She was a girl from Boston with a voice from heaven, who shot through the stars from gospel choir to dance floor diva. But what the world didn't know was how Donna Summer risked it all to break through barriers, becoming the icon of an era and the inspiration for every music diva who followed.
Tony Award winner LaChanze (The Color Purple), Ariana DeBose (Hamilton, A Bronx Tale) and newcomer Storm Lever play Donna Summer, taking us through her tumultuous life, tempestuous loves and mega-watt musical hits. Spend the night in her electrifying universe.
Anyone who worked as hard for her money - and for a professional respect that came too late - as Donna Summer did deserves so much more than this. A jukebox musical that could undo all the genre rehab delivered by superior shows built around Carole King and, if you want to stretch the definition a bit to include Lazarus, David Bowie, Broadway's Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, opening tonight, is as unimaginative as its title.
Heaven knows what the creators of Summer are thinking, if any thought at all has gone into this disco dud of a show. Three talented and blameless women-LaChanze, Ariana DeBose and Storm Lever-play the late Donna Summer at different stages of her life in a tacky, sub-Vegas jukebox biomusical that draws from the singer's groovy catalog of hits, including 'I Feel Love,' 'MacArthur Park,' 'On the Radio' and 'Last Dance.' At its most watchable, the show plays like a barely dramatized adaptation of Summer's Spotify and Wikipedia pages. But when it's bad, it's so, so bad.
2017 | San Diego, CA (Regional) |
World Premiere at La Jolla Playhouse San Diego, CA (Regional) |
2018 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2019 | US Tour |
US National Tour US Tour |
2021 | US Tour |
US Tour |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | LaChanze |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Ariana DeBose |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | LaChanze |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | The Band's Visit |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | Summer: The Donna Summer Musical |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Ariana DeBose |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | LaChanze |
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