James Gardiner News

Sometimes a young artist makes a big impression on an ornery arts reviewer first time out of the box. Today’s subject Adelina Mitchell did just that to me and my wife a few years ago. More on that later on in the column. Now you can see her incredible talents for yourselves from the comfort of your own home Constellation Theatre Company’s streaming presentation of The Last Five Years. The production is available from June 22nd through July 11th.

Signature Theatre has released Midnight at The Never Get, the third production in the Signature Features 2021 Season. With book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson grant winner Mark Sonnenblick, Midnight at The Never Get features the performance of a lifetime from a 1960s underground gay nightclub in Greenwich Village. 

Signature Theatre has announced the full cast and dates for Midnight at The Never Get, the third production in the Signature Features 2021 Season. With book, music & lyrics by Jonathan Larson grant winner Mark Sonnenblick, Midnight at The Never Get features the performance of a lifetime from a 1960s underground gay nightclub in Greenwich Village. 

Signature Theatre has announced the full cast and creative team for After Midnight, the fourth production in the Signature Features 2021 Season. Featuring a cast of 12, headlined by Christopher Jackson and Nova Y. Payton, After Midnight showcases 28 of the big band era’s most famous songs, all framed by the poetry of Langston Hughes. 

 Due to popular demand, Signature Theatre extends Simply Sondheim, the first production in the Signature Features 2021 Season, for three weeks, until April 16 on Marquee TV.

Signature Theatre has announced the full cast and streaming dates for Daniel J. Watts’ The Jam: Only Child, the second production in the Signature Features 2021 Season. Written and performed by Daniel J. Watts and featuring DJ Duggz, The Jam: Only Child is the fifth in Watts’ The Jam series.

Signature Theatre announces the first seven masterclasses of 2021 in its popular Thursday evening virtual masterclass series.

Signature Theatre’s flagship education program, Signature in the Schools, now in its 26th year, has released the world premiere filmed production, Here’s the Deal. Written by Caleen Sinnette Jennings and directed by Signature’s Education Director David Zobell, Here’s the Deal features a cast and crew of 32 students, alongside Felicia Curry.

As the pandemic wears on I have been thinking about what I am going to miss as spring approaches. Certain things such as being able to view the cherry blossoms in person, giving directions to the National Zoo as a lost tourist stands in front of a sign saying “Zoo this way” are just two examples.

We all remember back in the day (meaning before mid-March 2020) when we would gather in a theatre, wait for the house lights to dim and hear the first notes from a live orchestra played. Since that time, theatre companies have found some very inventive ways to present plays in the new medium of streaming pandemic theatre. Presenting musicals however are always more of a challenge because of the number of people allowed in a space at any one time due to COVID-19 restrictions. Signature Theatre has solved that problem and is now presenting Simply Sondheim the first in their five show Signature Features subscription series.

Today, Signature Theatre releases Simply Sondheim, the first production in the Signature Features 2021 Season. Starring 12 singers and an orchestra of 16, Simply Sondheim includes over 30 songs from the composer's canon, and was filmed over the course of three days in Signature's MAX Theatre with multiple safety protocols in place.

The Center for the Arts at George Mason University announced spring 2021 programming updates during a pre-recorded video announcement, Thursday, January 28 at 7 p.m.

Signature Theatre's Simply Sondheim, the first production in the Signature Features 2021 Season, takes place next month. Get a sneak peek at the show, featuring Awa Sal Secka perform 'Now You Know'! 

Signature Theatre has announced the full cast and streaming dates for Simply Sondheim, the first production in the Signature Features 2021 Season. Starring 12 singers and an orchestra of 16, Simply Sondheim includes over 30 songs from the composer’s canon, and was filmed over the course of three days.

Music has always been able to get us through the most turbulent times in this nation's history. With the ongoing pandemic and all the other craziness that is happening right now, Signature Theatre gives us Signature Vinyl. It's a cinematic concert experience that will make you forget everything in the world for a little while as some of Signature's top performers put their spin (no pun intended) on some classics from the 60's and 70's.

Signature Theatre's cinematic concert Signature Vinyl is now available for streaming. This fully-produced, 80 minute professionally filmed experience features 26 local singers and musicians, and was safely filmed at several outdoor locations across the DC area.

Signature Theatre has announced the new cinematic concert Signature Vinyl. This fully-produced, professionally filmed experience features 26 local singers and musicians, and was safely filmed at several outdoor locations across the DC area.

On June 21st the DC theatre community took a punch in the gut as our incredibly talented Musical Director, Pianist, Orchestra Contractor, Educator, and friend George Fulginiti-Shakar passed away after a long illness at age 73.

Many theatres around the world have started engaging their audiences with lots of digital content since the COVID-19 pandemic started back in March. Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA  has taken the idea of digital content and has kicked it up  many notches. They were the first area company  to stream one of their productions with Easy Women Smoking Loose Cigarettes. The play was shuttered mid-run.

On this day in 2008, Glory Days had its opening night on Broadway, and subsequently joined just a handful of musicals in history to post a closing notice on the same night.