Paul Jabara News

Need something new to read, watch, or listen to? Check out this week's list of new and upcoming releases! This week's list includes a new album from Marisha Wallace, the original Broadway cast recording of Hair on vinyl, and more!

Happy Gay Pride! BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the 101 greatest LGBTQ songs and anthems from 1920-2020. See if your favorite songs or artists made the grade!

Donna Summer Musical is a show with book by Colman Domingo, Robert Cary, and Des McAnuff and music and lyrics by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte, Paul Jabara, and others, based on the life of Donna Summer. The musical shows the Queen of Disco at three times of her life: Duckling Donna (Amanda Souza) is in her pre-teens, starting out in Boston; Disco Donna (Jeniffer Nascimento), in her late teens and 20s, has her initial success; and Diva Donna (Karin Hils) is in her 50s and at the top of her career. With direction by Miguel Falabella, the show opens at Teatro Santander on March 5.

Casting has been announced for the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center's production of the iconic musical Hair. Under the direction of Kate Sullivan with musical direction by Jared Stein, there will be two preview performances on Wednesday, March 25, and Thursday, March 26, at 8pm. Opening is set for Friday, March 27, at 8pm in the Davidson/Valentini Theatre. The regular performance schedule will be Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm through April 26.

Broadway in Detroit today announced that individual tickets for the Detroit premier of SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical at the Fisher Theatre, June 9 a?" 21, will go on sale Sunday, February 16. 

The Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center has announced a brand-new production of the iconic musical Hair. Under the direction of Kate Sullivan with musical direction by Jared Stein, there will be two preview performances on Wednesday, March 25, and Thursday, March 26, at 8pm. Opening is set for Friday, March 27, at 8pm in the Davidson/Valentini Theatre. The regular performance schedule will be Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm through April 26.

SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical opens with a swell of music and a chorus full of sequined, big-haired glittered-up dancers who sure can sing. The costumes are dazzling. The strobe lights are electrifying. Everything is loud and large and pulsing and promising. a?oeYou like that modest opening?a?? Diva Donna (Dan'yelle Williamson, one of the three actors who plays Donna) asks the audience outright. a?oeWe just threw it together.a?? It's funny of course, because this is a big production, and nothing is farther from the truth. However...

The national tour of SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL, a moving tribute to the voice of a generation, is coming to the Golden Gate Theatre December 3 a?" 29, 2019. Go behind the scenes in the video!

Broadway In Chicago has announced that tickets for SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL will go on sale on Friday, December 13.  SUMMER will play Broadway In Chicago's James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph) for a limited two-week engagement February 12-23, 2020.

Full casting has been announced for the North American Tour of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. The three actresses who will play the role of musical icon Donna Summer will be Dan'yelle Williamson as 'Diva Donna,' Alex Hairston as 'Disco Donna' and Olivia Elease Hardy as 'Duckling Donna.'

Full casting has been announced for the North American Tour of SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical. The three actresses who will play the role of musical icon Donna Summer will be Dan'yelle Williamson as a?oeDiva Donna,a?? Alex Hairston as a?oeDisco Donnaa?? and Olivia Elease Hardy as a?oeDuckling Donna.a?? SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical will make its Baltimore premiere at The Hippodrome Theatre for one week from April 14 a?" 19. Beginning Friday, December 6, tickets will be available to purchase by visiting BaltimoreHippodrome.com, calling 800.982.ARTS or visiting the Hippodrome Theatre Box Office at the corner of Eutaw St and Baltimore St. For the most up-to-date pricing information, please visit Ticketmaster.com.

Full casting has been announced for the North American Tour of SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical.  The three actresses who will play the role of musical icon Donna Summer will be Dan'yelle Williamson as a?oeDiva Donna,a?? Alex Hairston as a?oeDisco Donnaa?? and Olivia Elease Hardy as a?oeDuckling Donna.a?? SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical will make its St. Louis premiere at the Fabulous Fox Theatre for two weeks January 15-26. 

SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical/book by Colman Domingo, Robert Cary & Des McAnuff/songs by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Paul Jabara and others/directed by Des McAnuff/choreography by Sergio Trujillo/music supervision by Ron Melrose/Hollywood Pantages Theatre/through November 24 The national tour of SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical currently onstage at the Hollyqwood Pantages, is a feast for the eyes and ears for every Donna Summer fan. Born in 1948 LaDonna Adrian Gaines who eventually became the Queen of Disco used to skip high school classes in Boston Massachusetts and take the bus to New York to audition. She landed her first professional gig in the rock musical Hair and performed it in Munich where she created a sensation. Her hit song 'I Feel Love' brought her back to the US...and the rest is history.

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical is now on tour across America! SUMMER features a book by Tony Award® nominee Colman Domingo, Robert Cary and Tony Award® winner Des McAnuff, with songs by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Paul Jabara and others and is directed by Des McAnuff and choreographed by Tony Award® winner Sergio Trujillo, with music supervised by Ron Melrose and scenic design by Tony Award® nominee Robert Brill, costumes by Tony Award® winner Paul Tazewell, lighting by Tony Award® winner Howell Binkley, sound by Tony Award® nominee Gareth Owen and projections by Sean Nieuwenhuis. This tour is produced by the Dodgers and Tommy Mottola.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical on Tour! Check out photos of the cast in action!

The North American Tour of SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical celebrated its official tour press opening last night in Cleveland, OH at Playhouse Square, following technical rehearsals and tour kickoff performances at RBTL's Auditorium Theater in Rochester, NY. The musical plays in Cleveland through October 27 and will next travel to the Hollywood Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, CA for an engagement November 5-24. The three actresses that share the role of musical icon Donna Summer, Dan'yelle Williamson as a?oeDiva Donna,a?? Alex Hairston as a?oeDisco Donnaa?? and Olivia Elease Hardy as a?oeDuckling Donna,a?? were presented with bouquets of white roses during Curtain Call and met Mimi Dohler, Donna Summer's daughter.

Renowned songwriter, producer, and arranger Bob Esty died on September 27, 2019 in Los Angeles, after a short battle with metastatic cancer. He was 72.

On Wednesday, September 11, the national tour of SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical gave a preview performance, and met the press!

Full casting has been announced for the North American Tour of SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical.

The Rochester Broadway Theatre League and Albert Nocciolino are proud to announce that SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical will hold technical rehearsals and launch its National Tour in Rochester with performances September 29 - October 5, 2019.  Rochester audiences will be among the first to see this production direct from Broadway!