Signature Theatre's SIMPLY SONDHEIM World Premiere Begins Tonight

Virginia's Signature Theatre presents Simply Sondheim, the world premiere special event celebrating Stephen Sondheim and Signature Theatre's special partnership over the last 25 years.

With special permission from Stephen Sondheim, this completely new revue will play tonight, April 2 - April 19 at Signature Theatre and will never be seen again. Featuring a 16 piece orchestra, with new orchestrations by Oscar, Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Jonathan Tunick (Broadway's Company, Follies and Sweeney Todd), this one time event will feature music from Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Assassins, Company, Sunday in the Park with George and many other Stephen Sondheim musicals.

The ensemble piece will feature Austin Colby (Signature's Crossing, Spin), Kellee Knighten Hough (Signature's Xanadu, Ford's Theatre's Violet), Donna Migliaccio (Signature's Kid Victory, Sunday in the Park with George), Paul Scanlan (Signature's Sunday in the Park with George, Elmer Gantry), Bobby Smith (Signature's Kid Victory, Elmer Gantry), and Stephanie Waters (Signature's Show Boat, Into the Woods).

Created by Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer (Broadway's Gigi, Follies, Million Dollar Quartet) and Broadway musical supervisor and arranger David Loud (Broadway's The Visit, Sondheim on Sondheim and Ragtime), this production will be directed and choreographed by Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature's Sunday in the Park with George, Soon).

The production begins performances at Signature Theatre's MAX Theatre tonight, April 2. It will play only two and a half weeks, through April 19.

"I can think of no better way to celebrate our 25th anniversary than with a special evening of the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim -- Signature's signature," stated Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer. "Over the past 25 years we have presented 24 productions of his musicals on our stages and this evening of songs is a fitting tribute and celebration of his brilliance."

Signature's relationship with Sondheim's work began in 1991 with Sweeney Todd, earning five Helen Hayes Awards, including Outstanding Musical. The young company followed its breakout triumph with the first regional staging of Assassins outside of New York and earned a second consecutive Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Musical. Subsequent productions include Company, Into the Woods, Passion, Sunday in the Park with George, A Stephen Sondheim Evening, A Little Night Music, Gypsy, Putting It Together, Follies, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Pacific Overtures, Merrily We Roll Along, Side by Side by Sondheim, and concerts of Saturday Night and Anyone Can Whistle.

Signature Theatre is also excited to partner with Saks Fifth Avenue on this production.

"Saks Fifth Avenue is thrilled to partner with Signature Theatre by providing the looks for the incredibly talented performers who will take the stage honoring the incomparable works of Stephen Sondheim," stated Luis Serrat VP and General Manager of Saks Fifth Avenue Chevy Chase. "It is very important to Saks to be able to "give back" to communities we have served for over 50 years by supporting the causes that are important to our clients and communities alike and we look forward to an incredible production of Simply Sondheim next month."

The creative team includes Music Supervision and Vocal Arrangements by David Loud; Music Direction by Jon Kalbfleisch (Signature's Sunday in the Park with George); Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick (Broadway's A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Follies); Costume Design by Kathleen Geldard (Signature's Kid Victory); Lighting Design by Robert Denton (Folger Theatre's Mary Stuart); Sound Design by Lane Elms (Signature's Diner, Sunday in the Park with George); Production Stage Manager Kerry Epstein; Production Assistant Becky Reed.

SIMPLY SONDHEIM features Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Co-conceived by David Loud & Eric Schaeffer, Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, Musical Supervision & Vocal Arrangements by David Loud, Directed and Choreographed by Matthew Gardiner. Two and a Half Weeks Only! Performances run April 2, 2015 - April 19, 2015. Performances play Tuesday through Sunday evenings, with matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at $40. Single tickets are available in person at the Signature Box Office at 4200 Campbell Avenue in Shirlington, by calling Ticketmaster at (703) 573-SEAT, and online at www.signature-theatre.org.

CAST BIOS:

Austin Colby SIGNATURE: Crossing, Spin, Lost Songs of Broadway: 1970s, Holiday Follies, The Break (21/24 workshop), Spin (workshop). DC AREA: Arena Stage: Smokey Joe's Cafe, Olney Theatre Center: Forever Plaid, Spring Awakening, Cinderella, Toby's Dinner Theatre: Hairspray, Legally Blonde. REGIONAL: Cortland Repertory Theatre: Joseph...Dreamcoat, White Plains Performing Arts Center: Hair, Papermill Theatre: On the Town, Smokey Joe's Café, Altar Boyz. JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY: Oklahoma!; Kiss Me, Kate; Songs for a New World; Bright Lights; Big City; I Love You Because. EDUCATION: James Madison University, 2011, Bachelor of Music with a concentration in Vocal Music Education.

Kellee Knighten Hough SIGNATURE: Xanadu (Erato); Music in the Movies II cabaret. NATIONAL TOURS: Fame the Musical. DC AREA: Olney Theatre Center: Avenue Q, Once on this Island, The Submission; Ford's Theatre: Violet, Our Town, A Christmas Carol, Parade, Presidential Gala, The Civil War (Helen Hayes Award nomination Outstanding Supporting Actress); Shakespeare Theatre: Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Rock Opera; REGIONAL: Flat Rock Playhouse: For the Glory; Merry-Go-Round Playhouse: Little Shop of Horrors; North Shore Music Theatre/Goodspeed Opera House: Abyssinia (director Stafford Arima). TV: Praise the Lord! (Live), TBN (featured soloist). OTHER: Clark Eno Orchestra (featured soloist). EDUCATION: American Musical and Dramatic Academy (NYC); Xavier University of Louisiana, BS, Biology Pre-Med (New Orleans).

Donna Migliaccio SIGNATURE: Kid Victory (Gail), Sunday in the Park with George (Old Lady/Blair Daniels), The Threepenny Opera (Mrs. Peachum), Gypsy (Mazeppa), Assassins (Sara Jane Moore), Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovett), Pacific Overtures (the Reciter), Urinetown (Pennywise), A Little Night Music (Charlotte). BROADWAY: Ragtime (Emma Goldman, 2009 revival). NATIONAL TOUR: Guys & Dolls (General Cartwright, 50th Anniversary production). DC AREA: Kennedy Center: Sunday in the Park with George (Nurse/Mrs); Ford's Theatre: Liberty Smith (Betsy Ross); Arena Stage: The Music Man (Mrs. Paroo); Olney Theatre Center: The Little Mermaid (Ursula), Cinderella (Stepmother). REGIONAL: Totem Pole Playhouse: Ruthless! (Sylvia St. Croix); Arden Theatre: The Dinosaur Musical (Mrs. Gapp/Mama Lucredzia); Theatre on the Square: Dirty Blonde (Jo/Mae West). AWARDS: two Helen Hayes Awards; an additional eleven nominations; 2005 Barrymore Award nomination. www.donnamigliaccio.com.

Paul Scanlan SIGNATURE: Elmer Gantry, Sunday in the Park with George, The Threepenny Opera, Company, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Really Really. DC AREA: Ford's Theatre: The Laramie Project; Kennedy Center: Orphie & The Book of Heroes; Round House Theatre: Fahrenheit 451; Studio 2nd Stage: The Rocky Horror Show; Keegan Theater: Spring Awakening (Helen Hayes nomination), Cabaret (Helen Hayes nomination), Hair; 1st Stage: By Jeeves; Capitol Fringe: Who's Your Baghdaddy?. EDUCATION: Catholic University.

Bobby Smith SIGNATURE: See What I Wanna See, Show Boat, Company, Spin (2014 Helen Hayes Award), The Threepenny Opera, Elmer Gantry, Kid Victory. BROADWAY: Crazy for You. OFF-BROADWAY: Forever Plaid, The World Goes 'Round, Of Thee I Sing. NATIONAL TOURS: Brigadoon, The World Goes 'Round. DC AREA: Studio Theatre: A Class Act; The Long Christmas Ride Home; Caroline, or Change; Grey Gardens; Reefer Madness; Jerry Springer: The Opera; Ford's Theatre: Elmer Gantry, Liberty Smith, 1776, A Christmas Carol, Violet; Olney Theatre Center: Little Shop of Horrors, Annie, The Sound of Music; MetroStage: Girl in the Goldfish Bowl, Musical of Musicals, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (2013 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actor in a Resident Musical), Kennedy Center: The Happy Prince, Peter and the Wolf with the NSO.

Stephanie Waters SIGNATURE: Show Boat (Magnolia), LES MISERABLES (Cosette), Into the Woods (Cinderella), A Little Night Music (Anne). BROADWAY: LES MISERABLES (Cosette). DC AREA: Ford's Theatre: A Christmas Carol; Shakespeare Theatre: Peer Gynt; Toby's Dinner Theatre: The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy, Helen Hayes Award nomination). REGIONAL: Mill Mountain Theatre: Grease (Sandy). EDUCATION/AWARDS: New York University, Political Science, Summa Cum Laude; White House Presidential Scholar; American Academy of Achievement, Inductee; YoungArts alumna.

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 46 world premiere works -- including 18 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 90 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in the Washington, DC region's professional theater and has been honored with 368 nominations.

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