A Musical About The Life Of Donna Summer Is In The Works

Donna Summer was one of the most important artists to come out of the disco era. “Love to Love You Baby,” “Last Dance,” “Hot Stuff,” “Bad Girls” — there’s a reason why she’s forever immortalized as the Queen of Disco.

Well, looks like Summer may be getting her own musical in the foreseeable future.

According to the New York Post, a musical about the life of Summer is in the works with Jersey Boys‘ Des McAnuff as director and Sergio Trujillo as choreographer.

Titled The Donna Summer Project, the play will include of Summer’s hit songs and will chronicle her life in three parts: childhood, mainstream superstardom and fading musical icon.

A reading for the musical reportedly featured multiple women playing male roles, while Ariana DeBose (of Hamilton fame, as well as the forthcoming A Bronx Tale: The Musical) played Summer at her height.

The Disco Queen has quite the story, which is why it may possibly work as a musical. Born and raised in Boston to working class parents, Summer ultimately landed a role in a European production of Hair and began to make a name for herself in Germany. During her time in Munich she would forge a working relationship with German producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, where the trio would create her debut hit album Lady of the Night. From there, well, history was made.

Once the disco era came to an end Summer continued to release music but she wouldn’t make the same impact she did as a disco artist. She also received some controversy for allegedly calling AIDS a punishment by God for homosexuality, a comment the born again Christian later denied making. Summer died from lung cancer in 2012 at the age of 63

The Donna Summer Project will hopefully be more than a straightforward sing-along, and actually offer some insight into the world of an artist whose music still impacts us today.