"More Hot Pies!" Cry Critics at Signature Theatre's Sweeney Todd
Signature Theatre's 20th anniversary production of Sondheim's musical thriller Sweeney Todd is sending chills down the spines of audience members and critics alike now through April 4 at Signature's MAX Theatre.

See why everyone's dishing about this delectably dark musical comedy - and then rush out to buy your tickets by clicking here or calling Signature's Box Office at 703-820-9771:

"A bloody brilliant valentine! Edward Gero's Sweeney is jarring and unforgettable and Sherri L. Edelen is a delicious guilty pleasure."
- Metro Weekly


Sherri L. Edelen and Edward Gero. Photo: Scott Suchman.

"Gleefully bloody. Edward Gero impressively inhabits his role."
- DCist.com


Edward Gero. Photo: Scott Suchman.

"A full-throated Sweeney; roaring in-the-raw production, carnivorous and fierce! Edward Gero brings depth and darkness to the role; Erin Driscoll is a workaday miracle; and Chris Sizemore will send shivers down your spine."
- DCTheatrescene.com


Erin Driscoll. Photo: Scott Suchman.

"Sherri L. Edelen is a revelation!"
- Washington City Paper


Sherri L. Edelen. Photo: Scott Suchman.

"Signature's Sweeney captures the threat and thrill of this great Sondheim show. Sherri L. Edelen is amusing and gloriously intriguing, and Sam Ludwig is magnetic."
- The Washington Post


Sam Ludwig. Photo: Scott Suchman.

"An amazing ensemble. Their voices will send goose bumps down your spine."
- Broadwayworld.com


Gregory Maheu. Photo: Scott Suchman.

"Excellent. With thrills and laughs mixed into a combustible brew."
- Theatermania.com


Edward Gero and Chris Van Cleave. Photo: Scott Suchman.

Don't miss out on the chance to see this chillingly gothic musical masterpiece. Now through April 4!

Buy your tickets soon - people are dying to get in. Click here or call 703-820-9771.

Sweeney Todd is sponsored by the HRH Foundation with additional support by Tony Garro and Scaffold Resource.

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Signature Sings: 2000 - 2004 Ladies Choice!
Starting next week, From March 9 through March 14, SIGNATURE SINGS: 2000-2004 LADIES CHOICE! will feature these four fabulous female singing sensations singing songs from Signature shows from 2000 to 2004:

Priscilla Cuellar SIGNATURE: Saving Aimee, Assassins, My Fair Lady, Into the Woods, Highest Yellow (u/s Judy Kuhn); Cabaret Series: December Divas II, Kander & Ebb Overtures, Lost Song of Broadway Volume 1, Overtures Emerging Voices, Emerging Artists Cabaret (Music of Matt Connor). DC AREA: Olney: Big River; Metro Stage: Stephen Schwartz Project (World Premiere); Imagination Stage: Seussical, Twice Upon a Time;Toby's: Little Shop of Horrors; Adventure Theatre: Miguelito's Journey, Little of Witch of Witchita, Ferdinand the Bull.

 

 

Bligh Voth LONDON: RADA: The Merchant of Venice. DC AREA: Ford's Theatre: The Civil War; Studio Theater SecondStage: Jerry Springer: the Opera, Reefer Madness; Kennedy Center Millennium Stage: Blonde Ambish cabaret; MetroStage: Cabar-yay!; Catholic University: Candide, This Time: An Original Song Cycle. REGIONAL: Boston Conservatory: Rocky Horror Picture Show. EDUCATION: The Boston Conservatory.

Bayla Whitten SIGNATURE: December Divas II Cabaret, Merrily We Roll Along (Beth). LONDON: West End: Les Misérables (Ensemble/Fantine). REGIONAL: Hurricane (Rose Silva), A Concert Tribute to Irving Berlin, Christmas Carol 1941, In The Ebb, No One in the World (Gayla). WORKSHOPS: The Lord of the Rings, Best Friends and Butterflies, Tamar. TRAINING: Royal Academy of Music; London School of Musical Theater. www.baylawhitten.com.

 

Lauren Williams SIGNATURE: Into the Woods (Little Red, Helen Hayes nomination), My Fair Lady, The Happy Time, Nevermore, Allegro, Forum (Philia, Helen Hayes nomination). DC AREA: Kennedy Center: For the Love of Goldfish, The Phantom Tollbooth; Studio Theatre SecondStage: Reefer Madness, Dog Sees God (Ensemble, Helen Hayes nomination); Rep Stage: God's Ear, Butterfinger's Angel; Adventure Theatre: You're a Good Man Charlie Brown.

 

Here is a sneak peek of some of the songs you'll hear*:

"I Want To Go To Hollywood" from Grand Hotel
"Sugar Daddy" from Hedwig and The Angry Inch
"Simply Little Things" from 110 In The Shade
"The Gentleman Is a Dope" from Allegro
"Back In Business" from Putting It Together
"If Mama Was Married" from Gypsy

With other unforgettable songs from Gypsy, Floyd Collins, Putting It Together, Grand Hotel, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, 110 In the Shade, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Allegro, Elegies, and Side Show.

Tickets are just $33! Call 703 820 9771 or click here to get your tickets.

*Song list subject to change.

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Sondheim Birthday Celebration Weekend: March 20 and 21
Composer / lyricist Stephen Sondheim celebrates his 80th birthday this March 22, and in honor of Signature's "signature" composer, we have a full weekend of events planned:

  • Sweeney Experience Auction Be a part of the show! Participate during our online auction for a chance to be onstage during a performance of Sweeney Todd. If you are the winner of our Sweeney Experience auction, you will have a walk-on role in costume during the Sunday matinee performance on March 21st. Bidding for this begins today, March 4th, and ends on March 14th. The highest bidder wins the chance to buy some Pirelli's Miracle Elixir! Bidding begins at $500.
    Click here starting today, to bid for the chance of a lifetime!
  • Sondheim Award Gala Raffle Purchase a $20 raffle ticket for the opportunity to win the chance for two to attend Signature's black tie gala at the Embassy of Italy on April 12th, 2010. The evening of cocktails, dinner and performances will pay tribute to stage, screen, and television legend Angela Lansbury, the first recipient of the Sondheim Award.
    Raffle tickets are available at the Signature gift shop in the Mead Lobby before performances and during intermissions or through our Box Office at 703-820-9771.
    The winner of a pair of Gala tickets will be drawn at Signature on March 21 but need not be present to win. Winners will be contacted by phone on March 22.
  • Signature's Gallery will be presenting a special exhibition on Stephen Sondheim in the Mead Lobby through the run of Sweeney Todd.

FREE EVENTS ON SATURDAY, MARCH 20:

  • BACKSTAGE SONDHEIM: Noon at the Mead Lobby
    Get an exclusive 30-minute backstage tour of the Sweeney Todd set by Production Stage Manager Kerry Epstein.
  • THE SONDHEIM INFLUENCE: 12:30pm in the ARK
    A short film on Sondheim followed by a discussion on Sondheim with Washington Post critic Peter Marks and NPR's Bob Mondello, moderated by Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer.
  • ISN'T IT RICH?: 1pm in the Mead Lobby
    Signature favorites sing Sondheim in the Mead Lobby before the 2pm performance of Sweeney Todd.
  • SONDHEIM CINEMA: In the Shirlington Library
    Noon – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
    2pm – Gypsy
  • BEHIND SONDHEIM: 5pm in the ARK
    A post-show discussion with the cast of Sweeney Todd
  • ISN'T IT RICH?: 7pm in the Mead Lobby
    Signature favorites sing Sondheim in the Mead Lobby before the 8pm performance of Sweeney Todd.

FREE EVENTS ON SUNDAY, MARCH 21:

  • WHAT IS IT ABOUT SONDHEIM?: 12:45pm in the ARK
    Signature actors discuss what it is about Sondheim's music that they love to perform.
  • ISN'T IT RICH?: 1pm in the Mead Lobby
    Signature favorites sing Sondheim in the Mead Lobby before the 2pm performance.
  • SONDHEIM CINEMA: In the Shirlington Library
    2pm – West Side Story
  • MUSICALLY SONDHEIM: 5pm in the ARK
    Mark Horowitz, Music Specialist from the Library of Congress, discusses the Sondheim collection and its surprises.
  • ISN'T IT RICH?: 6pm in the Mead Lobby
    Signature favorites sing Sondheim in the Mead Lobby before the 7pm performance.
  • HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEVE!: 10pm in the Mead Lobby
    Join in singing and celebrating as we cut the birthday cake and celebrate the great works of Sondheim with a lobby sing-along. Cash bar.

Join us as we celebrate and honor the work and life of a man who has transformed the face of American musical theater.

Click here for updates.

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Music and Mayhem at Signature: Subscribe Today for 2010-2011
Next season, Signature turns 21, which means we're legal! We're still celebrating our 20th Anniversary as well as the Regional Theatre Tony Award®, and we're going to carry the party forward with a new season of music and mayhem! The 2010-2011 season promises to be the talk of the town with the funniest comedies and the best musicals in Washington.

Just as we brought you the revolutionary new production of Les Miserables last season, our 2010-2011 season features an unprecedented event: the Washington premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony Award®-winning musical Sunset Blvd. The MAX Theatre will be transformed into Paramount Studios as we feature the original Broadway orchestrations, played by a 20-piece orchestra and an amazing 18-member cast, bringing this seven time Tony®-winning musical to Washington for the first time. It will be the musical event of the year -- and the only way to guarantee your seat is to subscribe!

But that's just the beginning: We'll also present an exciting production of Chess, the cult musical by the writers of Mamma Mia! and The Lion King. Add to that two world premiere comedies: Washington favorite Ken Ludwig's A Fox on the Fairway, directed by John Rando, the Tony®-winning director of Broadway's Urinetown; and Signature favorite Joseph Calarco's new comedy Walter Cronkite Is Dead.

And we're not finished yet! Signature's American Musical Voices Project brings us the world premiere of Joe Thalken's backstage musical comedy Wheatley's Folly, plus we'll produce Tony Award®-winning comedy Art and, of course, Signature's "signature," Sondheim -- a brand new production of the great revue Side by Side by Sondheim. We also have five fantastic cabarets planned, from Julia Nixon and Katie Thompson (Vashti in last year's Giant) to the Lost Songs of Broadway and more. It's a season like none other and we want you to be part of it!

Audiences have spoken: with everything happening in the outside world, you want entertainment and you want laughs! Escape to Signature: select the seven-play package and get the best seats for a price that includes a special $35 discount per subscription -- or make your own play package with three or more great choices.

Click here for more information on our upcoming season.

It's easy to subscribe - access our subscription form by clicking here. You can mail in your completed form, fax it to 703 820 7790 or email it to subscriptions@signature-theatre.org – or simply call our Box Office at 703 820 9771 and let us take care of everything!

We're very excited about another great season -- and we can't wait to welcome you back for a year of music and mayhem!

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Meet the Cast of [title of show]
[title of show], the hilarious musical comedy about writing a musical comedy begins next month, April 6, at Signature.

And yes – that is the show title!

[title of show] is a witty new musical written by two struggling writers about two struggling writers writing a witty new musical. Faced with a submission deadline, Jeff and Hunter can't decide what to write about. With friends Susan and Heidi (and Larry on the piano), they come up with a solution - write about what to write about. Are you dizzy yet? [title of show] is a love letter to musical theater – a can't-miss for those who know Broadway… or want to know Broadway… or just want to get a glimpse into the creative process of putting together a show for Broadway!

Learn more about the cast of this fictional "true" tale:

Erin Driscoll (Heidi) SIGNATURE: Sweeney Todd, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, The Witches of Eastwick, Into the Woods, Assassins (Helen Hayes Award, Best Musical), Urinetown (2006 Helen Hayes Award, Outstanding Actress). DC AREA: Ford's Theatre: A Christmas Carol; Olney: Cinderella, Anything Goes; Round House Theatre: A Year with Frog and Toad; Kennedy Center: Regina with Patti LuPone (Alexandra Cover). REGIONAL: Arden Theatre: A Year with Frog and Toad, Candide; John W. Engeman Theatre, Long Island: Jekyll and Hyde. EDUCATION: BM, James Madison University. AWARDS: 2006 Roger Sturtevant Award.

James Gardiner (Hunter) SIGNATURE: 21/24 Workshop: The Boy Detective Fails (Fenton), Les Misérables (Helen Hayes Award, Outstanding Ensemble), Anyone Can Whistle in Concert (George), Kiss of the Spider Woman (Gabriel), Merrily We Roll Along (Tyler, perf. Franklin Shepard u/s), The Witches of Eastwick (Michael Spofford), Saving Aimee. BROADWAY: Glory Days (book writer). DC AREA: Library of Congress: West Side Story: 50th Anniversary Concert; Olney: Call of the Wild (Buck); Woolly Mammoth/UM: The Distance From Here (Darrell); Kennedy Center: The Phantom Tollbooth (Mathemagician), The Brand New Kid (Lazlo); Round House: A Prayer for Owen Meany (Buzzy); Studio: Dog Sees God (Beethoven). REGIONAL: Williamstown Theatre Festival: Home Free! (Lawrence), This is a Chair. FILM: Boys (Kellogg Curry Jr.). EDUCATION: University of Maryland, BA, Theatre; Overtures 2003, 2004.

Sam Ludwig (Jeff) SIGNATURE: Sweeney Todd (Tobias), Show Boat, The Hollow (21/24 Workshop)(Ichabod), A Fox on the Fairway Workshop(Justin), Partial Eclipse, Curveball Workshop (Ludwig), Les Misérables. DC AREA: Olney: Big River (Huck), 1776 (Courier); Theatre J: The Playdoh Golem Workshop (Sam); Toby's: La Cage Aux Folles (Jean-Michele), Titanic the Musical (Barrett).

Jenna Sokolowski (Susan) SIGNATURE: Urinetown (2006 Helen Hayes Award), Allegro. DC AREA: Woolly Mammoth Theatre: Antebellum, She Stoops to Comedy; Round House Theatre: Eurydice; Studio Theatre: Grey Gardens, Ivanov, Prometheus Bound; Olney Theatre: Fiddler on the Roof, Cinderella; Everyman Theatre: Candida; Folger Theatre: The Clandestine Marriage; Shakespeare Theatre: The Rivals; Theatre of the First Amendment: numerous productions, including: Odyssey of Telemaca, Lift: Icarus and Me; The Kennedy Center: numerous productions, including: The Teddy Roosevelt Musicals, Chasing George Washington, As You Like It. REGIONAL: Totem Pole Playhouse: You Say Tomatoes, I Hate Hamlet; Lime Kiln Theatre: Fair and Tender Ladies. EDUCATION: Syracuse University, BFA Musical Theatre, Magna Cum Laude.

[title of show] runs from April 6 through June 27, 2010.

Click here for tickets or call the Signature Theatre Box Office at 703-820-9771.

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Don't Miss Signature's 2010 Sondheim Award Gala


Monday, April 12, 2010 at The Embassy of Italy

Tickets On Sale Now – and going fast!

This one-night-only black tie dinner will honor
Angela Lansbury

and feature musical tribute performances by Broadway and Signature Favorites:
Jason Danieley
Sherri L. Edelen
Victor Garber
Marin Mazzie

Visit the Gala page of Signature's website for more information. Click here to download a reply form or contact Development Manager Emily Hill at (571) 527-1828 or events@signature-theatre.org.

Tickets start at $650 and a portion of your donation is considered tax deductible.

Don't miss this exclusive
Signature event!

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Virginia Hospital Center Foundation Hosts a Benefit at Signature!
All are invited to support Virginia Hospital Center Foundation for their first annual benefit, A Signature Evening, on Friday, March 19 from 6:30pm – 10:30pm.

A ticket to the evening is $150 and will include:

  • Pre-Show Reception and small plate Dinner
  • 6:30pm Performance of Sweeney Todd
  • 8:00pm Post-Show dessert with cast

Order your tickets online here, or by calling the Foundation 703-717-4438. Tickets to the event will not be available through Signature's Box Office or Ticketmaster.

Sponsorship opportunities for this event are available by contacting Michele Werner, Director of Development at the Virginia Hospital Center Foundation at 703-558-5476.

Want to host a benefit for your cause at Signature? Call Special Events Manager Jackie Carl at 571-527-1831 to find out about future opportunities.

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