Signature's SIZZLIN' SUMMER NIGHTS Cabaret Series Announced

Virginia's Signature Theatre opens its air-conditioned doors once again for the annual Sizzlin' Summer Nights Series. Two and a half weeks of live music and performances by Signature favorites and DC area stars. The cabaret series runs July 5 through July 22, with a different performance every night.

Signature favorites are featured throughout the series kicked off by Erin Driscoll (Signature's Titanic) and including cabarets by Signature favorites Will Gartshore (Signature's The Fix), Nova Y. Payton (Signature's Jelly's Last Jam) and Kevin McAllister (Signature's Titanic).

Recent Helen Hayes Award winner Liam Forde (Studio Theatre's Hand to God) makes his Signature Theatre debut. Singer/songwriter Robbie Schaefer from the acclaimed indie band Eddie from Ohio performs in advance of his world premiere musical Light Years (February 6 - March 4, 2018). Long-running Sizzlin' Summer artist Bob McDonald returns to perform classic songs from Oscar nominated films.

Other performances include vocalist Roz White (Signature's Songbirds), Delores King Williams (Showboat), Urban Arias, The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, Matthew Schleigh and Jessica Lauren Ball (Signature's La Cage Aux Folles), and Sam Ludwig (Signature's Jesus Christ Superstar) and David Landstrom (Signature's Jesus Christ Superstar).

A glowing cast of mothers-to-be team including Erin Driscoll, Jamie Eacker, Bayla Whitten and Rachel Zampelli team up to present Me and My Baby, My Baby and Me. Then on July 25, Revenge of the Understudies returns by popular demand as the series finale, offering a wide variety of songs performed by some of the talented performers who have understudied at Signature this past season.

Complete schedule and descriptions of all performers' cabarets appear below.

TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets to cabarets in the series are just $35 each and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at sigtheatre.org, in person at the Box Office, or by calling 703 820 9771.

All-Access passes are available for $175, and can be purchased online, by phone or in person at the Signature Theatre Box Office. The All-Access Pass allows patrons to choose any (or all) of the Cabarets for one low price.

SHOW DESCRIPTIONS & SCHEDULE

Erin Driscoll: Everything Changes

Wednesday, July 5 at 8PM

Helen Hayes Award winner Erin Driscoll returns to Signature Theatre with her sixth cabaret. Erin sings about the moments that change and define us with everything from the music of Stephen Sondheim to Adam Guettel to Sara Bareillis and more.

Me and My Baby, My Baby and Me

Thursday, July 6 at 8PM

Friday, July 7 at 7PM

There must be something in the water because all of these Signature divas are expecting! A glowing cast of mamas-to-be including Erin Driscoll, Bayla Whitten and Rachel Zampelli sing about the curses and cravings of pregnancy, motherhood and their impending bundles of joy in a baby-bumping cabaret (pickles are ice-cream not included)!

Will Gartshore: Cole & Noël & Steve

Friday, July 7 at 9PM

Saturday, July 8 at 7PM

Will Gartshore returns with his celebration of words, words, words from three of the most masterful lyricists of the musical theater. With Christopher Wingert on piano, the verses will fall trippingly off the tongue in this evening of rhythm, rhyme and repartee from the pens of Porter, Coward and Sondheim (plus a Gartshore stanza or three).

Roz White: Resist: A Revolutionary Cabaret

Saturday, July 8 at 9PM

Songbirds: Great Women of Jazz cast member Roz White creates an intimate evening of songs and legendary stories from some of music's most revolutionary female artists including Sister Rosetta Thorpe, Alberta Hunter, Abbey Lincoln, Roberta Flack and Nina Simone.

Delores King Williams: Mancini, Mercer and Manilow - Oh My!

Tuesday, July 11 at 8PM

They wrote the songs that made the whole world sing! Delores King Williams and Howard Breitbart celebrate the music of Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer and Barry Manilow. From iconic movie music to Broadway showstoppers to huge pop hits, their songs have become a part of our lives with classics such as "Moon River," "Accentuate the Positive" and "Weekend in New England."

Kevin McAllister: Songs I Never Get to Sing

Wednesday, July 12 at 8PM

Through a collection of personal stories about self-identity and songs that he has no business singing, Titanic's Kevin McAllister takes a comedic musical journey of bad judgments, opportunities missed, and all the creative ways he's been told "No." Featuring music from artists including: Joni Mitchell, One Republic, Gloria Estefan, John Legend and even Kanye West.

Urban Arias: Scenes, not Screens!

Thursday, July 13 at 8 PM

UrbanArias presents a wildly entertaining evening of opera like you've never seen it. Featuring Service Provider, a comedy about how you really need to turn off your cell phone during dinner, and "opera improv" - musical skits created on the spot based on your suggestions! Starring Melissa Wimbish, Ian McEuen, and Jeffrey Gates.

Nova Y. Payton: Songs I Love

Friday, July 14 at 7PM

Friday, July 14 at 9PM

Octave-smasher Nova Y. Payton brings down the roof again with an electric solo cabaret. Nova shares share some of her favorite songs in an eclectic evening with something for everyone.

Bob McDonald: And the Oscar Goes To...

Saturday, July 15 at 7PM

Saturday, July 15 at 9PM

Sizzlin' Summer Nights annual favorite Bob McDonald takes you to the movies with this program of classic songs from tinsel town. Tony Nalker joins on piano.

The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington: Let's Misbehave!

Tuesday, July 18 at 8PM

Soloists from the Gay Men's Chorus tell their fun, entertaining, and sometimes salacious stories of misbehaving. Songs include "I'm Everybody's Boy," "My Stupid Mouth," and "He Never Did that Before."

Matthew Schleigh & Jessica Lauren Ball: Falling Slowly

Wednesday, July 19 at 8PM

Married couple Matthew Schleigh and Jessica Lauren Ball sing their favorite duets in a quirky soundtrack of their life together. Featuring a mix of Broadway classics, indie rock and pop hits, plus Matthew's special wedding song written exclusively for his bride.

Liam Forde: A Jubilee

Thursday, July 20 at 8PM

Hand to God Helen Hayes Award Winner Liam Forde brings his trademark zaniness and musicality to Signature. With songs by Kay Thompson, Cy Coleman, Noel Coward, Ben Folds and BrIan Wilson, plus original songs and arrangements by Forde, this is sure to be a fête you won't forget! Sponsored by Mike Blank.

Robbie Schaefer: Coming Home

Friday, July 21 at 7PM

Friday, July 21 at 9PM

With his trademark humor, Robbie Schaefer, songwriter and guitarist for the indie folk band Eddie From Ohio, presents songs and stories inspired by his travels around the globe (Tanzania, India, Nicaragua, Greece), interwoven with music from his first musical, Light Years, which will see its world premiere at Signature this winter.

Sam Ludwig & David Landstrom: You and Me, But Mostly Me

Saturday, July 22 at 7PM

Sam and David Are just two buddies who LOVE to talk about singing! With songs ranging from Mame to Dear Evan Hansen to Sweet Charity and even some Hozier they explore the stylistic contrast in their voices and tastes, open up about the different avenues that drew them to music, and attempt to answer the question: to riff or not to riff?

Revenge of the Understudies

Saturday, July 22 at 9PM

The understudies are back! Finally taking center stage, this season's backstage divas steal their moment in the spotlight for a cabaret of their favorite songs.

ABOUT SIGNATURE

Founded in 1989, 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. Under the leadership of co-founder and Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer and Managing Director Maggie Boland, musical theater has become 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. Called a "musical theater powerhouse" by The Washington Post, 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 51 world premiere works-including 19 new musical commissions-and is home to the single largest musical theater commissioning project in the United States, The American Music Voices Project. Attracting talent from the DC metropolitan region and New York, Signature has grown to reach more than 100,000 people annually from the Washington, DC region and beyond. Signature has won 103 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in the Washington, DC region's professional theater and has been honored with 411 nominations.

DIRECTIONS

Signature Theatre is located at 4200 Campbell Avenue (22206) off I-395 at the Shirlington exit (#6). After the exit, blue Signature signs mark the way to the Theatre. Free parking is available in two adjacent public garages. For directions visit http://www.sigtheatre.org/plan-your-visit/directions/.

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