The black-tie gala benefit was held at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC. The Sondheim Award Gala benefits Signature Theatre's artistic, education and community programs.
In 2009, Signature Theatre inaugurated The Stephen Sondheim Award in recognition of the importance of Sondheim's work to Signature and to theater in general. In April 2010, the first Award was given to stage, screen and television actress Angela Lansbury. Last year, Tony Award winner Bernadette Peters was the recipient. The Award is given on a yearly basis to an individual for his or her career contributions to interpreting, supporting, and collaborating on Stephen Sondheim’s music works. To date, Signature has presented 22 Stephen Sondheim productions, more than any other theater in the United States. In 2002, Signature's Eric Schaeffer was the artistic director of The Sondheim Celebration at the Kennedy Center.
Here's a look at the Gala: