Summer: The Donna Summer Musical Brings Disco Royalty to Toby's Dinner Theatre

Toby's Dinner Theatre in Columbia turns up the heat this fall with Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, running August 28 through November 1, 2026. The show traces the life of the Queen of Disco, from her beginnings in a Boston gospel choir to her reign over dance floors around the world.

Donna Summer was a girl from Boston with a voice from heaven. She risked everything to break through barriers, becoming the icon of an era and the inspiration for every music diva who followed. The musical tells her story with honesty and heart, following her rise to stardom, her personal struggles, and the fierce determination that made her one of the most influential voices in popular music. The show reached Broadway in 2018, where three actresses shared the role of Donna at different stages of her life: Duckling Donna, Disco Donna, and Diva Donna. It's a clever structure that lets the audience see the woman behind the legend at every step of her journey.

The score packs in more than 20 of Summer's classic hits, including "Love to Love You Baby," "Bad Girls," "Hot Stuff," and "Last Dance." If you grew up with these songs, expect to spend the evening fighting the urge to get up and dance. If you didn't, you're about to find out why Donna Summer's music defined a generation.

Toby's remains the DC region's home for dinner theatre done right. Your evening includes a full buffet before the performance, with table service throughout the night. The theatre-in-the-round staging at Toby's puts every seat close to the action, which suits a show this energetic perfectly. A note for sensitive patrons: fog, haze, and strobe effects may be used in this production.