ABC7 News Bay Area LIFE talks to Donna Summer's daughter | Summer: The Donna Summer Musical

ABC7 News Bay Area LIFE joined the cast of SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and talked to Donna Summer's daughter, Mimi Dohler, about her experience watching her mother's story unfold onstage.
SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL is now playing through December 29. For tickets: bit.ly/Summer-SF
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[@SWSimpson]

I wish I had glowing things to say about this musical story about the life of my special friend. I would have cast women (or one woman) who have powerful voices with an edge, someone capable of singing full voice and filling up an auditorium without sound equipment (as a test), someone who understood Donna's vocal style and could emulate that - no one can perfectly match her, but sing within her style. These lovely women are singing the songs as they would sing them, not trying in the slightest to pay tribute by singing in Donna's style - or at least trying. When I sing her songs I sing in her style, even though I am a man, I can sing the style although not trying to sound like her. The reason I sing them in her style is because that's the best way they sound. You can't sing Hard for the Money with a wimpy voice, it has to be sung with confidence and strength. Donna was a very strong person, tempered with a great capacity to love and almost empathic, and that is how she sang. Example: At a concert in an outdoor amphitheater on the ocean with yachts sailing past the theater to stage right, Donna held out a BIG high note... the music stopped, but she held it out as she slowly lowered the microphone to the floor as her voice slowly faded from the sound system speakers. I realized her voice was STILL filling the amphitheater as she continued to fill the entire amphitheatre solely with her voice and without the aid of a sound system. When she let go of the note, the audience was silent. You could have heard a pin drop. Donna opened her eyes and looked surprised, almost frightened by the silence until one person started to clap, then everyone joined in. People were screaming, clapping, cheering, and crying. It was as if time stood still for a moment, just because she wanted it to. I couldn't believe what just happened, so I asked my friend who had never seen Donna in concert before, "Did what I think just happened, really happen?" And my friend said, YES! Her voice filled this place without the use of the sound system! And the cheering and excitement continued until Donna motioned for the band to start the next song. After the concert, I positioned myself in a location where at least 1/2 of the audience would have to walk past me and I listened to what people were saying... they were all talking about that phenomenal note she held out- that powerful, incomparable voice. THAT is how strong her voice was. But more than just the voice, Donna heard that I was sick and she called me... her voice on my answering machine saying Scotty, better known as Frosti, this is Donna Summer calling... and I jumped from my bed and grabbed the phone. She was so thoughtful and loving to check on me with a phone call... but then I realized, the next day was the funeral for her sister, Jeanette, who died of lung cancer, and I said, "Wait. How are YOU?" Her voice broke a little as she fought back tears and she said, "No, this call is about YOU." After we got off the phone, there was a knock at my door. I opened the door and all I saw was an enormous arrangement of flowers, hiding my little landlord, and I opened the card... they were from Donna Summer. That is how she was - if someone was sick or hurt or in pain, she would put aside her own pain to be there for you, even if just for a few minutes. She and her husband Bruce were the kind of people that made the person they were speaking to feel like they were the most important person in the world at that moment. And, when Donna would say that she will pray for you, she really did pray for you. Sometimes she would say that she was my sister, sometimes she would say she was my Mother. She signed a book for me as "Mom". She and her sisters are hilariously funny, and it was their beautiful Mother who taught them to love unconditionally. It is a worthy goal to set for yourself and harder than I thought it would be... to love everyone, without condition or judgment. And to never speak unkindly about anyone, and never gossip. Donna Summer was an equally amazing human being as she was an amazing vocalist. When she sings now, her voice is powerful enough to bend the Universe. I always say, if you have never heard Donna sing LIVE and In PERSON, you have never heard her sing... but, when I die, I will be happy knowing that I will get to see and hear Donna Summer sing LIVE and IN PERSON once again.

[@ladydeanna3775]

You knew her for real?

[@karimbennett5651]

The voices of the actresses portraying Donna in the musical were too high-pitched and chirpy. Donna didn’t sing like that. Her voice was lower, more steady, controlled, less screechy.The musical needed, as you said, singers that could emulate Donna’s distinctive style. Imagine someone trying to portray Tina Turner by singing like Britney Spears or Madonna. It wouldn’t work.

[@phillycheez6288]

I love your personal story.. And I agree just by seeing only clips of the musical that #1 it took 3 women to sing what one woman sang all by herself. 😮and #2 The portrayers should've been vetted from all around the world to see if anyone out there could even do her vocals justice! These women were not it! IMO

[@08CARIB]

Love hearing from her oldest child Mimi! Donna's song to her is one of her best, so touching!

[@joyfra3549]

I was thinking the same. I remember when she brought little Mimi on stage and sang to her little daughter.

[@rosie8126]

Donna was the embodiment of magnificence. Her voice sublime and powerful. I wish I had seen Donna sing live in concert, but only watch her recorded shows which lift the soul. God bless you Donna, you are very much missed and loved.

[@ladydeanna3775]

Donna has some beautiful daughters. I never knew she had two additional ones I only remember Mimi Beautiful like their mother.

[@shantebarze1068]

Brooklyn Sudano her middle daughter played on my wife and kids as the daughter in law..

[@asht3637]

The last time that I saw Mimi was in 1978 in a photo in time magazine.

[@josephvalenzuela311]

All of her 70's songs is all this show needs.Love watching Lizzie Bermudez. Lizzie's story about her family is great to listen and watch. BTW Donna Summer wrote or co-wrote some of her biggest hits. Such a great talent, she is one of my all-time favorites. Queen of DISCO!!

[@Farr50]

I didn't even know such a thing existed! Wonderful! I wish Donna herself could see this!

[@lesliezimmer6985]

I was working as an Assistant Building Manager for a condo association in LA when Donna Summer moved in to her condo. I was asked to see if there was anything she needed help with. I was let into her apt. by her staff and while I was speaking with them, Donna came up to me and introduced herself. I didn't know she was sick at that point and she was so kind, gracious, and poised as she summoned up the strength to make me feel welcome...when I was there to welcome her. She was the epitome of a courageous and talented woman who I will always admire. May she rest in the peace she deserves after shining her bright light on us for so many years.

[@zubeidakaker1228]

Oh mimi your mum was so wonderful xx

[@neguys]

Love you Donna !!!

[@GerardoVega-x7i]

I saw Donna in concert twice thanks to my then significant other who surprised me with concert tickets twice. The first was in Carnegie Hall and then Long Beach. I remembered after Donna sang McArthur Park, her voice thundered and ppl were clapping very loud and screaming. Then she said, "Boys and girls, we're in Carnegie Hall, so we have to behave", and everyone laughed. She was so naturally funny. But my favorite was when she sang "Don't Cry For Me Argentina". There was a perfect silence, and she shook my foundations. That voice was the most powerful and angelical I ever heard in my life. Like, really, truly a gift from God. I will always be grateful to Donna and for my then partner who took me to see my Donna Summer whom I've been a non-stop fan since I was 10. May she rest in peace. She was truly the best singer in the world. However, I wasn't inspired to go see this show bc the choice of the women who played her was nothing compared to my Donna.

[@katewest130]

What a great idea to do a musical biopic of the late great Donna Summer. No one can deny the awesome power of her voice. And such a beauty. Didn’t know she was previously married but she found true love with her last husband.

[@elsa8577]

She was Awesome!!!!

[@blkpopeye]

Her Daughter is pretty

[@perryh.5306]

Love the ladies outfits!

[@chetyoubetya8565]

She didnt break down any racial barriers. Her experience is of most WOMEN who are in the music and media industry. She was a great woman which was colorless.

[@cynthiajackson7602]

Somebody please get Kelly Rowlands to play her in a movie

[@TomYaz]

Yet it hasn't opened in Boston or all places

[@SWSimpson]

Terrible show, terrible casting. Instead of wanting to dance, I would be pulling my hat down over my ears so as to not damage the memory of Donna's beautiful voice for one second. To hear these lovely ladies singing Donna Summer without having learned a damn thing from Donna Summer- the way she sang, the phrasing, the Boston Accent, the power in her voice, I would truly have a difficult time sitting through the entire show.

[@gbrown999]

I totally agree. I would watch a 12 hour Donna Summer documentary before I support this. I blame poor casting poor script poor song performances. Fire that producer

[@spookym123]

That's what I was thinking as I watched. They're just singing her songs without the slightest regard for Donna's look or sound. And no sign of her iconic look early on which Mikal Gilmore, in a Rolling Stone article on Donna, described as a "Bloomingdale's Cleopatra." Unforgivable!

[@kevinmiles5770]

Personally, I agree with you. in my opinion this is just a disgrace to the Queen and she was much more than just Disco. I have yet to hear anyone come close to sounding like her yet look like her. I would love to go to an impersonator show and find someone that really looks like her. I never had the chance to see Donna Summer in concert and now that she is gone my heart breaks thinking she is gone. Luckily I have most of her recorded music.

[@10weepee]

The show was awful. It felt like a high school production. Poor casting and zero energy.

[@seanpowell1661]

As I'm watching this, I noticed they had 2 light-skin actresses playing Donna in the early and at the height of the Disco era. However, they had a dark-skin actress play the last part of her life? Had the producers REALLY did their homework, they would've realized that Donna wasn't a light skin woman. Her beautiful chocolate color skin and those eyes made her stand out along with the different hairstyles and of course.... THAT VOICE 😊😊☺️❤️

[@beccalove8791]

Donna came to a church that I attended for a little while. She always sat in the back and she looked uncomfortable in that church setting. This was in California in the late 70’s or early 80’s

[@ladyruler9585]

Either she was nervous she'd get noticed and take attention away from the sermon or she was trying to re-program her mind to forget the satanic rituals she had to partake in Hollywood.

[@Sugamamita]

Yaaazzzzzzzzzz

[@omarmccray3282]

Mimi

[@sierria64]

Donnas other daughter are pretty ee

[@ladyruler9585]

Damn, this hurt my ears. Terrible choice of casting. Donna sounded ten times better than those chicks playing her.

[@zoradaughter]

Because representation of dark skin women, why couldn’t they cast all brown skin or dark skin women to play her throughout her life. It’s sad that casting wasn’t mindful of that.

[@jucutan]

I always thought Mariah Carey was Donna Summer's daughter

[@scavollos]

Isto não é uma mulher! É perdição.

[@s.frescura4236]

The President Macron must impose this musical in Paris.

[@gettingeven2025]

No wonder it closed. Trash

[@elainevankat5353]

Agree!!!