In honor of the 40th anniversary of Donna Summer becoming the first female artist of the modern rock era to simultaneously have a No. 1 single (“MacArthur Park”) on the Hot 100 Chart and album (Live and More) on the Billboard 200 charts, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical has released a special video.
See Tony winner LaChanze (who was nominated for her portrayal of Diva Donna, opposite Ariana DeBose's Disco Donna and Storm Lever's Duckling Donna) perform the show's 11 o'clock number, "Friends Unknown," in the video above. The musical, which continues at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, also just released its original cast album on vinyl from Republic Records.
The Broadway musical tells the story of the late Donna Summer through her own music catalog. Using three different Donnas, the show goes through her childhood, her rise to fame, and the heartache she experienced throughout her life.
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical is directed by Des McAnuff, with choreography by Sergio Trujillo, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Howell Binkley, sound by Gareth Owen, and lyrics and music by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, and Paul Jabara.