| Summer: The Donna Summer Musical | |
| Music: | Various |
| Lyrics: | Various |
| Basis: | The life of Donna Summer |
| Premiere Date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Premiere Location: | La Jolla Playhouse |
| Productions: | 2017 La Jolla Playhouse 2018 Broadway 2019 First National Tour 2021 Second National Tour 2022 NCL 1.0 |
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.
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.[1] 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.[2] [3] The musical closed on Broadway on December 30, 2018 after 289 performances.
The First National tour opened September 29, 2019.[4] 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).[5]
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).[6]
Broadway Licensing acquired the rights for all future stock and amateur performances.[7]
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.
| 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 | LaChanze | Dan'yelle Williamson | Brittny Smith | Kimberley Locke | ||
| Disco Donna | Ariana DeBose | Alex Hairston | Charis Gullage | Valerie Curlingford | ||
| Duckling Donna / Mimi | Storm Lever | Olivia Elease Hardy | Amahri Edwards-Jones | D'Nasya Jordan | ||
| Giorgio Moroder | Mackenzie Bell | Kaleigh Cronin | Kyli Rae | Robert Ayla/Kyle Southern | Brooke Lacy | |
| Young Dara / Amanda | Kimberly Dodson | Cameron Anika Hill | Ciara Jones | Ta'kaiyah Bailey | ||
| Adult Mary Ellen | Anissa Felix | DeQuina Moore | Mia Davidson | Candace Washington | ||
| Brian | Drew Foster | Jay Garcia | David Tanciar | Jonny Rouse | ||
| Maid / Michael | Afra Hines | Brittany Nicole Williams/Candace J. Washington | Diane Meck Lester/Sy Chounchaisit/Mind Pornsakulpaisal | Eloise Simpson | ||
| Neil Bogart | Aaron Krohn | John Gardiner | Chris Lewis | Dan Evans | ||
| Norm Brokaw | Jenny Laroche | Tamrin Goldberg | Francisco Risso | Tym Brown | ||
| Mary Ellen / Brooklyn | Wonu Ogunfowora | De'Ja Simone | Meridien Terrell/Candace Jones | Isabella Mason | ||
| Bob | Rebecca Riker | Brooke Lacy | Francisco Risso | N/A | ||
| Adult Dara | Christina Acosta Robinson | Crystal Sha'nae | Layla Tompkins/Ariel Etana Triunfo | Eve Parsons | ||
| Andrew Gaines | Ken Robinson | Erick Pinnick | Porter Lee Anderson | Tym Brown | ||
| Joyce Bogart | Jessica Rush | Trish Lindström | Aubrey Young | Reagan Muir | ||
| Pete Bellotte | Kaye Tuckerman | Jennifer Byrne | Emiliee Theno/Sara Shomgard | Molly Scott | ||
| Bruce Sudano | 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 | Drew Foster | Jay Garcia | Francisco Risso | Jonny Rouse | ||
| Don Engel | Kaye Tuckerman | Jennifer Byrne | David Tanciar | Oliver Selwood | ||
| David Geffen | Mackenzie Bell | Brooke Lacy | Robert Ayla/Kyle Southern | James Vinson | ||
| Detective | Drew Foster | Mackenzie Bell | Brooke Lacy | Emiliee Theno/Sara Shomgard | James Vinson | |
| Swings | 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 | ||
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Drama League Awards[8] | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | ||
| Distinguished Performance | Ariana DeBose | |||
| LaChanze | ||||
| Tony Awards[9] | Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | |||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Ariana DeBose | |||