Review: SUMMER, THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL at The Gateway

Bellport's beautiful Gateway Playhouse certainly has another hit on their hands with their current offering of Summer, The Donna Summer Musical. The energetic production of the Tony nominated musical runs through July 16th and is wonderfully directed by Jenny Laroche. You will definitely find yourself dancing in your seats as encouraged by the wonderful people who brilliantly portray the music icon.

As with a typical biographical musical, we follow Donna on her rise to stardom and all of the up's, down's, and in-betweens that come with it.

Masterfully created by Coleman Domingo, Robert Cary, and Des McAnuff, the score is an incredible collection of Ms. Summer's biggest hits including "On The Radio", "MacArthur Park", "Bad Girls" and many more. On a side note, those who saw the show on Broadway will probably remember that it was a one-act production. For this production, The Gateway smartly decided to break it up into two acts. The enthusiastic audience was more than amenable to this as I overheard plenty of people gushing about the show during intermission.

Heading up the cast are three fabulous people representing Donna Summer at different stages in her life.

Grace Capeless adorably portrays Duckling Donna, Donna in her pre-teens. The spunk and zeal that radiates from Ms. Capeless is truly gripping. Afra Hines stunningly portrays Disco Donna. You'll adore Ms. Hines' performance of "Love To Love You Baby" which brings roaring applause. And Renee Marie Titus thrillingly portrays Diva Donna. One thing to note about Ms. Capeless and Ms.Titus is that they both have additional roles, so it's important to pay attention as they switch pretty suddenly. Ms. Capeless also portrays Mimi, Donna's daughter, and Ms. Titus portrays Mary, Donna's mother. I really could go on and on (and on and on!) about the incredible cast, but just know all of them are truly exceptional.

On the clever creative team, Kyli Rae splendidly choreographs the talented, large cast. The spectacular costumes by Janine Loesch are also top notch with sparkles galore elevating the 70's vibe. Of course, it is always thrilling to see a live orchestra, this one expertly led by Music Director Anthony Brindisi. Add in Jonah Verdon's sound design and Kim Hanson's lighting design and you will find this is truly a visually stunning production.

And so, The Gateway's Summer, The Donna Summer Musical is certainly a must see this beautiful Summer season (See what I did there?). A gripping story, a groundbreaking music icon, and the gorgeous Gateway Playhouse for a great night of theatre.

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