Signature Theatre's production of Hairspray and Synetic's silent version of King Lear cleaned up at the 28th annual Helen Hayes Awards. Arena Stage's Ruined won for outstanding resident play. more ›

Stephen Sondheim is everywhere lately. He's got an annotated book of lyrics out. His show Company just got a star-studded revival in New York, featuring everyone from Patti LuPone to Neil Patrick Harris. And The Kennedy Center brings Bernadette Peters to D.C. for a new take on Follies this month as well. It's only fitting that Signature Theatre, kind of a Sondheim shrine in its own right, would want a piece of the action. more ›

Once party affiliation became less splashy for news networks' interactive election maps, the media decided to divvy us up into colors. Red state, blue state, shades of purple for those swing areas if they really wanted to get fancy. The underlying narrative, particularly when those shades of purple are left out of the conversation, is that red and blue make hard stops at congressional and state borders. Like Rush Limbaugh and Keith Olbermann, they just don't mix. more ›

As lights flash, guitars wail and Jill Paice lifts her arms in triumph during the closing notes of her defiant ode to self-reliance, "Nobody's Side," one thing is clear: Signature Theatre's bombastic production of the cult musical Chess has no intention of shirking away from its 80s rock roots. more ›

The characters in , the uber-meta musical now playing at Signature Theatre, pronounce in song that they'd rather be nine people's favorite thing than 100 people's ninth favorite thing. It's an admirable admission, and while DCist's assessment of them falls somewhere closer to the middle, musical theater geeks enamored by quick wit and a constant stream of clever allusions could easily be charmed into the "favorite" category. more ›

Few shows walk the line quite as successfully as is there to push the boundaries. And Signature Theatre's gleefully bloody, winking but impassioned production is firmly in that spirit. more ›

It's the subtlety that gets you. more ›

Signature Theatre's production of demonstrates two things: that sometimes a hefty dose of an old-school musical is just what you need, and that even those old chestnuts can still have some surprises in store. more ›

Let's get one thing out of the way early - Signature Theatre's is worth the four (yes, four) hour investment. more ›

Pretty amazing news for the local theater community. The 2009 Tony Award nominees are set to be announced tomorrow morning, but in the meantime, the special, non-competitive awards were announced today, and Arlington's Signature Theatre was awarded this year's Regional Theatre Tony Award. From the release:

On the recommendation of the American Theatre Critics Association, the Tony Awards has selected the Signature Theatre of Arlington, Virginia as the recipient of the 2009 Regional Theatre Tony Award. The Award is accompanied by a gift of $25,000 from Visa, USA. more ›

In Signature Theater's , there's nothing more irresistible than a feisty agent. more ›

Signature Theater's Broadway-bound musical has a story that is so much more appealing than its lyrics, that it's tempting to wonder whether the whole thing might have worked even better as a play. more ›

>> So, there's some old band playing at 9:30 Club tonight, and you don't have tickets. Head over to DC9 to catch Hej Hej, D.C.'s only Scandinavian pop and rock dance night (normally at Saint-Ex), as it heads to 9th Street to host Sweden's The Lovekevins in a special performance. Plus drink specials on Vikingfjord vodka. 9 p.m., $8 >> One of the crucial Bogart films, Treasure of the Sierra Madre is also the... more ›

doesn't seem like the world's most enduring love story anymore). more ›

Whoever thinks tales such as Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood can't teach adults something never saw Into The Woods. In Steven Sondheim's beloved fractured fairy tale, the underlying themes of these universal stories become even more apparent: Jack's journey up the beanstalk becomes a metaphor for growing older. Rapunzel's story is a cautionary tale for the sheltering of children from the evils of the world. And Into The Woods is unafraid to show us... more ›

Just as it's back-to-school time for area students, it's back-to-the-boards time for the area's theatre community. September brings with it a host of new productions to get you through the lingering heat. more ›

FRIDAY: >> Mike Doughty's band, which we assume will in fact include Mike Doughty, are taking the 9:30 Club stage tonight for a show that as of this writing is still not sold out. If you people need a reason to go above and beyond his music, allow us to present into evidence Exhibit A and Exhibit B. Oh, and Exhibit C: DCist's awesome interview with him back in September. With Kevin Devine, 8 p.m.,... more ›

In May, the D.C. theater community has devils, Dorian and the deformed — and in Round House Bethesda's case, an affection for alliteration that we apparently share. We love the work that Actors Theatre of Washington does, and their latest effort is "Mondays In May", where for three days this month, they showcase new talent. We Wildephiles are particularly interested in what they're going to do with The Picture Of Dorian Gray on May 8.... more ›

DCist theater critic Missy Frederick contributed to this report. Signature Theatre's production of Urinetown took top honors at last night's Helen Hayes Awards, D.C.'s local theater awards ceremony, taking home 8 prizes including director of a musical (Joe Calarco), choreographer (Karma Camp), four different acting awards (Will Gartshore is pictured right accepting his award for lead actor in a musical, which he shared in a tie with Michael McElroy from Big River), and outstanding resident... more ›

Cheaters...women's sex lives...Salman Rushdie...during March in the D.C. theater world, looks like anything goes; even Anything Goes. Starting off the month is George Bernard Shaw's Fanny's First Play, produced by Washington Stage Guild (March 2). This "comedy within a comedy" should prove witty enough, as Shaw always has a way with words. Speaking of renowned male authors, Haroun And The Sea Of Stories, a Salman Rushdie D.C. premiere, begins at the H Street playhouse this... more ›

An atmosmpheric set, a skilled group of supporting women and a fascinating premise make Signature Theatre's Nevermore an ambitious project fueled by talent, but ultimately add up to a well-intentioned but flawed gothic musical. Nevermore, a 90 minute musical without intermission, chronicles the life and loves of Edgar Allen Poe, and relies largely on Poe's own words for its lyrics. At times, the poems can deliver haunting phrases ("From childhood's hour, I have not been... more ›

FRIDAY: more ›

. And sure, it has what Sally calls an "awful title" and is, after all, about a town where times have gotten so tough, people have to pay in order to pee. But D.C. theater lovers should certainly beg to differ with young Sally's assessment; Signature's current production is an uproarious treat. more ›

Sexual intrigue, Hellen Keller and urine; that's what area theaters have to offer us during the slow month of August, the dead time between the close of the '04/'05 season and the beginning of the new one. more ›

The nominations for the Helen Hayes Awards were announced last night, despite the cancellation of the traditional reception at the Canadian Embassy. As today's Post notes, the nominations had their share of surprises. Not surprising, especially to veterans of the D.C. theater scene, was the dominance of the Kennedy Center (17 nominations), Signature Theatre (15 nominations) and the Shakespeare Theatre (14 nominations). With pockets significantly deeper than smaller theater companies, large theaters can spend significant... more ›