When you’re rolling out the welcome mat, promising shared stories, memories and new connections are behind the door, the pressure is on to deliver.
On Thursday night (October 5), Port Hope’s historic Capitol Theatre didn’t disappoint, revealing a diverse and exciting 2024 season lineup of theatrical and musical performances.
With the dual goal of exciting the converted and enticing the uncommitted, artistic director Rob Kempson put his infectious energy to very good use, welcoming a number of presenters and performers to the stage to reveal what’s in store for next year.
To say all the stops were pulled out would be an understatement, the fun spirit of the preview best exemplified by a very naked Cameron Green who, hat covering his private parts, announced that The Full Monty will be staged in July 2024 (see the full list of productions below). When wearing clothes, Green owns and operates McThirsty’s in Peterborough as well as The Thirsty Goose in Port Hope.
“Our tagline is Sharing Stories, Creating Memories, Making Connections,” noted Kempson, a Kingston native who was named the theatre’s artistic director in October 2021. “Coming to the Capitol isn’t just about coming to see theatre. It’s about coming to make those memories. It’s about coming to meet new people.”
“When I arrived, it was really clear to me that we had a very robust (Christmas) panto audience and we had a very robust summer audience. But they didn’t see each other. What we’ve spent a lot of time doing making sure those two groups of people start to talk to each other.”
The Capitol’s focus on engaging the community includes a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, where all those who live in Port Hope can see themselves reflected in the works presented at the theatre — a commitment reflected in the casting of this past summer’s reinvented production of the musical Little Shop of Horrors.
“We invite all the others who have been historically marginalized and felt unwelcome in this space — (although) that wasn’t through anyone’s intention,” Kempson said. “It’s about us making sure we’re intentionally inviting people. If we put a queer show on stage, we’re not saying people who aren’t queer can’t come. We’re saying that people who are queer should come.”
“Port Hope and this region are growing, are changing; we’re more diverse than we’ve ever been. The more we can make sure that everyone knows this is a place for them, the better we’re doing our job.”
Among the converted on hand as one of the onstage presenters was Ian Everdell, who attended Queen’s University in Kingston and befriended Kempson there. They reconnected when Kempson moved to Port Hope. Soon enough, Everdell put his technical and set building skills to work at the theatre, and remains a subscriber.
“What’s really special about the work that Rob and (managing director) Erin (Pierce) and the team are doing here is the calibre is so high,” says Everdell, who owns Happenstance Bakery in Port Hope.
“It’s on the same level as Stratford and Shaw in our little town. The other thing that’s remarkable is all the work that they do in the community. Everything they do is with the people that live here and support theatre in mind.”
Everdell is convinced there are a number of people who have yet to experience the Capitol Theatre and its stage offerings — something that bodes well for the future of the arts space.
For now, that future is as close as next year, the following performance lineup being what was revealed Thursday night.
2024 Summer Stage
A Year With Frog & Toad (May 17 — June 2)
Based on Arnold Lobel’s beloved books, this whimsical show chronicles the story of two friends — the very chipper Frog and the rather grumpy Toad — through four fun-filled seasons. Alongside the other animals of the forest, they plant gardens, go swimming, rake leaves, go sledding and learn life lessons along the way.
Bed & Breakfast (June 14 — 30)
Brett and Drew want to move out of their tiny downtown condo and into a house, but they just lost their seventh bidding war in Toronto. When Brett’s beloved Aunt Maggie dies in a nearby small town, the couple decides to make the move and start up a B&B out of her historic home. But when they face friction in their new community, the two discover that the simple life is more complicated than they thought.
The Full Monty (July 12 — 18)
While spying on their wives at a ‘Girls’ Night Out,’ a group of unemployed steelworkers from Buffalo come up with a bold (and unclothed) way to make some quick cash. In preparing for the show, they find themselves extremely exposed, both physically and emotionally. As they conquer their fears, self-consciousness and prejudices, the men come to discover that they’re stronger as a group, and the strength that they find in each other gives them the individual courage to let it all go.
Christmastown (August 16 — September 1)
Kringle, Ontario is in a rut. When the well-meaning town reeve devises a tourism development plan to celebrate Christmas all year round, the town thinks it’s a great idea. But two weeks and a heat wave later, they ‘re having second thoughts. Nora, whose convenience store and gas station is the centre of cultural activity, is suddenly desperate for a much-needed vacation. Throw in an anxious restauranteur, a sassy teenager and a wide-eyed new resident, and you’ve got a recipe for a veritable blizzard of hilarity.
2024 Holiday Panto
Rapunzel: A Merry (Hairy) Holiday Panto (November 22 — December 22)
Rapunzel is bored and lonely, with her lengthy braid as her only potential for escape. When a dim-witted prince accidentally discovers her plight, it sets in motion a string of events that will unravel the original story in a surprising and wonderful way. In this wildly funny reimagining of the traditional tale, Rapunzel comes to discover the power within, all set to a score of popular songs and beloved panto traditions.
2024 Concerts
Any Dream Will Do: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (February 9 & 10)
Told through story and song, this celebration of one of the greatest musical composers of all time is brought to life by top musical performers from Stratford, Toronto, the West End and Broadway, and features an avalanche of Webber’s hit songs, including Memory, Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard and The Music of the Night.
Billboard In Concert 1973 (March 22 & 23)
Created by local and regional artists, these unique concerts return, celebrating the top Billboard hits of a given year. Each show features the hits you know and love, performed in new arrangements.
Gabs Sings Babs (July 31 — August 11)
Capitol Theatre favourite Gabi Epstein is one of Canada’s leading stage and cabaret performers, often referred to as Canada’s Barbra Streisand. Accompanied by Mark Camilleri, Gabs Sings Babs shares the story of Epstein’s artistic journey, told through Streisand’s iconic music in original arrangements.
Billboard In Concert 2000 (October 25 & 26)
In addition to these marquee shows, 2024 will also see the Capitol Theatre offer Metropolitan Opera film screenings, as well as a new film series in partnership with the Marie Dressler Foundation and TIFF Film Circuit.
Musically, both the Capitol Kitchen Party and Capitol Cabaret series return, the former seeing bluegrass, country, Celtic, and roots music performers take to the A.K. and Bob Sculthorpe Studio Theatre stage, and the latter featuring intimate shows featuring cabaret stars from across Canada.
Visit capitoltheatre.com for more 2024 season updates and/or to order subscriptions for the 2024 season (available now) and individual show tickets once they’re available in January.
Billed as Canada’s first theatre built specifically for the screening of ‘talkie’ films, the Capitol Theatre opened at its current Queen Street location on August 15, 1930, screening Queen High starring Charlie Ruggles and Ginger Rogers.
Following the 1929 closure of the Grand Opera House at the same location, Famous Players backed the film theatre’s development. Designed by Murray Brown, a former president of the Ontario Association of Architects, it was renovated for the then heady sum of $80,000,
Sold to Premier Theatres in 1945, the Capitol Theatre operated under its ownership until 1987, when declining revenue saw it closed and put up for sale. There things sat until 1993, when the Capitol Theatre Heritage Foundation undertook the theatre’s restoration, re-opening it in 1995 as a multi-purpose theatre.
In 2003, when a neighbouring Queen Street property became available, the foundation, buoyed by very generous community donations, bought it and expanded the theatre, adding many modern amenities before opening anew for the 2004-05 season. The A.K. and Bob Sculthorpe Studio Theatre subsequently opened on the theatre’s second floor. In July 2016, the Capitol Theatre was designated a National Historic Site.
“Spaces like this are so unique, so special and so worthy of preservation,” raves Kempson.
“But it’s not a museum. It’s a really active community space, now as was in the past. The way that we invite people in is with high quality, contemporary programming. Hopefully the people who come for the history leave loving what we’re doing on stage, and the people who come for what’s on stage leave loving the history.”
