Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner and Managing Director Maggie Boland have announced Signature Theatre’s 2025/26 season. The 36th season highlights Signature’s commitment to produce new works and reimagined classics and includes five musicals and two plays, four of which are DC premieres. More information on the 2025/26 season is now available at SigTheatre.org/Subscribe.
“With our 36th season, Signature continues to champion new voices while reinventing beloved musicals,” said Signature Theatre Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner. “This year, we are thrilled to present innovative new productions of Play On!, Fiddler on the Roof and Pippin. Signature will also produce the American premiere of Rebecca Simmonds and Jack Miles’s new musical In Clay, the Washington, DC premieres of Miriam Battye’s Strategic Love Play and Shayan Lotfi’s What Became of Us, and Ryan Miller and Nick Blaemire’s new indie-rock musical Safety Not Guaranteed. We are excited to share an eclectic mix of plays and musicals that speak to the moment, celebrate bold storytelling and invite audiences into fresh, unforgettable theatrical experiences.”
“This exhilarating new season features everything audiences have come to expect from the Signature experience,” said Signature Theatre Managing Director Maggie Boland. “Signature has become synonymous with excellence in musical theater, and our 2025/26 season promises to continue that legacy with five musicals, including two exciting new projects. With the majority of our productions from this past season completely selling out, there has never been a better time to subscribe and guarantee that you can experience all that Signature has to offer. We hope that audiences will sign on early to another fantastic season at Signature.”
Signature kicks off the 2025-2026 season in the MAX Theatre with Play On! (August 12 – October 5, 2025), a musical based on Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night set to the syncopated soundtrack of Duke Ellington’s greatest hits. Conceived by Sheldon Epps and featuring a book by Cheryl L. West, the production will be directed by Lili-Anne Brown (Olney Theatre Center’s FELA!, Goodman Theatre’s School Girls, or the African Mean Girls Play). Aspiring songwriter Vy comes to swinging 1930s Harlem to make it big. But when she discovers the doors of opportunity are closed to women, she disguises herself as a man to pitch her songs to Harlem’s hottest composer, the Duke. However, when her tunes attract the attention of Cotton Club performer Lady Liv, the object of The Duke’s affection, Vy-Man is swept up in a swinging tempest of love, mistaken identity and jazz. If music be the food of love, then Play On’s timeless classics “Take the ‘A’ Train,” “Mood Indigo,” “I Got it Bad and That Ain’t Good,” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing” combine with stunning dance to make for a joyous feast in a fun and fresh take on a beloved comedy.
In the ARK Theatre, Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature’s Job, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) will direct the Washington, DC premiere of playwright Miriam Battye’s (HBO’s Succession) Strategic Love Play (September 23 – November 9, 2025), a razor sharp, not-quite-romantic comedy about the absurdity of modern dating in the seemingly endless quest to find “the one.” After matching online, a man and a woman meet for a date. Although they start off on the (very) wrong foot, they slowly begin to let down their guard in the hope that this time they’ve found something real. Bold, bitingly funny and achingly poignant, Strategic Love Play explores love, loneliness, and lying to (and about) ourselves in the age of swiping.
This winter, Signature will invite you to experience Anatevka through a new lens in director Joe Calarco’s (Signature’s Jesus Christ Superstar, Gypsy) re-imagined production of the classic musical Fiddler on the Roof (November 4, 2025 – January 25, 2026). Based on the stories of Sholem Aleichem with a heartfelt book by Joseph Stein (Plain and Fancy, Zorba), Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman, his family and their tightknit community honor tradition but must contend with a changing world and a rise in anti-Semitism at their home in Czarist Russia. Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s (She Loves Me, Fiorello!) glorious score unites with exquisite dance in this classic of the musical theater canon filled with humor, heart – and life.
Up next in the ARK comes the American premiere of In Clay (December 9, 2025 – February 1, 2026), a witty and vivacious new musical based on the overlooked twentieth century female artist Marie-Berthe Cazin. On the eve of a visit from her estranged childhood friend, now an acclaimed painter, Cazin recounts her life from her early days as a gifted protégée discovering the art of pottery to watching her husband rise to fame partly by claiming her work as his own. Through the upheaval of World War I, Marie’s unwavering spirit reveals the beauty in the broken. Set in 1930s Paris, with book & lyrics by Rebecca Simmonds and an upbeat, vibrant Parisian Jazz score with music & lyrics by Jack Miles, In Clay celebrates the joy of creativity, love of art and recognizing your worth.
This spring, Signature will produce Safety Not Guaranteed (March 3 – April 12, 2026), an imaginative new indie-rock musical by Guster’s Ryan Miller and Nick Blaemire (Soon, Glory Days) based on the film by Derek Connolly of the same name. WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED. After seeing this classified ad, ambitious journalist Darius sets out on an expedition to find its writer. When she agrees to go along for the ride, however, Darius finds herself in way over her head. Heartwarming and hilarious, with an electrifying score, Safety Not Guaranteed asks, if you could go back and change your story – would you?
To begin the summer, Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner directs Pippin (May 12 – July 26, 2026), Stephen Schwartz’s (Godspell, Wicked) cynical musical masterpiece of purpose, ambition, lust and glory. Featuring a book by Roger O. Hirson, medieval traveling performers bring to life the story of Pippin, the restless heir of Charlemagne, on his quest for purpose. Dreaming of greatness, he dives into war, passion, and even murder—only to find himself disillusioned at every turn in this dazzling and provocative coming-of-age parable about what it means to be extraordinary. Join us for this sardonic and witty extravaganza, flush with spellbinding dance and the iconic songs “Corner of the Sky,” “Magic to Do” and “Morning Glow.”
To close the season, Signature will produce the Washington, DC premiere of playwright Shayan Lotfi’s What Became of Us (June 16 – July 26, 2026) in the ARK Theatre. Directed by Associate Artistic Director Ethan Heard, What Became of Us is a beautiful and moving play about two siblings maintaining connection over the course of a lifetime. A sister and brother, the elder an immigrant born in The Old Country and the younger born in This Country, share both big and small moments and memories from childhood through teenage rebellion, career successes, parenthood, gray hair and growing old. Their disparate perspectives lead to both fractures and forgiveness as they witness each other’s story. Played on alternating nights by two separate casts each from a different diasporic background, this intimate and tender journey across continents and time redefines home through the eyes of life’s longest relationship.
Signature’s Cabaret Series will kick off this summer with Sailing: Yacht Rock (July 22 – August 10, 2025) as Deimoni Brewington and Tracy Lynn Olivera serenade you with catchy melodies such as “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl),” “Come and Get Your Love” and “What a Fool Believes.” This winter, powerhouse vocalist Awa Sal Secka pays tribute to the Black luminaries who changed Broadway such as Pearl Bailey, Ben Vereen, Lilias White, and Audra McDonald in I’m Here: Black Broadway (February 24 – March 15, 2026). Up next, Felicia Curry honors jazz icon Nina Simone and the women she inspired, including Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, and Lauryn Hill in I Put a Spell on You: Nina Simone (March 31 – April 19, 2026). And finally, Signature closes out its 2025-2026 cabaret season with Get Down Tonight: Classic Funk (May 5 – 17, 2026) as Isaac “Deacon Izzy” Bell brings down the “Brick House” with songs such as “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” “Hot Fun in the Summertime,” “Shining Star” and more.
Signature’s additional programming includes the Signature Seminar: Fiddler on the Roof, a six-part behind-the-scenes seminar with the cast and creative team of Fiddler on the Roof. The seminar will run from October 16 to November 4, 2025. The 2025/26 season also features the 31st year of Signature in the Schools, an award-winning arts education program provided for free to schools across northern Virginia. Public performances of the Signature in the Schools play will be held on January 27 and January 31, 2026, with student matinees happening from January 24 to January 30, 2026. Finally, the winner for the 2024 SigWorks: Musical Theatre Lab will be announced in the next few weeks, with a workshop of the selected musical currently scheduled for January 2026.
Signature offers flexible subscription options for the 2025-2026 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 $202 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 $168 for all 4 cabarets. Call Signature’s Box Office at 703.820.9771 or visit SigTheatre.org/Subscribe.
Single tickets for the mainstage productions will go on sale on July 11, 2025. Cabaret Series single tickets will go on sale on June 18.
SIGNATURE THEATRE’S 2025-2026 SEASON LISTINGS
Play On!
August 12 – October 5, 2025
MAX Theatre
A delightful musical based on Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night, set to the syncopated soundtrack of Duke Ellington’s greatest hits.
Aspiring songwriter Vy comes to swinging 1930s Harlem to make it big. But when she discovers the doors of opportunity are closed to women, she disguises herself as a man to pitch her songs to Harlem’s hottest composer, the Duke. However, when her tunes attract the attention of Cotton Club performer Lady Liv, the object of The Duke’s affection, Vy-Man is swept up in a swinging tempest of love, mistaken identity and jazz.
If music be the food of love, then Play On’s timeless classics “Take the ‘A’ Train,” “Mood Indigo” “I Got it Bad and That Ain’t Good” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” combine with stunning dance to make for a joyous feast in a fun and fresh take on a beloved comedy.
“Charming, enchanting, laugh-out-loud funny… this show is quite the revelation.” – What’s On Stage
Conceived by Sheldon Epps
Book by Cheryl L. West
Music by Duke Ellington
Directed by Lili-Anne Brown
August 12 – October 5, 2025
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Night: September 5, 2025
Post-show Discussions: September 10 and September 30, 2025
ASL Interpreted: September 25, 2025
Masks Required: September 7 (2PM), 2025
DC Premiere
Strategic Love Play
September 23 – November 9, 2025
ARK Theatre
From Succession writer Miriam Battye comes a razor sharp, not-quite-romantic comedy about the absurdity of modern dating in the seemingly endless quest to find “the one.”
After matching online, a man and a woman meet for a date. Although they start off on the (very) wrong foot, they slowly begin to let down their guard in the hope that this time they’ve found something real.
Bold, bitingly funny and achingly poignant, Strategic Love Play explores love, loneliness, and lying to (and about) ourselves in the age of swiping.
“A smart comedy” – The New York Times
By Miriam Battye
Directed by Matthew Gardiner
September 23 – November 9, 2025
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Nights: October 17 and October 24, 2025
Post-show Discussions: October 7 and October 29, 2025
Masks Required: October 26 (2PM), 2025
Fiddler on the Roof
November 4, 2025 – January 25, 2026
MAX Theatre
The iconic musical gorgeously staged like never before in Signature’s intimate setting and directed by Joe Calarco (Jesus Christ Superstar, Gypsy).
Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman, his family and their tightknit community honor tradition but must contend with a changing world and a rise in antisemitism at their home in Tsarist Russia.
The glorious score with songs “Sunrise, Sunset” “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Matchmaker” unite with exquisite dance in this classic of the musical theater canon filled with humor, heart – and life.
“One of the most glowing creations in the history of musical theater” – The New York Times
Based on Sholem Aleichem stories by special permission of Arnold Perl
Book by Joseph Stein
Music by Jerry Bock
Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Produced on the New York Stage by Harold Prince
Original New York Stage Production Directed and Choreographed by Jerome Robbins
Directed by Joe Calarco
November 4, 2025 – January 25, 2026
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Night: December 5, 2025
Post-show Discussions: November 19, 2025 and January 6, 2026
ASL Interpreted: December 12, 2025
Masks Required: December 7 (2PM), 2025
American Premiere
In Clay
December 9, 2025 – February 1, 2026
ARK Theatre
A witty, vivacious and charming new musical based on an overlooked twentieth century female artist.
On the eve of a visit from her estranged childhood friend, now an acclaimed painter, French ceramist Marie-Berthe Cazin recounts her life. From her early days as a gifted protégée discovering the art of pottery, to watching her husband rise to fame partly by claiming her work as his own, through the upheaval of World War I, Marie’s unwavering spirit reveals the beauty in the broken.
Set in 1930s Paris, with an upbeat, vibrant Parisian Jazz score, In Clay celebrates the joy of creativity, love of art and recognizing your worth.
“A celebration of passion and the human spirit…it is an instant classic” – West End Best Friend
Book & Lyrics by Rebecca Simmonds
Music & Lyrics by Jack Miles
December 9, 2025 – February 1, 2026
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Nights: January 9 and January 23, 2026
Post-show Discussions: January 7 and January 27, 2026
Masks Required: January 11 (2PM), 2026
A New Musical
Safety Not Guaranteed
March 3 – April 12, 2026
MAX Theatre
An imaginative indie-rock musical by Guster’s Ryan Miller and Nick Blaemire (Soon, Glory Days) based on the film of the same name.
WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED.
After seeing this classified ad, ambitious journalist Darius sets out on an expedition to find its writer. When she agrees to go along for the ride, however, Darius finds herself in way over her head.
Heartwarming and hilarious, with an electrifying score, Safety Not Guaranteed asks, if you could go back and change your story – would you?
“Ridiculous fun…Safety Not Guaranteed has an appealingly indie sound…I caught myself humming” – The New York Times
Music & Lyrics by Ryan Miller
Book by Nick Blaemire
Based on the film by Derek Connolly
March 3 – April 12, 2026
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Night: March 20, 2026
Post-show Discussions: March 25 and April 7, 2026
ASL Interpreted: April 8, 2026
Masks Required: March 22 (2PM), 2026
Pippin
May 12 – July 26, 2026
MAX Theatre
Stephen Schwartz’s (Godspell, Wicked) cynical musical masterpiece of purpose, ambition, lust and glory sizzles for summer, thrillingly staged as only Matthew Gardiner can do.
Medieval traveling performers bring to life the story of Pippin, the restless heir of Charlemagne, on his quest for purpose. Dreaming of greatness, he dives into war, passion, and even murder—only to find himself disillusioned at every turn in this dazzling and provocative coming-of-age parable about what it means to be extraordinary.
Join us for this sardonic and witty extravaganza, flush with spellbinding dance and the iconic songs “Corner of the Sky,” “Magic to Do” and “Morning Glow.”
“Massively, almost overwhelmingly entertaining” – BroadwayWorld
Book by Roger O. Hirson
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Originally produced on the Broadway stage by Stuart Ostrow
Originally directed on the Broadway stage by Bob Fosse
2013 Broadway revival directed by Diane Paulus
Theo Ending Originally Conceived in 1998 by Mitch Sebastian
Directed by Matthew Gardiner
May 12 – July 26, 2026
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Night: June 12, 2026
Post-show Discussions: June 3 and June 16, 2026
ASL Interpreted: July 11 (2PM), 2026
Masks Required: May 31 (2PM), 2026
DC Premiere
What Became of Us
June 16 – July 26, 2026
ARK Theatre
A beautiful and moving play about two siblings maintaining connection over the course of a lifetime.
A sister and brother, the elder an immigrant born in The Old Country and the younger born in This Country, share both big and small moments and memories from childhood through teenage rebellion, career successes, parenthood, gray hair and growing old. Their disparate perspectives lead to both fractures and forgiveness as they witness each other’s story.
Played on alternating nights by two separate casts each from a different diasporic background, this intimate and tender journey across continents and time redefines home through the eyes of life’s longest relationship.
“A soaring, poetic play you’ll want to see twice” – Observer
By Shayan Lotfi
Directed by Ethan Heard
June 16 – July 26, 2026
Closed captions will be available for every show via the GalaPro app.
Pride Nights: July 17 and July 24, 2026
Post-show Discussions: July 15 and July 21, 2026
Masks Required: July 19 (2PM), 2026
Cabaret Series
Sailing: Yacht Rock
July 22 – August 10, 2025
Grab a drink and set sail as Deimoni Brewington and Tracy Lynn Olivera serenade you with those catchy melodies and lighthearted lyrics of yacht rock. Featuring songs such as “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl),” “Come and Get Your Love” and “What a Fool Believes,” this soothing, easy-feeling cabaret hums along to the sounds of Christopher Cross, TOTO and the Doobie Brothers.
I’m Here: Black Broadway
February 24 – March 15, 2026
Powerhouse vocalist Awa Sal Secka pays tribute to the Black luminaries who changed Broadway. Spanning the musical canon from Shuffle Along to The Wiz to The Color Purple, Secka toasts such artists as Juanita Hall, Pearl Bailey, Ben Vereen, Audra McDonald, Lilias White and more in a joyous musical celebration.
I Put a Spell on You: Nina Simone
March 31 – April 19, 2026
Felicia Curry honors jazz icon Nina Simone and the women she inspired. From Nina’s greatest songs such as “Mississippi Goddam” and “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” to Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman,” and the songs of Tina Turner, Lauryn Hill and more, this dynamic cabaret will motivate you to rise up.
Get Down Tonight: Classic Funk
May 5 – 17, 2026
It’s time to go to “Higher Ground” as Isaac “Deacon Izzy” Bell grooves to classic funk. Get ready to bring down the “Brick House” with songs such as “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” “Hot Fun in the Summertime,” “Shining Star” and more from artists Sly and The Family Stone, George Clinton, Chic, Prince and James Brown.
Additional Programming
Signature Seminar: Fiddler on the Roof
October 16 – November 4, 2025
Journey to Anatevka with director Joe Calarco and the creative team for this six-part behind-the-scenes seminar into the making of this iconic musical, including an exclusive look into the dramaturgical research and technical magic as Signature takes Fiddler on the Roof from sunrise to sunset.
Signature in the Schools
January 24 – January 31, 2026
Now in its 31st 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.
ABOUT SIGNATURE
Signature Theatre is a Tony Award-winning regional theater that broadens and brightens the region’s cultural landscape with its bold productions of challenging new and established works and engaging education and outreach programs. Founded in 1989 by Eric Schaeffer and Donna Migliaccio, and currently under the leadership of Managing Director Maggie Boland and Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner, musical theater is Signature’s “signature,” and the Theatre is renowned for its definitive Sondheim productions, inventive adaptations of overlooked or forgotten works, and investment in fresh new projects. Signature combines Broadway-caliber productions with intimate playing spaces and aims to be a leading force in U.S. musical theater.
Since its inception, the Theatre has produced 61 world premiere works — including 19 new musical commissions. Signature opens its doors to more than 100,000 people annually from the Washington, DC region and beyond and reaches more than 10,000 students every year through its innovative education programs, including the award-winning initiative Signature in the Schools. Signature has won 142 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in the Washington, DC region’s professional theater and has been honored with 527 nominations.
