Todd Almond & Matthew Sweet’s New Musical Girlfriend to Make D.C. Premiere at Signature Theatre

A series of world premieres and D.C.-area premieres fill out the new season at Arlington, Virginia’s Signature Theatre. The new musicals Girlfriend from Todd Almond and Matthew Sweet and Light Years by Robbie Schaefer are docketed to play the esteemed venue alongside the D.C. premiere of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s The Scottsboro Boys.

In the fall, Signature will present An Act of God (October 3-November 26). Former The Daily Show head writer David Javerbaum’s play has appeared on Broadway in two engagements, starring Jim Parsons and Sean Hayes, in 2015 and 2016, respectively. In the comedy, God is back and he’s got a lot to say. Tom Story will lead the show, directed by Eleanor Holdridge.

For the holiday season, Matthew Gardiner will direct the Crazy for You (November 7, 2017-January 14, 2018). In the Ken Ludwig-penned show, a musical-loving banker sent to foreclose on a small-town theater decides to revive it instead with the magic of the Follies. Featuring a score by George and Ira Gershwin that includes “I’ve Got Rhythm,” “Someone to Watch Over Me” and “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” Signature’s production will include choreography by Broadway's Denis Jones.

In the winter, Signature will launch two world premiere productions. Signature kicks off the Heidi Thomas Writers’ Initiative with 4,380 Nights (January 16-February 18, 2018) by Annalisa Dias and directed by Kathleen Akerley. For the last 12 years (or 4,380 days), Malik Djamal Ahmad Essaid has been held without charge by the United States government at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. As he languishes in his cell, his interactions with those on the outside are juxtaposed with historical events in an exposé into the most dangerous prison of all: fear. Eric Schaeffer directs Light Years (February 6-March 4, 2018), a new musical by Robbie Schaefer. Light Years is a deeply personal tale of immigration, musical gifts and the steadfast bond between father and son.

In the MAX Theatre, Joe Calarco directs Annie Baker’s John (April 3-29, 2018). The play follows Elias and Jenny, a young Brooklyn couple, who escape on a much-needed getaway to a cozy bed-and-breakfast in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. However, under the watchful eye of the cheery—if slightly off—​innkeeper, a ghost seems to haunt their crumbling relationship. Gardiner directs the coming-of-age musical Girlfriend (April 17-June 10, 2018) by book writer Todd Almond and featuring the music of Matthew Sweet. Set in small-town Nebraska in 1993, college-bound jock Mike and self-assured but aimless Will find themselves drawn to each other. Their rush of first-time love is captured by the power-pop precision and frayed guitar emotion of Matthew Sweet’s iconic alternative-rock album “Girlfriend.”

To close the season, Calarco will direct John Kander and Fred Ebb’s Tony-nominated musical The Scottsboro Boys (May 22-July 1, 2018). On March 25, 1931, nine young African-American teenagers were ripped off a train, falsely accused of a crime, hastily tried and sentenced to death in an outrageous disregard of due process. The production features choreography by Broadway’s Jared Grimes.