MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, Laura Benanti and More Set for Signature Theatre 2026-2027 Season
The season will also feature The Secret Garden, Urinetown and more.
Signature Theatre has revealed its 2026-2027 Season. The 37th season features six musicals and two plays, including a world premiere musical, a regional premiere musical, and a DC premiere play. The 2026-2027 season will also feature two Sondheim productions, bringing the total of Signature-produced Sondheim musicals to 37, with all new productions of Merrily We Roll Along (August 25 – November 1, 2026) and Follies (May 18 – June 20, 2027). Both productions will be directed by Signature Theatre Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner, the latter in an exciting co-production with Shakespeare Theatre Company. More information on the 2026-2027 Season is now available.
Signature kicks off the 2026-2027 season in the MAX Theatre with Merrily We Roll Along (August 25 – November 1, 2026), Stephen Sondheim's masterwork about friendship, ambition and the compromises that shape a life. Based on the original play by George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart and featuring a book by George Furth (Company, The Act), the production will be directed and choreographed by Signature Theatre Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature’s Pippin, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) with music direction by Jon Kalbfleisch (Signature’s Pippin, Fiddler on the Roof). Merrily We Roll Along will star Jason Gotay (Broadway’s Floyd Collins, HBO’s Gossip Girl) as Franklin Shepard, Jake Loewenthal (Signature’s Fiddler on the Roof, Private Jones) as Charley Kringas, and Awa Sal Secka (Signature’s Pippin, Arena Stage’s Chez Joey) as Mary Flynn. Told in reverse chronological order, the musical follows three longtime friends as they navigate idealism, loyalty and disappointment over the course of twenty years. The successes and failures of their adulthoods unwind as the cynicism of age erases back to the glowing optimism of youth. Crackling with wit and a rich musical score, Sondheim’s gem features the gorgeous songs “Our Time,” “Good Thing Going,” and “Not a Day Goes By.”
In the ARK Theatre, Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner will direct the regional premiere of Adam Gwon’s (Ordinary Days, Cake Off) new musical All the World’s a Stage (October 20 – December 20, 2026), a moving story about embracing who you are and the life-saving power of art by one of contemporary musical theater’s most exciting voices. The production will be music directed by Marika Countouris (Signature’s Safety Not Guaranteed, Hedwig and the Angry Inch). In 1996, a closeted high school math teacher agrees to mentor a student for a theater competition. Both outsiders in their small-town community, their exploration of Angels in America unsettles the town’s delicate balance, and the vise of intolerance begins to tighten, twisting their lives in unexpected ways. A deeply human tale with an expressive score, All The World’s a Stage is a rallying cry for authenticity and a touching tribute to all the teachers whose selfless courage uplifts and changes us all.
This holiday season, Lucy Simon (Doctor Zhivago) and Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman’s (‘night, Mother, The Color Purple) Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of the classic Victorian novel The Secret Garden (December 8, 2026 – February 21, 2027) receives a gorgeous new production shaped for Signature's intimate stage. Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the production will be directed by Signature Theatre Associate Artistic Director Ethan Heard (Signature’s What Became of Us, Hedwig and the Angry Inch) with choreography by Kelly Crandall d’Amboise (Signature’s The Bridges of Madison County, She Loves Me) and music direction by William Yanesh (Signature’s Fiddler on the Roof, Ford’s Theater’s Sister Act). After losing her parents, 11-year-old Mary is sent to live with a wealthy, reclusive uncle she’s never met. As she explores the manor on the wild hills of England’s moors, Mary unearths many secrets, from the haunted inhabitants to the magic of a dormant garden. Sadness fades with the blossoms of spring as Mary’s determination to revive the garden’s beauty transforms the entire household. Enchanting and heartfelt, with a radiant score, including songs “Lily’s Eyes,” “Come to My Garden” and “How Could I Ever Know,” The Secret Garden is a life-affirming testament that seasons of loss will one day bloom into joy.
Up next in the ARK, Signature will produce the DC premiere of playwright Ngozi Anyanwu’s (The Homecoming Queen, Good Grief) The Monsters (February 2 – March 21, 2027), a poignant, funny, and tender story of sibling rivalry and devotion directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene (Studio Theatre’s The Scenarios, Roundabout Theatre Company’s Covenant). When his little sister unexpectedly shows up at his door after 16 years, a mixed martial artist decides to take her in and eventually train her to become the next big fighter. However, when her skills progress and she develops her own ideas of the sport and its darker underside, it upsets their longstanding dynamic outside of the ring. As they fight with and for each other, the siblings grapple with hidden selves, loss and finding the strength it takes to let go in a knockout bout to become each other’s ultimate champion.
Signature will present its 62nd world premiere production this spring, a humorous and heartwarming musical meditation from the award-winning singer and songwriter Benjamin Scheuer (The Lion). Directed by Séimí Campbell (London Palladium’s Songs for a New World) and starring the musical’s author, A Mountain for Elodie (March 23 – April 25, 2027) chronicles Scheuer’s journey after the success of The Lion, from enjoying rockstar triumphs, meeting the love of his life, enduring fertility struggles and celebrating the birth of their daughter, Elodie. With every strum of his guitar, Scheuer’s lilting tenor weaves the joys and tribulations of career, marriage and fatherhood – and the game of juggling it all – into a soaring melody of unconditional love. Scheuer explores every complicated emotion: anxiety, impatience, love, astonishment and grief in this eloquent, moving and whimsical ode to the unpredictable, yet beautiful, mess that is life.
Our final ARK production this season will be Latin History for Morons (April 27 – June 13, 2027), a hilarious in-your-face show about pride and heritage written by comedic legend John Leguizamo (Freak, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar) and featuring Emmy and Drama Desk nominated actor Brian Quijada (Off-Broadway's Mexodus, Roundabout Theatre Company’s Bobbie Clearly). After his son experiences racially motivated bullying, “Professor” John sets out to teach real Latin history – what they didn’t teach you in school. His chaotic, revelatory and ribald lecture spans the Americas, from the Mayan pyramids through the conquistador destruction through Latine contributions in the United States. However, when things get worse for his son at school, John flails as he desperately tries to connect with his child and culture. With a chalkboard, some props and unapologetic physical comedy, this energetic and playful tour-de-force bolsters pride as it challenges preconceptions of what it means to be American.
Signature will close out the season with a production of the Tony Award-winning satirical musical Urinetown (June 1 – August 8, 2027). This smart, sardonic and engrossing musical comedy returns to Signature in a brand-new production. In Urinetown (the musical) the people can’t pee for free. A severe water shortage means the poor masses must pay exorbitant fees to a corporation to use the toilet or risk being exiled. However, when young Bobby Strong rebels against the corrupt powers-that-be, the entire system goes singing and dancing down the pipes. Featuring music & lyrics by Mark Hollmann and book & lyrics by Greg Kotis, Urinetown skewers and spoofs everything from capitalism to musical comedy itself in an enthralling and absorbing experience.
In an exciting co-production between Signature Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company, Stephen Sondheim’s sumptuous and sophisticated masterpiece Follies (May 18 – June 20, 2027) glitters on the Harman Hall stage directed by Signature Theatre Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner with music direction by Jon Kalbfleisch. In 1971, a chorus of former showgirls return to their theatre to take one last look where it all began – when everything was possible, and nothing made sense. Surrounded by the glamorous ghosts of their past selves, they reminisce and face regrets as reality and memory begin to blur in ways both dazzling and devastating. With an epic cast of 32 and 14-piece orchestra, Sondheim’s incomparable score, including “Broadway Baby,” “I’m Still Here” and “Losing My Mind,” shines in spectacular style like you’ve never seen it before.
Signature’s Cabaret Series will kick off this summer with Respect: Aretha Franklin (August 11 – August 30, 2026) as the incomparable Nova Y. Payton puts her dynamic spin on Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin’s greatest hits. Up next, "Everything's Coming Up Roses" as chanteuse Tracy Lynn Olivera toasts the transcendent leading ladies from the Golden Age of Broadway in Something Wonderful: Broadway’s Leading Ladies (September 8 – September 20, 2026). And finally, Signature closes out its 2026-2027 cabaret season with Bad Reputation: Women Who Rock (June 22 – July 11, 2027), celebrating the pulsing sound of women rock stars from Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Janis Joplin to Joan Jett and Tina Turner.
Signature’s 2026-2027 season also includes a special engagement of Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares (April 27 – May 2, 2027). Direct from an acclaimed run at Edinburgh Fringe and two sold-out Off-Broadway engagements comes Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, a one-woman comedy show from the mind of Tony Award® winner Laura Benanti, with songs co-written with Todd Almond. Known for her dazzling Broadway performances and razor-sharp wit, Benanti takes the stage to share her hilarious, heartfelt, and sometimes brutally honest takes on motherhood, people-pleasing, and the joys of aging. Blending side-splitting storytelling with original songs, New York Times Critic's Pick Nobody Cares is a love letter to recovering ingénues, mothers, and anybody working on themselves.
Signature’s Education programming includes the 32nd year of Signature in the Schools, an award-winning arts education program provided for free to schools across northern Virginia. This season’s play, written by Helen Hayes Award-winning playwright Dani Stoller, is a chilling look at the effects of censorship and the power of art as seen through the lens of Nazi book burnings during the Second World War. Performances of Signature in the Schools will take place from February 5 – February 15, 2027. This fall will see the continued expansion of programming in Signature’s Education Studios and the return of popular programs such as Signature Conservatory, SigWorks in the Schools, and the Arlington Fine Arts Apprentices. Fall classes will include theater making for elementary school students, musical theatre skills for middle schoolers, dance technique for actors, beginning scene study for actors, and dance for adults of all levels.
Signature offers flexible subscription options for the 2026-2027 season. Season Subscription packages are now on sale for both mainstage productions and the cabaret series. Custom packages for mainstage productions can be created for 3-, 4-, 5-, 6- or the full 7-show season. Season subscription package prices begin at $211 including all subscription fees. Benefits of subscribing include first choice of seats, savings over individual ticket prices, and discounts on extra tickets. Cabaret Series subscriptions are $150 for all 3 cabarets. Follies and Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares are currently available as add-ons to any subscription package.
Single tickets for the entire season will go on sale mid-summer. Please note that single tickets for Follies can only be purchased through Shakespeare Theatre Company.
SIGNATURE THEATRE’S 2026-2027 SEASON LISTINGS
Merrily We Roll Along
August 25 – November 1, 2026
MAX Theatre
Directed by Matthew Gardiner, Sondheim's masterwork about friendship, ambition and the compromises that shape a life takes the Signature stage after a 20-year absence.
Told in reverse chronological order, the musical follows three longtime friends as they navigate idealism, loyalty and disappointment over the course of twenty years. The successes and failures of their adulthoods unwind as the cynicism of age erases back to the glowing optimism of youth.
Crackling with wit and a rich musical score, Sondheim’s gem features the gorgeous songs “Our Time,” “Good Thing Going,” and “Not a Day Goes By.”
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth
Based on the Original Play by George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Originally Directed on Broadway by Harold Prince
Originally Produced on Broadway by Lord Grade, Martin Starger, Robert Fryer & Harold Prince in association with Ruth Mitchell & Howard Haines
Music Direction by Jon Kalbfleisch
Directed & Choreographed by Matthew Gardiner
August 25 – November 1, 2026
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Night: September 18, 2026
Post-show Discussions: September 23 and October 13, 2026
ASL Interpreted: October 8, 2026
Masks Required: September 15, 2026
All the World's a Stage
Regional Premiere
October 20 – December 20, 2026
ARK Theatre
A moving new musical about embracing who you are and the life-saving power of art by one of contemporary musical theater’s most exciting voices Adam Gwon (Ordinary Days, Cake Off).
In 1996, a closeted high school math teacher agrees to mentor a student for a theater competition. Both outsiders in their small-town community, their exploration of Angels in America unsettles the town’s delicate balance, and the vise of intolerance begins to tighten, twisting their lives in unexpected ways.
This deeply human tale, with an expressive score, is a rallying cry for authenticity and a touching tribute to all the teachers whose selfless courage uplifts and changes us all.
A musical by Adam Gwon
Music Direction by Marika Countouris
Directed by Matthew Gardiner
October 20 – December 20, 2026
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Nights: November 13 and November 20, 2026
Post-show Discussions: November 17 and December 2, 2026
Masks Required: November 10, 2026
The Secret Garden
December 8, 2026 – February 21, 2027
MAX Theatre
Lucy Simon and Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman’s Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of the classic Victorian novel receives a gorgeous new production shaped for Signature's intimate stage.
After losing her parents, 11-year-old Mary is sent to live with a wealthy, reclusive uncle she’s never met. As she explores the manor on the wild hills of England’s moors, Mary unearths many secrets, from the haunted inhabitants to the magic of a dormant garden. Sadness fades with the blossoms of spring as Mary’s determination to revive the garden’s beauty transforms the entire household.
Enchanting and heartfelt, with a radiant score, including songs “Lily’s Eyes,” “Come to My Garden” and “How Could I Ever Know,” The Secret Garden is a life-affirming testament that seasons of loss will one day bloom into joy.
Book & Lyrics by Marsha Norman
Music by Lucy Simon
Based on the Novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Music Direction by William Yanesh
Choreographed by Kelly Crandall d’Amboise
Directed by Ethan Heard
December 8, 2026 – February 21, 2027
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Night: January 15, 2027
Post-show Discussions: January 13 and February 16, 2027
ASL Interpreted: January 22, 2027
Masks Required: January 12, 2027
The Monsters
DC Premiere
February 2 – March 21, 2026
ARK Theatre
A poignant, funny, and tender story of sibling rivalry – and devotion.
When his little sister unexpectedly shows up at his door after 16 years, a mixed martial artist decides to take her in and eventually train her to become the next big fighter. However, when her skills progress and she develops her own ideas of the sport and its darker underside, it upsets their longstanding dynamic outside of the ring.
As they fight with and for each other, the siblings grapple with hidden selves, loss and finding the strength it takes to let go in a knockout bout to become each other’s ultimate champion.
by Ngozi Anyanwu
Directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene
February 2 – March 21, 2027
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Nights: March 5 and March 12, 2027
Post-show Discussions: March 3 and March 16, 2027
Affinity Night: March 7, 2027
Masks Required: February 24, 2027
A Mountain for Elodie
World Premiere
March 23 – April 25, 2027
MAX Theatre
A humorous and heartwarming musical from the award-winning singer and songwriter Benjamin Scheuer (The Lion).
Ben, enjoying rockstar triumphs, is determined to be a different kind of dad from his own father. When he meets the love of his life, he sees a perfect opportunity and a clear path. Nothing could be simpler, right? With every strum of his guitar, Scheuer weaves the joys and tribulations of career, marriage and fatherhood – and the game of juggling it all – into a soaring melody.
Performed by Scheuer with a band, A Mountain for Elodie explores anxiety, impatience, parenthood, grief and love, in a moving ode to the unpredictable, yet beautiful, mess that is life.
Written and performed by Benjamin Scheuer
Directed by Séimí Campbell
March 23 – April 25, 2027
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Night: April 9, 2027
Post-show Discussions: April 14 and April 20, 2027
ASL Interpreted: April 16, 2027
Masks Required: April 13, 2027
Latin History for Morons
April 27 – June 13, 2027
ARK Theatre
A hilarious in-your-face show about pride and heritage written by comedic legend John Leguizamo and featuring Mexodus’s Brian Quijada.
After his son experiences racially motivated bullying, “Professor” John sets out to teach real Latin history – what they didn’t teach you in school. His chaotic, revelatory and ribald lecture spans the Americas, from the Mayan pyramids through the conquistador destruction through Latine contributions in the United States. However, when things get worse for his son at school, John flails as he desperately tries to connect with his child and culture.
With a chalkboard, some props and unapologetic physical comedy, this energetic and playful tour-de-force bolsters pride as it challenges preconceptions of what it means to be American.
By John Leguizamo
April 27 – June 13, 2027
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Nights: May 21 and June 4, 2027
Post-show Discussions: May 11 and May 19, 2027
Affinity Night: June 2, 2027
Masks Required: May 25, 2027
Urinetown
June 1 – August 8, 2027
MAX Theatre
Looking for a good time? Then you’re in luck when this smart, sardonic and engrossing Tony Award-winning musical comedy returns to Signature.
In Urinetown (the musical) the people can’t pee for free. A severe water shortage means the poor masses must pay exorbitant fees to a corporation to use the toilet or risk being exiled. However, when young Bobby Strong rebels against the corrupt powers-that-be, the entire system goes singing and dancing down the pipes.
A hilarious satire flush with fantastic music, Urinetown skewers and spoofs everything from capitalism to musical comedy itself in an enthralling and absorbing experience.
Music & Lyrics by Mark Hollmann
Book & Lyrics by Greg Kotis
June 1 – August 8, 2027
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Night: July 23, 2027
Post-show Discussions: June 15 and July 28, 2027
ASL Interpreted: July 29, 2027
Masks Required: June 16, 2027
Follies
May 18 – June 20, 2027
Harman Hall
In an exciting co-production between Signature Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company, Stephen Sondheim’s sumptuous and sophisticated masterpiece glitters on the Harman Hall stage directed by Matthew Gardiner.
In 1971, a chorus of former showgirls return to their theatre to take one last look where it all began – when everything was possible, and nothing made sense. Surrounded by the glamorous ghosts of their past selves, they reminisce and face regrets as reality and memory begin to blur in ways both dazzling and devastating.
With an epic cast of 32 and a 14-piece orchestra, Sondheim’s incomparable score, including “Broadway Baby,” “I’m Still Here” and “Losing My Mind,” shines in spectacular style like you’ve never seen it before.
Book by James Goldman
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Produced Originally on Broadway by Harold Prince
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Music Direction by Jon Kalbfleisch
Directed by Matthew Gardiner
Co-Produced with Shakespeare Theatre Company
By Special Arrangement with Cameron Mackintosh
May 18 – June 20, 2027
Cabaret Series
Respect: Aretha Franklin
August 11 – August 30, 2026
The incomparable Nova Y. Payton (The Color Purple, Ain’t Misbehavin’) puts her dynamic spin on Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin’s greatest hits including “Think,” “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman,” and “Amazing Grace” in a delightful, uplifting and mesmerizing evening.
Something Wonderful: Broadway's Leading Ladies
September 8 – September 20, 2026
"Everything's Coming Up Roses" as chanteuse Tracy Lynn Olivera toasts the transcendent leading ladies from the Golden Age of Broadway. From Ethel Merman to Julie Andrews, Mary Martin, Barbara Cook, Judy Holliday and more. Tracy's delightful wit and gorgeous voice transports such classics as "Til There Was You," "I Have Confidence" and "The Party's Over" in a captivating tribute.
Bad Reputation: Women Who Rock
June 22 – July 11, 2027
Signature goes “Crazy on You” when celebrating the pulsing sound of women rock stars. From Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, Tina Turner and so many more, this spirited cabaret will get you “One Way or Another” with such songs as “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” “Edge of Seventeen” and “You Oughta Know.”
Additional Programming
Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares
April 27 – May 2, 2027
Direct from an acclaimed run at Edinburgh Fringe and two sold-out Off-Broadway engagements comes Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, a one-woman comedy show from the mind of Tony Award® winner Laura Benanti, with songs co-written with Todd Almond. Known for her dazzling Broadway performances and razor-sharp wit, Benanti takes the stage to share her hilarious, heartfelt, and sometimes brutally honest takes on motherhood, people-pleasing, and the joys of aging. Blending side-splitting storytelling with original songs, New York Times Critic's Pick Nobody Cares is a love letter to recovering ingénues, mothers, and anybody working on themselves.
Starring & Created by Laura Benanti
Music Direction & Songs Co-Written by Todd Almond
Directed by Annie Tippe
Based on Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, an Audible Original
In association with rigor + ruckus, Jenny Gersten and Ashley Melone & Nick Mills
Signature in the Schools
February 5 – February 15, 2027
Now in its 32nd year, Signature in the Schools, Signature Theatre’s flagship education program, is a multifaceted program that encompasses workshops for English, Social Studies and Theatre classes, theatrical training for young artists, and the creation of an original play. The program includes pre-show visits to school classrooms, resources for students and curriculum guides for teachers. Signature in the Schools is offered to all participants free of charge. Students from throughout Northern Virginia also attend daytime performances for free to see their peers perform.
The program centers on an original play written by a professional playwright and performed by Arlington County high school students with one professional actor. The play is specially tailored to the personalities and abilities of the student performers and focuses on themes from Arlington Public Schools social studies’ curriculum and its connection to the present. Past topics have included the Great Depression, civic engagement, freedom of expression, immigration, propaganda, and women’s rights.
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