Articles Tagged With: Matthew Gardiner

Ragtime at Signature Theatre

Reviews November 5, 2023 Steven Kirkpatrick

Signature Theatre’s latest offering is a stellar production of Ragtime, a musicalization of E. L. Doctorow’s sprawling 1975 novel, in which a variety of real and fictional characters from the turn of the 20th century are woven into an epic American tapestry. Presenting a panoramic view of the dawning of the twentieth century, Ragtime addresses such issues as immigration, racism, socialism, women’s rights, industrialization, and the labor movement. Seeking to identify the forces that have shaped America over the past century,

Somewhere In A Tree: An Interview With Alexander Tom on Being the Musical Director of Pacific Overtures at Signature Theatre

Interviews March 1, 2023 Amanda N. Gunther

A rarely produced Sondheim. Perhaps one of Signature Theatre’s signature marks as they frequently unearth some of the lesser recognized or at the very least, lesser attempted, Stephen Sondheim works. Pacific Overtures is no exception for this season. The irony of white men creating the musical narrative for Eastern culture is not lost on anyone, particularly not Musical Director Alexander Tom, who is a Chinese and Vietnamese American. In a phone interview with the show’s musical director,

Into The Woods at Signature Theatre

Reviews November 22, 2022 Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington

Let’s start by saying that Into the Woods is one of the most accessible and beloved musicals of Stephen Sondheim. The book by James Lapine and the music and lyrics by Sondheim offer everything we want from a musical. It has catchy tunes, fascinating subplots, cleverness, magic, love stories of all sorts and a call for the audience to use their imaginations. The current incarnation of this play at Signature Theatre, directed and choreographed by Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner,

Food In My Mouth; Art On My Stage: An Interview With Bobby Smith In Signature Theatre’s No Place To Go

Interviews September 21, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

What do you do when you reach a certain age and the ‘family’ you’ve always thought you had in your job is now walking away from you? To go to Mars? And all you asked from them is a jazillion dollars? A semi-non-direct quote from No Place To Go, a new musical conceived by Ethan Lipton, now on stage in Signature Theatre’s Ark stage, starring Bobby Smith. A one-man musical with three musicians live on-stage in addition to Smith,

No Place To Go at Signature Theatre

Reviews September 9, 2022 Charles Boyington

No Place to Go by Ethan Lipton is the antithesis of the Frank Loesser musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying—it’s about the experience of losing a job, and a sense of purpose, without trying. It is also a comedic look at our modern society that smacks you in the face with how honest and real it is, and I loved it.

The story is simple enough: George is a middle-aged man with his own small band who has been working the same day job for the last 10 years as a “permanent part time” employee.

She Loves Me at Signature Theatre

Reviews March 10, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

Will you like the show you see? Will you know that there’s a world of love, uplifted spirits, and joyous frivolity— waiting just inside those painted walls, waiting for everyone to see? You’ll know— if the show— you’re seeing is— She Loves Me. Signature Theatre, in its most extensive and momentous live-staged undertaking (after 600 days of being dark) is bringing a heartwarming musical classic to its Max Theatre stage and it just the dose of giddy and glee that the world needs right now.

Rent at Signature Theatre

Reviews November 11, 2021 Amanda N. Gunther

In daylights. In sunsets. In midnights. In cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. 525,600 minutes— how do you measure— a year in life? For Signature Theatre and the rest of the world, for whom its been longer than 525,600 minutes since live theatre has occurred with in-person audiences on their stages, you celebrate with a production of Jonathan Larson’s incomparable musical, Rent. Directed by Matthew Gardiner, with Musical Direction by Mark.

Crazy For You at Signature Theatre

Reviews November 20, 2017 Amanda N. Gunther

Music is the magic that makes ev’rything sunshiny! And dancing is the thing that makes all your troubles seem tiny! And when you’re sitting watchin’ Crazy For You at Signature Theatre this holiday season, it’ll be all sunshine and smiles with no troubles or cares and you won’t be bothered o’er anything else, I swear! They’ve got the music and it’s magic, and they’ve got the best dancing once could ask for!

Midwestern Gothic at Signature Theatre

Reviews April 3, 2017 Amanda N. Gunther

You never know how many secrets stay hidden beneath the surface until you start digging. Don’t dig too far down into Virginia or you’ll miss all the sordid secrets that come tangled up in the world premiere of Midwestern Gothic, a new musical with Book by Royce Vavrek, Music by Josh Schmidt, and Lyrics by Vavrek & Schmidt. Appearing now in The Ark Theatre of Signature Theatre, this freeze-frame capture of dystopian life in the American Midwest circa the late 80’s/early 90’s is a questionable venture with a welcomed,

Caroline, Or Change at Round House Theatre

Reviews February 4, 2017 Amanda N. Gunther

Change come fast and change come slow, but change come. And a change— Caroline, Or Change to be exact— is coming to Round House Theatre this season. Nothing happens below ground in Bethesda because all the fiery action of this sensational musical with Book & Lyrics by Tony Kushner and Music by Jeanine Tesori is happening on ground floor stage for everyone to see! Directed by Matthew Gardiner with Musical Direction by Jon Kalbfleisch,

Review: Titanic at Signature Theatre

Reviews December 23, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

In every age mankind attempts to fabricate great works at once magnificent and impossible. And impossibly magnificent is the success of the maiden voyage of Signature Theatre’s production of Titanic. With Story & Book by Peter Stone and Music & Lyrics by Maury Yeston, this spellbinding production is a floating city of magnificence in the ephemeral way that only theatre can be. Directed by Eric Schaeffer with Musical Direction by James Moore,

Review: The Tempest at Shakespeare Theatre Company

Reviews August 19, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

With spirits to enforce and arts to enchant, Shakespeare Theatre Company offers up the most whimsically enchanting of the Bard’s theatrical canon with their production of The Tempest. Presented as the 26th Annual ‘Free for All’ performance, and Directed by Ethan McSweeny, Shakespeare’s final play is delivered with radiant justice, mesmerizing theatrical magic, and exquisite emotional endeavors that envelope the audience for a truly fantastical experience. The majesty of Lee Savage’s set juxtaposed against a myriad of miraculous production design elements make this a truly magnificent experience for all who are able to attend.

Review: Jelly’s Last Jam at Signature Theatre

Reviews August 12, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

And it came to pass that jazz was born at Signature Theatre when Jelly’s Last Jam kicked off the 2016/2017 season in the sweltering August heat! Step right into ‘The Jungle Inn’ where you’re jammin’ with Jelly tonight! There’s no doubt about this masterful musical— with book by George C. Wolfe, Music by Jelly Roll Morton, Lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, and Musical Adaptation & Additional Music composed by Luther Henderson— as it lays down the birth of jazz exactly like Jelly Roll Morton remembers it!

Review: La Cage Aux Folles at Signature Theatre

Reviews June 13, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther 1 Comment

Take a deep breath, open your eyes, you have arrived at La Cage Aux Folles. Signature Theatre does its utmost to deliver this ravishing, sensual, fabulous musical Directed by Matthew Gardiner with Musical Direction by Darius Smith, and succeeds making it the show of their season, which is saying something considering just how many smashing productions they’ve managed this year. Legend has told and rumor has promised this zesty, thrilling performance would dazzle theatergoers of Washington DC and there are simply not enough words to properly praise the nearly perfect production as it titillates audiences right to the edges of their chairs!

Review: West Side Story at Signature Theatre

Reviews December 18, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Te adoro, Signature Theatre, te adoro. Blowing the minds of every theatergoer that snaps their way into the Max Theater at Signature Theatre in Shirlington, Virginia this holiday season, West Side Story is a smash-hit that steals the heart, captures the soul, and brings the audience to a standing ovation. A stunning tale of star-crossed lovers set to inspiring Music by Leonard Bernstein, with Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and Book by Arthur Laurents,

Review: The Fix at Signature Theatre

Reviews August 24, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

These are the games, the tools and the tricks, of making brilliant theatre with a musical called The Fix. Signature Theatre is revolutionizing political corruption; they’re not accentuating the foul filth of America’s crooked political climate, they’re flaunting it and making it look devilishly delicious. With Book and Lyrics by John Dempsey, and Music by Dana P. Rowe, this rarely produced musical sensation is a riveting and electrifying political scandal that has all the razzle dazzle of Broadway and all the unctuous sleaze of Washington DC.