3"| Drama League Awards<ref>{{Cite news|last=Rosky|first=Nicole|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-THE-BANDS-VISIT-ANGELS-IN-AMERICA-MEAN-GIRLS-FROZEN-And-More-Earn-Drama-League-Nominations-See-The-Full-List-20180418|title=Breaking: THE BAND'S VISIT, ANGELS IN AMERICA, MEAN GIRLS, FROZEN, And More Earn Drama League Nominations; See The Full List!|date=2018-04-18|work=BroadwayWorld|access-date=2018-04-19|language=en}}</ref> | colspan="2"| Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | {{nominated}} |- | rowspan="2"| Distinguished Performance | Ariana DeBose | {{nominated}} |- | rowspan="2"| LaChanze | {{nominated}} |- | rowspan="2"| Tony Awards<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/2018-tony-award-nominations-spongebob-squarepants-and-mean-girls-lead-the-pack|title=2018 Tony Award Nominations: ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and ''Mean Girls'' Lead the Pack|date=2018-05-01|access-date=March 24, 2022|website=Playbill|language=en}}</ref> | Best Actress in a Musical | {{nominated}} |- | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Ariana DeBose | {{nominated}} |}
== Notes == <references group="lower-alpha" />
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.ibdb.com/Production/View/517215 Internet Broadway Database Listing]
Category:2017 musicals Category:African-American musicals Category:Broadway musicals Category:Biographical musicals Category:Cultural depictions of Donna Summer Category:Jukebox musicals Category:Musicals set in the 20th century Category:Giorgio Moroder