Tony Tuesday: SUMMER - THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL
Today we’re going back a few years for some bopping jukebox musical theatre. Besties, this week’s TONY Tuesday is:
‘Last Dance’ from Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical is a 2017 jukebox musical that chronicles the life of recording artist Donna Summer. In a similar vein to the The Cher Show, the musical uses three different actors to portray Donna at different phases of her life: Duckling Donna, Disco Donna and Diva Donna. The musical chronicles her rise to success from her pre-teens starting in Boston, to her late teens and early twenties as her career was blossoming and then to her 50s when she was at the height of her fame.
The show has a book by director Des McAnuff, Robert Cary and actor Colman Domingo. The production made its premiere in 2017 at the La Jolla Playhouse for a limited engagement starring LaChanze as Diva Donna, Ariana DeBose as Disco Donna and Storm Lever as Duckling Donna. The production then transferred to Broadway, opening for previews at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on 28 March 2018. The production was directed by Des McAnuff with scenic design by Robert Brill, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Howard Binkley, projections by Sean Nieuwenhuis, sound by Gareth Owens and choreography by Sergio Trujillo. For the Broadway run, the majority of the try-out cast reprised their roles. Summer: The Donna Summer Musical opened to mixed reviews and although sold quite well, it wasn’t enough to keep the show afloat, and it closed after 9 months on Broadway.
The musical launched a North American tour starting in September, but it was suspended mid-run due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour cast included Dan’yelle Williamson as Diva Donna, Alex Hairston as Disco Donna and Olivia Elase Hardy as Duckling Donna.
The musical has yet to receive any international incarnations, but here’s hoping for the future Besties, because who doesn’t like a bit of Donna Summer? Give it a listen!
Cast recording available on streaming services.
FACTS:
Music: Various
Lyrics: Various
Book: Colman Domingo, Robert Cary and Des McAnuff
Theatre: The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
Run: 28 March 2018 – 23 April 2018 (27 previews and 288 regular performances)
TONYS:
(NOMINATED) Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical – LaChanze, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical – Ariana DeBose
