Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, the Broadway musical that tells the story of disco sensation Donna Summer, now has a cast recording. Republic Records, in partnership with producers Tommy Mottola and The Dodgers release the album today. The recording includes music from the Tony-nominated musical and features the original cast including stars La Chanze as Diva Donna, Ariana DeBose as Disco Donna, and Storm Lever as Duckling Donna.
The track-listing for the album is as follows:
- THE QUEEN IS BACK – Diva Donna and Ensemble
- I FEEL LOVE – Diva Donna and Ensemble
- LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY – Disco Donna and Ensemble
- I REMEMBER YESTERDAY – Duckling Donna, Young Dara, Young Mary-Ellen and Ensemble
- ON MY HONOR – Duckling Donna and Ensemble
- FASTER AND FASTER TO NOWHERE – Disco Donna and Ensemble
- MUNICH: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring / White Boys / Love to Love You Baby (reprise) – Disco Donna, Diva Donna, Andrew Gaines and Ensemble
- MacARTHUR PARK – Disco Donna, Diva Donna, Duckling Donna and Ensemble
- HEAVEN KNOWS – Disco Donna, Bruce and Ensemble
- NO MORE TEARS (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH) – Disco Donna, Diva Donna, Duckling Donna and Ensemble
- PANDORA’S BOX – Duckling Donna, Diva Donna and Ensemble
- ON THE RADIO – Disco Donna and Diva Donna
- I LOVE YOU – Disco Donna, Bruce, Mimi, Mary, Andrew and Ensemble
- BAD GIRLS – Disco Donna and Ensemble
- SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY – Diva Donna and Ensemble
- DIM ALL THE LIGHTS – Disco Donna, Joyce and Ensemble
- I BELIEVE IN JESUS – Disco Donna, Adult Dara, Adult Mary-Ellen, Young Mary-Ellen and Ensemble
- UNCONDITIONAL LOVE – Diva Donna, Mimi, Amanda, Brooklyn
- TO TURN THE STONE – Disco Donna, Diva Donna, Mimi, Amanda, Brooklyn, Parthenope and Ensemble
- STAMP YOUR FEET – Diva Donna, Bruce, Mimi, Amanda, Brooklyn, Nurse, Doctor and Ensemble
- FRIENDS UNKNOWN – Diva Donna and Ensemble
- HOT STUFF – Disco Donna and Ensemble
- LAST DANCE – Diva Donna, Duckling Donna, Disco Donna and Ensemble
The cast album also features Aaron Krohn as “Neil Bogart,” Ken Robinson as “Andrew Gaines,” and Jared Zirilli as “Bruce Sudano,” Angelica Beliard, Mackenzie Bell, Kaleigh Cronin, Kimberly Dodson, Anissa Felix, Drew Wildman Foster, Kendal Hartse, Afra Hines, Jenny Laroche, Wonu Ogunfowora, Rebecca Riker, Christina Acosta Robinson, Jessica Rush, Harris M. Turner, Aurelia Michael, and Jody Reynard.
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical received Tony nominations for Leading Actress in a Musical (LaChanze) and Featured Actress in a Musical (Ariana DeBose). Ariana DeBose won a Chita Rivera Award for Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show and a Drama League nomination. Sergio Trujillo won a Chita Rivera Award for Outstanding Choreography in a Broadway Show. The Ensemble was nominated for Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show. LaChanze also received a Drama Desk and Drama League nomination for her role.
Coleman Domingo, Robert Cary, and Des McAnuff wrote the book for Summer. The score is mined from the catalog of Donna Summer hits written by Giorgio Moroder, Paul Jabara, and Summer herself. Sergio Trujillo provides the choreography, with music supervised by Ron Melrose, orchestrations by Bill Brendle and Ron Melrose, and scenic design by Robert Brill, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Howell Binkley, sound by Gareth Owen and projections by Sean Nieuwenhuis.
For a preview of the new cast recording, check out the Spotify playlist below.
Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of Musicals and maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.