Inside Opening Night of SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL!

Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World

Disco has come to Broadway. Summer, the Donna Summer Musical. And we're here on Opening Night to celebrate with the company

just minutes after the Opening Night curtain rang down. She works hard for the money

So you let it see her rise How do you feel tonight

I feel like a million dollars. It went well, the people stood, and they seemed really happy, so I'm thrilled

I'm thrilled for her in particular. Is this your Broadway debut? Yes, it is

Yes, it is. How exciting was today for you? Oh, my gosh

Today from the moment I woke up to now has just been everything you dreamt it could be

There hasn't been a moment that's disappointed me and I've gotten to celebrate a queen and I've gotten to feel like a queen while doing it

What is it like starring on Broadway as Donna Summer? Oh, it's terrifying in a good way

Because she was just brilliant and flawless and her vocals were butter and honey and jam and all the things you want

So, you know, I'm honored. There's a huge responsibility with it, but I'd have it no other way

I'm in the right place at the right time and telling a story that I believe in

And that's all I can ask for. What's it like living in the world of Donna Summer

Complex. Draining. Invigorating. Living in the world of the disco, it's glamorous, it's fun, it's exciting

but it also presents its challenges. Her life wasn't easy, and to live through it and to give your full heart to it every night

is emotionally draining but absolutely worth it to get to share such an incredible story

It gotta be so surreal to share the stage with the other two daughters Oh absolutely You know it such a divine connection that we share It very specific And these particular two women LaShawn what a legend

and to have her lead our company in such a way is, I can't even describe because I've learned so much

about how to be a leading lady from her, and that means more than anything to me. And then to sort of be kind of a big sister to Storm Lever

who was making a ferocious Broadway debut, That girl's pipes and her intellect and the way that she navigates storytelling and how she becomes both of us

I'm in awe of her. She's fantastic. Sharing the stage with your other two Donners

What's it like together? Before the show, we shared. We had a moment backstage where we just held each other and hugged each other

We started the workshop together. We did La Jolla together. I've gotten to know and love these women and to share this woman with her

It is just a room of beautiful, brown, black, powerful, gorgeous ladies that we get to celebrate and honor every day

It makes coming to work the best. Tonight's favorite? You know, dim all the lights and here's why

There's been a lot of loss surrounded, you know, surrounding us right about now

and you know, Jan Maxwell was my hero. And I would have given anything for her to have been here tonight

And so I sang it for her. So, you know, that was my favorite tonight

because she championed me when I didn't have one. And that means more to me than I think

When you took your bow tonight, Broadway debut, do you remember what you were thinking

What was I thinking? It was thank you. It was, I could see my parents directly in front of me

I was trying to exude just graciousness and doing it for her

I remember having a moment when I got to look up and I knew that she was there in the room with us. And it was just grateful, the most grateful

I was thinking I didn't trip. That what I was thinking because I wear heels the whole show And I think I only cracked once So you know I was like thank God we made it And they seem to have liked it The joy was is the same that it been throughout previews

It's about joy for us and for me. Everybody loves her music and her voice

Why do you think that is? You know, I think they broke through some major barriers

and they invented a genre. And there's a line in the play where Neil Bogart says

you know, you're going to lead the world onto the dance floor. And I think she literally did that

when Georgia Maroder names the top disco songs, the first six songs are all Donna Summer songs

And I think she deserves that. So, yeah. You have three incredible triple threats playing Donna Summer

What's it like working with your three leads? You know, they've been very hardworking and diligent

and they take direction really well. So it's been a wonderful collaboration

and I think they've formed a very tight relationship, which is, of course, critical to the success of the show

So they're very supportive of each other. You're leading ladies, three of them

What's it like working with your three Donnas? Well, you know, I think I'm the luckiest choreographer on Broadway

because those three women are absolutely, absolutely fantastic dancers. So I can turn to LaChanze and I said

LaChanze, I need you to do Hit This Here, Hit It There, or Storm is really an unbelievable dancer as well

And then there's Ariana who's a real triple threat. I mean, I call her my little cheetah

because she is a real triple threat. But you know, lucky, so very lucky

so fortunate to have these three women to play with. The first thing that comes to mind I hope this answers your question is all those songs and how one thought they knew all of them And then it like oh we should watch that one too we should watch that one too And as a very little kid radio used to wake me up on the radio you know when I get up for

elementary school, which is my favorite, I think, of all the songs. And it's been amazing because we get to know Bruce and Amanda

and Mimi in Brooklyn and that's incredible. I mean, how, it must be, I mean

I'm segwaying or going off topic, but how amazing it must be for them to watch their life

up there and how generous of them to allow us to do that

And I haven't done a lot of musicals, so that's fun. Having her family around, having her

husband, Bruce Adano, who's a very big part of this, and of course

her daughters have been around. What's that been like? Oh, that's been so

wonderful, so humbling because it just reminds us that we are here to

honor these people who are not here. And so when we get

Bruce or Brooklyn or Amanda's congratulations. It means so much more than

you know, just because they knew her, they lived with her and they lived with them

They lived with her parents. So it just means the world. When were you first turned on to

Donna Summer and what's your favorite Donna Summer song? Well, I knew the hits back in the day and I always

loved Hard for the Money, but now I've been exposed to songs like Heaven Knows that I get

to sing with her and I think it's brilliant. I think it's beautiful. She's a genius

I love her. Yeah. And working with your three divas. You have three Donnas

Oh, my God. Three Donnas. And they're all unbelievable. They're actresses. They're singers

They're dancers. And I'm lucky to share the stage with them every night. I'm just, I count my blessings, you know

Come on, baby. Dance that dance. Come on, baby. Dance that dance

Come on, baby. Let's dance tonight