Creative director Matthew Gardiner wants theater-goers to have an experience at Signature they can’t get elsewhere: high quality, Broadway-caliber musicals in an intimate space where the audience can see, feel and connect with the emotions of the actors. The chance to be in the company of others, “experiencing a story, breathing together, laughing together, crying together,” he says, “is a really powerful, life-changing, world-changing thing.” Gardiner chooses productions that reflect the times we live in, from provocative new works by emerging playwrights to fresh takes on Broadway classics. This season brings a special version of Fiddler on the Roof and a new and electrifying riff on the indie rock musical Safety Not Guaranteed. –Madelyn Rosenberg
Other top vote-getters:
Creative Cauldron
Encore Stage & Studio
The State Theatre
Wolf Trap