Love to Love You, Donna Summer

There was a time when Donna Summer’s music was everywhere. The 20 minute long erotic moaning of “Love to Love You, Baby” ushered in the Disco Era, shocked the world and turned it on. Hits like “Hard For The Money,” “Hot Stuff,” and her duet, “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)” with another gay idol, Barbra Streisand, were standards in gay bars, who often ended the night of dancing and drinking with with “Last Dance.”

Love to Love You, Donna Summer is an in-depth look at the artist as her voice and artistry takes her from the avant-garde music scene in Germany to the hedonistic discotheque’s in New York. A deeply personal portrait of Summer on and off stage, the film features a wealth of photographs and never-before-seen home video footage, exploring the highs and lows of a life lived on the global stage.

The documentary, directed by Oscar and Emmy-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams and Brooklyn Sudano, daughter of Donna Summer, examines the disco diva’s life and offers an intimate portrait of a private, secretive woman whose relationship to fame, the people who knew her, and even her own self remain complicated.

Summer’s influence is so pervasive that even Queen Bee Beyoncé herself sampled Summer’s “I Feel Love” for her own “Summer Renaissance,” the closing track to her disco opus, Renaissance, (2022) an exploration of the history of dance music.

The documentary also addresses Born Again Christian Summer’s (real and rumored) inflammatory remarks about AIDS and about gay men, her biggest fan base.

Summer died of lung cancer on May 17, 2012 at age 63 She has yet to be inaugurated into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame..

Available to stream now on HBO and HBO Max. 1 hour, 47 minutes

The Prom

When Emma wants to take her girlfriend to the prom, the PTA cancels the dance and her story goes viral. Four eccentric Broadway performers arrive to transform her town and throw her the prom of her dreams in an attempt to improve their own PR. What begins as selfish insincerity results in a story of growth.You will cheer for love in this hilarious musical comedy. Phoenix Theatre Co., 1825 N. Central Ave. Tix: PhoenixTheatre.com or call 602-254-2151

June 7-July 9

Desert Overtures “Composed with Pride”

Phoenix’s Premiere LGBT and Ally Wind Ensemble with more than 50 musicians takes a listen to some of the most distinguished LGTBQ+ composers from the past to the present. Can you “Handel” it? Tempe Center For The Arts, 700 W Rio Salado Pkwy. in Tempe. For tickets visit DesertOverture.org

Sunday, June 11, 3-5 p.m.

Legend of Georgia McBride

Casey, an Elvis impersonator, loses his gig, his rent is overdue, and his wife is pregnant. So, when Elvis leaves the building and a drag show moves in “The King” transforms into an all-out queen. This story challenges assumptions with extraordinary humor and depth. Arizona Theatre Company at Herberger Theatre, 222 E. Monroe St. in Phoenix. Tickets & info: ATC.org or call 800-833-SEAT

June 29-July

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