signature theatre

One of our absolute favorite theater destinations in the Washington area. We have frequented their productions for almost all of their 25 year history. If you love musicals, you must visit Signature. Sondheim is a staple but so is the development of new work.

Love Signature Theatre - it is in a great location and I have yet to sit in a bad seat. I bought a three show subscription for my parents (who are in their late 80's) and they loved it. The shows were for Sunday matinee's and they were able to go to nearby resturants after for early dinner.

Now in its 25th Season, I've been experiencing Signature about that amount of time as I am a Sondheim addict and they have approached almost all of his works in that time. Currently even though I live in CT I subscribe to a 4 show series and plan long weekends in the area around the shows. The box office staff are helpful when I need to exchange tickets and just this past weekend staffer Bob made sure my exchange was to my liking as I was originally slated to have an obstructed view seat. The quality of the productions are always first class and two recent shows Diner and Beaches are rumored as Broadway bound.

The last time we went to a show at Signature Theater we parked in the nearby parking garage per Signature Theater directions & after the show we discovered that our car had towed away! It cost us $140 + cab fare + an extra 2 hrs to get home! When we and the four other couples who had their cars towed as well complained to the box office staff, all we got was a "Well, what do you want us to do about it? Guess you were parked where you shouldn't have parked. Sorry, there's nothing we can do about it."To add insult to injury, our family had recently completed a 5-yr pledge donation to the theater -- but we've never been back since and never will!There are far better theaters in the Northern Virginia/DC/Maryland metro area! To name just a few, try instead:1. Synetic Theater in Crystal City (Arlington)2. Metro Stage (Alexandria)3. Little Theater of Alexandria4. Ford's Theater (DC)5. Folger Theater at the Folger Shakespeare Library (DC)6. The Keegan Theater (DC)7. Round House Theater (Bethesda, MD)

We have a subscription to the Signature, even though we live in New york City.We were drawn to a production of a show we love ("Side Show") back in early 2001, and made a special trip to see it.We were pleased and surprised by the professionalism and talent displayed, and became subscribers. We usually take a three or four show package each season, and craft long weekends around performances we want to see.This past trip we saw a musical version of "Elmer Gantry", and a production of a show called "Sex With Strangers" which had been produced earlier this year in New York.A musical version of "Diner", by Sheryl Crow and Barry Levinson (based on Levinson's movie from 1982) is coming up after the new year.

You'd think from the prices of the tickets that you'd be watching a play or musical in a more elegant setting. The theater itself looks shabby with an industrial look. It seems the lobby space and the bathroom was updated but not the theater itself. Time to modernize.

It was advertised as an Andrews Sisters style cabaret. It was pricey for only 13 songs and one encore. We really enjoyed the singing, but again, $72 for a couple for only one hour was disappointing.

Thr Signature Theater in Shirlington, Va is a good solid local theater company. It will not displace Broadway and other major venues but it is an enjoyable theater with good plays and musicals performed by actors who have played on Broadway and other major theater locations in the U.S. We have seen performances such as Dream Girls, Elmer Gantry, and various Sondheim hit productions.The theatrical director is Eric Schaeffer who has directed many plays here and took the Tony best musical The Million Dollar Quarter straight to Broadway where it is has been playing for at least 4 years now.Give is a try!

We've lived in the area for years, but this was our first visit here. We had a very difficult time finding a place to park. We found the theatre 20 minutes before the performance, but after searching for parking, we got to the theatre 2 minutes ahead. All parking was either filled or reserved. We finally found a spot a few blocks away. Another time, I think I'd come a couple hours early and have dinner close-by. There are lots of restaurants and shops surrounding the theatre. This is a small theatre, and our seats were great. The show was very good, and the costumes were lovely.

We are theater people, and the show we saw was as good as any we've seen off Broadway. Professional on all levels, and a nice break from all the monuments.

The work here is consistently good. The space is well-designed and comfortable. Sight lines are always good. Customer service is strong -- and follow-up marketing is quite good, though persistent (for those who don't care for frequent email updates, beware). This is one of the best theatres in the region. I've never been disappointed.

Lots of energy and fun. Price was right using Goldstar. It's not the Kennedy Center but you aren't paying those prices either. Seating is ice cream parlor chairs with leaning shelf for beverage on stairstepped platform.

Signature is a gem of a gem in Shirlington. They produce shows that could easily go straight to Broadway - I have seen some of the top talent in the East Coast come and give performances. The theater is intimate - you are so close to the performances that you can hardly believe it. I have never seen a bad show at this theater - ever. Now a few of them weren't my taste - but they were beautifully done. Because it's in Shirlington, you only have to step outside for a pre-show dinner and after-show drink. It's a great evening out and I go at least 4-5 times per year. Take advantage of this incredible resource - not many cities have such an awesome performance venue and production company.

I am writing this review very late (June 2012) but am sending it, anyway. We went to see the play version of "Xanadu" back then. The play was entertaining and some of the actors/singers really stood out as being superb (Nova Y. Payton & Sherrie Edelen). However, the male lead actor, in the play, was not that good, to me (off-key singing and mediocre acting). The music is great if you enjoy Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) and Olivia Newton-John songs, in particular. The theater looks alright, seats were ok and the staff was friendly. Ticket prices were reasonable. The only major drawback was finding parking. There is no Metro subway close by. There is garage (where the Harris Teeter Store is) and depending on the day and time of the show, this garage is very crowded with little or no parking spaces. We saw the show on a Sunday afternoon and had to drive a few blocks, to a residential area, to find parking. Usually parking is not permitted on those areas unless you are a resident. There is metered street parking which also is scarce. The Signature Theater is in an area which has a lot of restaurants (The Bungalow Restaurant has superb wings and burgers), a movie theater, hotel, apartments/condos. Thus, this is why parking is so limited. Arrive there extra early to allow time to find parking.

Signature Theatre has grown unbelievably since it started in a former garage a few blocks from its current location in a building designed for it. Shows run the gamut from drama to comedy to musical but all tend to be new works or new productions of noted plays. As mentioned, ticket prices are reasonable and there are often seats available for last minute purchases. Beware, some of the new plays can be quirky but we have never seen a show that was not well done.The lobby bar offers several drink options as well as small plates for before and after a show.