Young, Smart, And Rising Fast In The Theatre World

Matthew Gardiner, associate artistic director at Arlington’s Signature Theatre, likes contrasts. “Gardiner’s current follow-up to the grim Really Really is the cotton-candy Xanadu, the theatrical version of the Olivia Newton-John-on-roller-skates musical with Electric Light Orchestra songs. Camp city. ‘Totally makes no sense,’ Gardiner acknowledges of this back-to-back effort, smiling broadly.”