Enough is enough with jukebox shows: Donna Summer musical has hot tunes, but flimsy, cliched script

Review

The show: “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”

Written by: Colman Domingo, Robert Cary and Des McAnuff, with music by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Paul Jabara and others; on national tour presented by Broadway in Boston 

What it’s about: Offering 23 hit tunes in 100 or so minutes, the jukebox musical uses actresses at three different ages to rocket through some of the highlights of the life story of music superstar Donna Summer, from Boston church singer to “queen of disco” and beyond.

See it or not: The show is for Summer fans who want to hear strong singers perform the popular numbers (or at least parts of them): “I Feel Love,” “Heaven Knows,” “On the Radio,” “Hot Stuff,” “She Works Hard for the Money,” “Last Dance” and more. But if you’re not already very familiar with Summer or are looking for more than a surface-ey, quick-hit approach to the highs and lows of Summer’s life off-stage – and hoping for some true emotion, context or consideration of her challenges – this script and national touring production fail to deliver.

Highlights: Although backed by less-than-stellar ensemble performances, sets and choreography, the three actresses at the heart of “Summer” are terrific, engaging singers and each gets her moment to shine musically on her own. Even better is when Diva Donna (Brittny Smith), Disco Donna (Charis Gullage) and Duckling Donna (Amahri Edwards-Jones) perform together and harmonize, and “MacArthur Park” and “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)” are particular winners.

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Fun facts: Summer was a groundbreaking performer, particularly for a woman of color, and one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Here are some key statistics for the singer-songwriter, none of which – really, NONE of which – are mentioned in the inadequate script credited to Domingo, Cary and original director McAnuff. Summer was inducted posthumously in 2013 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which describes her as "the mother of modern dance music." She had 42 hit singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, with 14 in the Top Ten. Twelve of those happened between 1976 to 1982, with four No. 1 singles. Summer was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach the top of the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. She was nominated for 18 Grammy Awards, won five, and is the only artist to win awards in four different genres: R&B, rock, dance and gospel.

Worth noting: Summer dealt with a number of personal challenges throughout her life, but this show quickly glosses over them, with no exploration or depth, dismissing them with platitudes, lame “jokes” (including about homosexuality and violent assault) or rushing to the next musical number. Among the issues mentioned, then pushed past simplistically: sexual abuse as a child, leaving behind her baby daughter for her career, depression, drug abuse and addiction, domestic abuse, unfair treatment by record producers, a religious reawakening, the AIDS crisis (and her alienation of gay fans) and a cancer diagnosis.

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One more thing: Near the end of the show, as Summer faces a health crisis, a daughter reminds the singer that she has already fought against prejudice, sexism, the media and the record industry. You wouldn’t know it by this script, though. While leaving a company that bankrupted her is touched upon, it’s disappointing that audiences may come away from this musical singing, but with little enlightenment about Summer’s battles and wins as a woman and as a Black artist.

If you go: Through March 6, at the Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston St., Boston; tickets starting at $44.75; www.BroadwayInBoston.com or 888-616-0272; proof of COVID-19 vaccination required, as are masks throughout the performance.