The Capitol Theatre Port Hope Announces 2026 Casting

Pete Fisher
14 hours ago
• Categories: entertainment, Local

Pre-Season 2026 | Videos & Movies on Vimeo

Single Tickets on Sale March 31
Rob Kempson, Artistic Director of the Capitol Theatre Port Hope, has announced casting for the four mainstage productions of the Where Our Stories Begin summer season: Broadway smash-hit musical Come From Away, Tony Award-winning musical You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown; new Canadian classic Liars at a Funeral; and a thrilling Canadian adaptation of Gaslight.

“This summer the Capitol welcomes a large company of incredibly talented artists to Port Hope to bring our shows and concerts to life, with beloved returning folks, and notable new faces,” says Kempson.

“There is a deep breadth of artistic talent across the country, so we are thrilled to showcase stars from Stratford, Shaw, Mirvish, and Canada’s indie theatre scene in a predominantly Canadian season that runs from major musicals to intimate dramas.”

Artists returning to the Capitol in key roles this season include Scott Carmichael, Beau Dixon, Donna Garner, Kyle Golemba, Amir Haidar, Ben Kopp, Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster, Aaron Macpherson, Taylor Lovelace, Melissa Payne, Matt Pilipiak, and more.

The Capitol also welcomes a number of acclaimed artists making their Capitol debut in 2026, including AP Bautista, Kyle Blair, Aidan deSalaiz, Jane Luk, Julie Lumsden, Monique Lund, Glynis Ranney, Daniel Reale, Annika Tupper, Brendan Wall and more.

Single tickets for all summer productions are available as of 10 a.m, March 31. Full season subscriptions are still available. Check out the season promo video here. Visit CapitolTheatre.com for more details.

MAINSTAGE SEASON
You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown
Book, Music and Lyrics by Clark Gesner. Additional Dialogue by Michael Mayer. Additional Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa.

May 15 – 31, 2026

Directed and choreographed by Rob Kempson, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown features Amir Haidar in the title role, with Jillian Mitsuko Cooper as Sally, AP Bautista as Lucy Van Pelt, Matt Pilipiak as Snoopy, Kyle Golemba as Schroeder, and Ben Kopp as Linus Van Pelt.

Life, love, baseball—and an opinionated dog named Snoopy. Based on the beloved comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, this musical comedy chronicles the adventures of Charlie Brown and the entire Peanuts gang. Winner of two Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards.

Liars at a Funeral
By Sophia Fabiilli

June 12 – 28, 2026

Directed by Aaron Jan, Liars at a Funeral features Aidan deSalaiz, Carolyn Fe, Ericka Leobrera, Jane Luk, and Gregory Solomon.

Grief has never been so hilarious! When an estranged family gathers to mourn the passing of Mavis, the family matriarch, the funeral erupts into a more dysfunctional family reunion than any of them could have imagined. If everyone can keep it together, they might just break the intergenerational curse and make it out alive!

Come From Away
Book, Music & Lyrics by Irene Sankoff & David Hein

Music Direction by Jeff Newberry

Choreography by Genny Sermonia

July 10 – August 2, 2026

Directed by Rob Kempson, and featuring live music performed by the company, the Capitol’s production of Come From Away features Donna Garner as Diane, Tat Austrie as Hannah, Annika Tupper as Janice, Monique Lund as Beulah, Melissa Payne as Bonnie, Julie Lumsden as Beverley, Beau Dixon as Oz, real-life couple Kyle Blair and Kyle Golemba playing Kevin T and Kevin J (respectively), Charlie Clark as Bob, Brendan Wall as Claude, and Scott Carmichael as Nick.

A truly Canadian story of creating community around the world. This global sensation takes you into the centre of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town of Gander, Newfoundland that welcomed them during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Gaslight
By Johnna Wright & Patty Jamieson

Based on Patrick Hamilton’s Play

August 21 – September 6, 2026

Directed by Marie Farsi, Gaslight features Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster as Bella, Darren Martens as Jack, Mallory James as Nancy, and Glynis Ranney as Elizabeth.

The classic thriller comes with even more twists in this Canadian adaptation. Bella Manningham thinks she’s losing her mind. In the evenings, she hears strange sounds and the gas lights dim for no apparent reason. But is she losing her grip on reality, or is it being loosened for her?

As previously announced, the Capitol’s Second Stage Series runs in tandem with the mainstage shows, in the venue’s more intimate Sculthorpe Theatre. The lineup for 2026 includes three world premieres:
Chris Tsujiuchi’s Big Gay Cabaret written and performed by Tsujiuchi;

Born to be Bad: The Villains of Broadway written and performed by Tahirih Vejdani;
and Farley Mowat’s And No Birds Sang adapted by Dave Carley, directed by Rob Kempson, and starring Aaron Macpherson and Daniel Reale, with more casting to be announced.

The Capitol also hosts concerts year-round in its historic venue. In 2026, the Capitol’s Music Lovers’ Series centres around original works, including the world premiere of I’m Every Woman: The Whitney Houston Songbook written and performed by Taylor Lovelace.

Farley Mowat’s And No Birds Sang and I’m Every Woman were both developed through the Capitol’s Creators’ Unit, the home for New Play Development at the Capitol since 2023.