Arlington's Signature Theatre Announces 2022/2023 Season Featuring Three Sondheim Productions

Signature Theatre has announced its 33rd season today, which highlights the organization's long-time relationship with the legendary Stephen Sondheim. Signature has produced 31 Sondheim productions in its 32 season history - more than any other theater in North America. The 33rd season will feature three more, bringing the total of Signature-produced Sondheim musicals to 34, with all new productions of Into the Woods (November 8, 2022 - January 29, 2023), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (May 16 - July 9, 2023), and the rarely produced Pacific Overtures (March 7 - April 9, 2023). The season will also feature two additional musicals, the DC premiere of Ethan Lipton's No Place to Go (August 30 - October 16, 2022) and Passing Strange by Stew and Heidi Rodewald (April 25 - June 18, 2023); plus, two new plays making their DC premieres, Ana Nogueira's Which Way to the Stage (December 6, 2022 - January 22, 2023) and Sylvia Khoury's Selling Kabul (February 21 - April 2, 2023). More information on the 2022/23 season is available at SigTheatre.org/Subscribe.

"This past November, the world lost an icon. The death of Stephen Sondheim was a blow to everyone in the theater community. Signature Theatre would not be the same without Sondheim - he IS Signature's 'signature.' This season, we are honoring the legend with the entire season in our MAX Theatre dedicated to his memory. These three shows represent the diversity and range of Sondheim," said Signature's Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner.

"We're also thrilled to feature several new voices in our ARK Theatre next season," continued Gardiner. "Sylvia Khoury's Selling Kabul and Ana Nogueira's Which Way to the Stage both had well-received premieres in New York this season and we are excited to produce them in their area premieres. Ethan Lipton's No Place to Go is also receiving its area premiere and will feature a tour-de-force solo turn for one of the DMV's favorite actors, Bobby Smith. We will close out the ARK season with Stew and Heidi Rodewald's Tony Award-winning rock musical Passing Strange which hasn't been seen in DC since 2010."

The 2022/23 Season will also mark recently appointed Associate Artistic Director Ethan Heard's first Signature Productions - he will direct Which Way to the Stage and Pacific Overtures. Signature also welcomes three new guest directors Shadi Ghaheri (Selling Kabul), Raymond O. Caldwell (Passing Strange) and Sarna Lapine (Sweeney Todd). Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner will helm the productions of No Place to Go and Into the Woods.

"We are delighted to also announce the return of Signature's popular Cabaret Series," said Managing Director Maggie Boland. "These concerts created by Director of Signature Cabarets Mark G. Meadows are always sell-out audience favorites. This year we delve into the songbooks of Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald and Joni Mitchell, and present a sequel to one of Signature's most beloved Cabarets, Soul Divas Reprise, featuring songs made famous by vocal powerhouses from Aretha Franklin to Whitney Houston to Beyoncé and many in between."

Signature's special events include the Signature Seminar: To Journey's End with Into the Woods, a five-part behind-the-scenes seminar with the cast and creative team of Sondheim's fairytale adventure. The seminar will run from October 20 - November 6, 2022; We Shall Someday, a concert performance of an important new musical by Harrison David Rivers and Ted Shen will run from June 30 - July 2, 2022; Finally, the SigWorks: Monday Night New Play Reading series, which promotes the work of DC area playwrights with free readings and discussions and is now under the leadership of recently appointed Director of Artistic Development Anika Chapin, will continue with dates and plays to be announced at a later time.

Signature offers flexible subscription options for the 2022/23 season. Season Subscription packages are now on sale. Custom packages can be created for 3-, 4-, 5-, 6- or the full 7-show season. Season Subscription package prices begin at $58 per ticket. Benefits of subscribing include first choice of seats, savings over individual ticket prices, and discounts on extra tickets. Call Signature's Box Office at 703 820 9771 or visit Sigtheatre.org/Subscribe.

Single tickets for the entire season will go on sale later this summer.

SIGNATURE THEATRE'S 2022/23 SEASON LISTINGS

No Place to Go

DC Premiere
August 30, 2022 - October 16, 2023
ARK Theatre

Bobby Smith stars in this musical ode to the unemployed with an enterprising twist.

A dedicated corporate "information refiner" has learned that his company is moving to a cheaper, but very (very) remote, location and taking the jobs with it. Backed by a jazz band, this permanent part-timer must decide whether to go and uproot his family's life or embark on an unknown venture.

Sardonic wit merges with clever jazz, blues and bluegrass music for an irreverent capitalist critique of the personal cost of doing business.

Written by Ethan Lipton
Music Composed by Ethan Lipton, Eben Levy, Ian M. Riggs and Vito Dieterle
Directed by Matthew Gardiner

Into the Woods

November 8, 2022 - January 29, 2023
MAX Theatre

Escape into a fantastical fairytale adventure where dreams come true, but not free.

A trove of storybook characters' paths intertwine as they chase their deepest desires through an enchanted forest. However, once they receive their happily ever after, the unintended consequences of granted wishes unravel their worlds.

Weaving a euphoric score including the songs "Giants in the Sky," "On the Steps of the Palace," "No One Is Alone," and "Children Will Listen" with a darkly humorous book, Into the Woods is a sophisticated musical twist on beloved childhood fables.

Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Originally Directed on Broadway by James Lapine
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Directed by Matthew Gardiner

Sponsored by Michelle S. Lee and STG International

Which Way to the Stage

DC Premiere
December 6, 2022 - January 22, 2023
ARK Theatre

A playful yet profound comedy about friendship, ambition, and what happens when dreams fall just out of reach.

Broadway superfans Jeff and Judy eagerly await their idol Idina Menzel after her performance in If/Then at the stage door every night. But when a sexy stranger enters the scene and upends their decades-long friendship, the musical theater aficionados have to go off book to rewrite their own finale.

Signature's new Associate Artistic Director Ethan Heard makes his directorial debut with this funny and touching play about the roles we perform and transcending one's "type."

By Ana Nogueira
Directed by Ethan Heard

Selling Kabul

DC Premiere
February 21 - April 2, 2023
ARK Theatre

A suspenseful drama about family and sacrifice from an exciting new voice.

In 2013, a sister secretly shelters her translator brother from an increasingly powerful Taliban while he awaits the ever-delayed arrival of a promised American visa. On the eve of his son's birth, the walls begin to close in, threatening him, her and everyone they love in a heart-racing exposé with devastating echoes to the present day.

Breathtaking and unpredictable through the final curtain, this unflinching exploration exposes the human toll of American withdrawal.

By Sylvia Khoury
Directed by Shadi Ghaheri

Pacific Overtures

March 7 - April 9, 2023
MAX Theatre

A stunning exploration of tradition and transformation based on historical events.

In 1853, after 200 years of stability, Japan faces an American expedition determined to open the "floating kingdom" to trade. The isolationist island's reckoning with the unwelcome western influence is brilliantly illuminated through a kaleidoscope of stories about sailors, samurai, "someone in a tree" and two friends who choose radically different paths.

This innovative epic of East meets West is one of Sondheim's most ambitious and rarely produced musicals.

Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by John Weidman
Additional material by Hugh Wheeler
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Original Broadway Production Directed by Harold Prince and Produced by Harold Prince in association with Ruth Mitchell
Directed by Ethan Heard

Passing Strange

April 25 - June 18, 2023
ARK Theatre

Music is the freight train to ride for this electrifying Tony Award-winning travelogue of identity, acceptance and love.

A young man discovers his musical calling and sets off for Europe, leaving behind his mother and comfortable suburban life. In his rebellion filled with sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, he yearns for something in life that he thinks can only be found in art.

Bursting with energizing punk, blues, gospel, and jazz music, this rock concert spin on musical theatricality radiates with humor, passion and heart.

Book & Lyrics by Stew
Music by Stew & Heidi Rodewald
Created in Collaboration with Annie Dorsen
Directed by Raymond O. Caldwell

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

May 16 - July 9, 2023
MAX Theatre

Sondheim's masterpiece is a savory Victorian melodrama.

Returned to London following a wrongful banishment, barber Sweeney Todd's thirst for vengeance against the corrupt judge who sent him away leads him on a murderous spree. Aided by his downstairs neighbor, baker Mrs. Lovett, the two concoct an unappetizing scheme as they terrorize the city.

Featuring the songs "The Worst Pies in London," "A Little Priest," "Johanna" and "Not While I'm Around," this deliciously dark musical serves horror with a slice of humor.

Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
From an Adaptation by Christopher Bond
Originally Directed On Broadway by Harold Prince
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Originally Produced on Broadway by Richard Barr, Charles Woodward, Robert Fryer, Mary Lea Johnson, Martin Richards in Association with Dean and Judy Manos
Directed by Sarna Lapine

Cabaret Series

Hotter Than July: Stevie Wonder

July 5 - 17, 2022
Signature heats things up for the summer months with the first cabaret in two years! Inspired by Stevie Wonder's 1980 platinum album Hotter than July, this sizzling cabaret sets the ARK ablaze with songs from the album such as "All I Do" and "Master Blaster (Jammin')" along with some of Stevie's other hits like "Superstition" and "Overjoyed."

Both Sides Now: Joni Mitchell

November 1 - 13, 2022
Folk-rock singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is one of the most influential artists of the last century and her deeply intimate songs are the soundtrack of the Woodstock generation. Hear some of her beloved chart-toppers including "Cactus Tree," "Both Sides Now," "Big Yellow Taxi," "A Case of You" and so many other unforgettable tunes.

First Lady of Song: Ella Fitzgerald

January 31 - February 5, 2023
The definition of an icon, Ella Fitzgerald was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for over 50 years. Celebrate her phenomenal range, syncopated style, and heart of gold with a swinging cabaret bursting with her incredible songbook including "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "The Nearness of You," "Blue Skies" and many more.

Soul Divas Reprise

June 27 - July 9, 2023
The phenomenal soul divas are back for a second act! The 2019 cabaret that sold out in record time returns as an all-new set of unbelievable voices toasts luminaries from Aretha Franklin to Whitney Houston to Beyoncé and all the incredible divas in between.

Special Events

We Shall Someday

June 30 - July 2, 2022

Seamlessly weaving story and song, this concert presentation of a timely new musical chronicles three generations of a Southern Black family as they trace the effects of racism, activism and legacy from the Civil Rights Movement to the present.

Book & Lyrics by Harrison David Rivers
Music & Additional Lyrics by Ted Shen
Directed by Kelli Foster Warder

Signature Seminar: To Journey's End with Into the Woods

October 20 - November 6, 2022

Travel deep Into the Woods for a five part behind-the-scenes seminar about the making of Sondheim's fairytale adventure at Signature. Begin your journey with a special meeting with the director and creative team that delves into the themes of the show and the concepts for the design, and travel all the way through the dress rehearsal where the musical comes together. The way is clear and the light is good to go Into the Woods and be home before dark!

SigWorks: Monday Night New Play Reading Series

Dates TBA

SigWorks: Monday Night New Play Readings is an initiative which highlights and supports the work of DC-area play­wrights. This series is an opportunity for playwrights, actors, directors, and patrons to explore new plays in a fun and infor­mal environment. Each reading will be followed by a dialogue with the audience and the artists. Come hear a new play still in development and enjoy food and drink specials from Ali's Bar. Dates and plays for SigWorks to be announced at a later time.

New work at Signature Theatre is sponsored by Dan and Gloria Logan.

ABOUT SIGNATURE

Signature Theatre is a Tony Award®-winning regional theater that broadens and brightens the region's cultural landscape with its bold productions of challenging new and established works and engaging education and outreach programs. Founded in 1989 by Eric Schaeffer and Donna Migliaccio, and currently under the leadership of Managing Director Maggie Boland and Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner, musical theater is Signature's "signature," and the Theatre is renowned for its definitive Sondheim productions, inventive adaptations of overlooked or forgotten works, and investment in fresh new projects. Signature combines Broadway-caliber productions with intimate playing spaces and aims to be a leading force in U.S. musical theater.

Since its inception, the Theatre has produced 60 world premiere works-including 19 new musical commissions. Signature opens its doors to more than 100,000 people annually from the Washington, DC region and beyond and reaches more than 10,000 students every year through its innovative education programs, including the award-winning initiative Signature in the Schools. Signature has won 134 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in the Washington, DC region's professional theater and has been honored with 452 nominations.