Shakespeare Theatre Company and Signature Will Co-Produce Stephen Sondheim's Follies in DC

Shakespeare Theatre Company and Signature Theatre will co-produce a revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's Follies that will be part of the former's 2026-2027 season.

Directed by Signature Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner, performances are scheduled for May 18-June 10, 2027, at Shakespeare Theatre Company's Harmon Hall in Washington, D.C.

Presented by special arrangement with Cameron Mackintosh, the production will have orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. Casting and additional creative team members will be announced at a later date.

Follies is set in a dilapidated theatre about to be torn down and features a score by Sondheim and a book by Goldman. The musical premiered at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre in April 1971 with a score that boasts such tunes as "Beautiful Girls," "Broadway Baby," "In Buddy's Eyes," "I'm Still Here," "Could I Leave You?," "Losing My Mind," and "Who's That Woman?" Among the original cast were Dick Latessa, Alexis Smith, Yvonne De Carlo, John McMartin, Gene Nelson, and Dorothy Collins. The musical won seven Tony Awards in 1972.

“At Signature, we are known for producing the musicals of Stephen Sondheim,” said Gardiner in a statement. “Over the past 36 years, we have staged over 35 productions of his work, more than any other theatre in the world. I’m thrilled to add another title to that legacy, this time in an exciting co-production between Shakespeare Theatre Company and Signature. In the spring of 2027, I will direct Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman’s masterpiece Follies on the Harman Hall stage. I cannot imagine a more perfect venue to bring Sondheim’s musical to life as we transform this beautiful theatre into a faded palace of memory and glamour. We’re aiming to create a production that maintains the intimacy and immediacy that audiences love about Signature while embracing the scale and grandeur of Harman Hall. Signature’s Managing Director Maggie Boland and I are grateful to … everyone at Shakespeare Theatre Company for enthusiastically coming to the table to partner with us as we bring this haunting, beautiful musical to life for Washington audiences.”

Shakespeare Theatre Company's upcoming season will also include Brian Cox (Succession) in the Theatre Royal Bath production of Oliver Cotton's The Score, directed by Trevor Nunn (September 11-October 18, 2026, in Harman Hall); Frida… A Self-Portrait, written and performed by Vanessa Severo with direction by Joanie Schultz (October 8-November 8 in the Klein Theatre); a Simon Godwin-directed revival of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream that will feature an acting company surrounded by puppets under master puppeteer Basil Twist (December 4, 2026-January 10, 2027, in Harman Hall); Lorraine Hansberry's ground-breaking A Raisin in the Sun, produced in association with Oregon Shakespeare Festival and directed by Tim Bond (January 23-February 28 in the Klein); and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (April 13-May 16 in the Klein).

“Miracles, music, and magic combine in STC’s 26/27 season,” says STC Artistic Director Godwin in a statement. “These are stories that explore the eternal clash between artists and power and include a gripping portrait of one of the 20th century’s most compelling artists, two of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays, a seminal American classic, and a lavish musical to end the season.”

For ticket information click here.