Natascia Diaz, Nicholas Rodriguez and More Set for Signature Theatre's 2014 'Sizzlin' Summer Nights' Series, 7/9-26

Virginia's Signature Theatre opens its' air-conditioned doors once again for the annual Sizzlin' Summer Nights Series. For two and a half weeks, Signature's intimate cabaret venue hosts an eclectic mix of Signature favorites, DC-area stars, and some of New York's most exciting performers. The cabaret series runs July 9 through July 26, with a different performance each night.

Signature favorite Natascia Diaz (Signature's The Threepenny Opera, Broadway's Man of La Mancha) kicks off the series with an evening of classic hits from the 70s. Sirius XM ON BROADWAY radio host, Christine Pedi, brings her award winning show honoring the great ladies of stage and screen. Alysha Umphress (Signature's Beaches, Broadway's American Idiot and On the Town) and Nicholas Rodriguez (Broadway's Tarzan, ABC's One Life to Live) bring their own acts to the line-up, which also includes cabarets by Colleen McHugh (2014 MAC Award winner, "Best Musical Comedy Performer") and The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington DC.

Other performances include Erin Driscoll (Cloak and Dagger, The Threepenny Opera), Evan Casey (Company) and Bobby Smith (Spin), Susan Derry (Sunset Boulevard), Bob McDonald (Putting it Together), Will Gartshore (Show Boat), Florrie Bagel (the National tour of Sister Act), recording artist Tom Goss, composer Darius Smith, Stephen Gregory Smith (The Boy Detective Fails) and Maria Egler (Holiday Follies), and Galactica.

Then on July 26, 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.

Descriptions of all performers' cabarets appear below.

2014 SIZZLIN' SUMMER CABARET SCHEDULE

Natascia Diaz: Never Been Gone Wednesday, July 9 at 8:00pm

Tom Goss Thursday, July 10 at 8:00pm

Erin Driscoll's Mixtape Friday, July 11 at 7:00pm

Evan Casey & Bobby Smith: Don't You Know Who I Am? Friday, July 11 at 9:00pm

Alysha Umphress: Live in Shirleyvegas! Saturday, July 12 at 7:00pm

Alysha Umphress: Live in Shirleyvegas! Saturday, July 12 at 9:00pm

Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC: Like a Virgin Tuesday, July 15 at 8:00pm

Christine Pedi: Great Dames Wednesday, July 16 at 8:00pm

Nicholas Rodriguez: The First Time... Thursday, July 17 at 8:00pm

Colleen McHugh: Shades of Green Friday, July 18 at 7:00pm

Colleen McHugh: Early Barbra: Streisand in the 60s Friday, July 18 at 9:00pm

Susan Derry: A View from the Top Saturday, July 19 at 7:00pm

Special Agent Galactica with Peter Fields Saturday, July 19 at 9:00pm

Songs in the Key of...: The Music of Darius Smith Tuesday, July 22 at 8:00pm

Bob McDonald: Bob on Broadway: CD Release Party Wednesday, July 23 at 8:00pm

Bob McDonald: Bob on Broadway: CD Release Party Thursday, July 24 at 8:00pm

Will Gartshore Friday, July 25 at 7:00pm

Florrie Bagel: Everything Bagel Friday, July 25 at 9:00pm

Good Times: A TV Theme Song Cabaret Saturday, July 26 at 7:00pm

Revenge of the Understudies Saturday, July 26 at 9:00pm

Individual tickets to cabarets in the series are just $25 each and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at signature-theatre.org, in person at the Box Office, or by calling 703 820 9771.

All-Access passes are available for $150, and can only be purchased through the Box Office by phone or in person. The All-Access Pass allows patrons to see all the cabarets at no additional cost.

All tickets are general admission.

MORE ABOUT THE SHOWS...

Natascia Diaz: Never Been Gone

Come out and take a relieving soul bath in the soothing sounds of the 70s! Eager to visit these gorgeous classics for a long time now, Natasica offers up her voice through selected songs by Carole King, Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell and Don McLean. Join Natascia with Shayna Blass on backup and William Yanesh on piano as they kick off 2014 Sizzlin Summer Series right; by takin' it back. The melodies, stories and lyricism in the music of this era have a poignancy and simplicity that will bring you right back...as if they'd Never Been Gone.

Tom Goss

An evening of storytelling and song from DC's own, gay singer-songwriter. Known for his songs and videos about love, loss, hope and beauty. Tom's unique perspective brings a refreshing voice in an industry where the status quo is often upheld.

Erin Driscoll's Mixtape

Helen Hayes Award Winner Erin Driscoll (Cloak and Dagger, The Threepenny Opera), presents the defining songs of her youth in this eclectic cabaret. Driscoll and William Yanesh (Signature's The Last Five Years) explore Springsteen, Sondheim, Benatar and Lloyd Webber. Filled with Broadway and pop, discover the tunes that helped shape Signature's favorite petite powerhouse.

Evan Casey & Bobby Smith: Don't You Know Who I Am?

World-renowned thespians Bobby Smith and Evan Casey step away from the limelight and clamoring paparazzi to share their complaints, mingle with the littles and wonder why they don't get comped more dinners at nice restaurants. Accompanied by the award-winning Lenny Williams, it is an evening sure to be remembered by at least the two guys performing it.

Alysha Umphress: Live in Shirleyvegas!

Alysha made her Signature debut this past winter as Cee Cee Bloom in Beaches and is thrilled to be back this summer to sing all her favorites. The evening will feature a mix of tunes ranging from Classic Broadway to Classic Rock, all with Umphress' unique jazz/pop spin. This will be Ms. Umphress' last solo show before she steps into the role of Hildy in the new Broadway revival of On the Town.

Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC: Like a Virgin

The fabulous men of the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington share intriguing, heartbreaking, funny and transformative first-time experiences through story and song.

Christine Pedi: Great Dames

In her award winning show Great Dames, Christine Pedi (Newsical, Long time Forbidden Broadway Diva & Sirius XM ON BROADWAY radio host) lovingly honors the great ladies of the stage and screen through comic song, satire, heartfelt ballads and spot-on impressions, making it one of Broadwayworld.com's "Top Ten Theatrical Moments of the Year."

* Sponsored by Mike Blank

Nicholas Rodriguez: The First Time...

You always remember your first time...best known as Nick Chavez on ABC's One Life to Live, award-winning actor and vocalist Nicholas Rodriguez explores life, love and loss through an intimate evening featuring new interpretations of songs from the world of pop, jazz, folk and musical theater. He's joined by special guest star Nova Y. Payton.

Colleen McHugh: Shades of Green

Envy, springtime, naivete, Ireland, money... it's not easy being GREEN. Colleen McHugh (2014 MAC Award winner, "Best Musical Comedy Performer") brings her powerhouse vocals and original comedy and improvisation to this musical examination of many shades of green, with songs by Irving Berlin, Joe Raposo, Sammy Cahn, Burt Bacharach, Ashman & Menken, Frank Loesser, Michel Legrand and more.

Colleen McHugh: Early Barbra: Streisand in the 60s

Second City alum Colleen McHugh (2014 MAC Award winner, "Best Musical Comedy Performer") celebrates Barbra Streisand's early career. The all-new show covers Streisand's earliest successes performing in NYC nightclubs, on Broadway and her transition to Hollywood.

Susan Derry: A View from the Top

An evening of both standards and the very much unexpected from the perspective of the high-note girl.

Special Agent Galactica with Peter Fields

Special Agent Galactica, along with critically acclaimed jazz/classical guitarist, Peter Fields, weave together an intimate evening of songs, stories and a good old laugh or two. Featuring music of the Golden Age of Jazz, the bawdy Blues of Burlesque, Hollywood standards and a few rock-and-roll favorites from today, Galactica enchants with tales about her past missions, her love life, her time as a cadet, important people she's met along the way and other anecdotal gems from her life as a hired galactic assassin for the privately owned underground organization referred to only as "The Agency."

Songs in the Key of...: The Music of Darius Smith

Join composer/lyricist Darius Smith, along with Broadway friends (Amber Iman, Soul Doctor), Signature favorite Nova Y. Payton and many more for a night of new music, new lyrics, new arrangements and new sizzlin' hotness.

Bob McDonald: Bob on Broadway: CD Release Party

Bob McDonald celebrates the release of his debut CD with an evening of Broadway favorites.

Will Gartshore

DC favorite, Will Gartshore, returns to Signature Theatre for an evening of his favorite songs.

Florrie Bagel: Everything Bagel

Florrie's little Bagel-twist on songs of love, new and old. A schmear of jazz, soul and vintage flair.

Good Times: A TV Theme Song Cabaret

Let the "Good Times Roll" as Signature transports you through nostalgia and Glee to your own 7th Heaven. From M.A.S.H. to The Flintstones Signature holds the remote for a channel-surfing, fun-filled celebration of TV theme songs from then and now. Featuring Maria Egler (Signature's Sunday in the Park with George) and Stephen

Gregory Smith (Signature's The Boy Detective Fails, Hairspray).

Revenge of the Understudies

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: Recipient of the 2009 Regional Theatre Tony Award, Signature Theatre is a non-profit professional theater company in Arlington, Virginia dedicated to producing contemporary musicals and plays, reinventing classic musicals, and developing new work. Under the leadership of co-founder and Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer and Managing Director Maggie Boland, Signature has presented 42 world premiere productions, is renowned for combining Broadway-quality productions with intimate playing spaces, and is home to the largest musical theater commissioning program in the United States.

In addition to hosting the finest talent from the DC metropolitan area and New York, Signature has been home to such theater luminaries as Chita Rivera, George Hearn, Hunter Foster, Emily Skinner, Ann Reinking, Marc Kudisch, Judy Kuhn, John Kander and Fred Ebb, Cameron Mackintosh, Terrence McNally, and the company's signature composer, Stephen Sondheim. Since its founding in 1989, Signature has won 90 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in the Washington, DC region's professional theater and has been honored with 340 nominations.

Signature is partially supported by a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts and by a gift from the Arlington Cultural Affairs Division of Arlington Economic Development and the Arlington Commission for the Arts.

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 www.signature-theatre.org/getting-here.