Might-have-beens and million-dollar music bookend a four-part program of live summer entertainment at Port Hope's Capitol Theatre from April 4 through Sept. 1.
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis (as played by Derek Marshall and Nicholas Arnold) kick it off in Dean & Jerry – What Might Have Been (April 4 through 14).
Legendary crooner Dean Martin actually hit the big time as straight man to comedian Jerry Lewis back in the 1950s. Movies and personal appearances sent the act of Martin & Lewis to the top before personal tensions broke them up forever. Each went on to astounding solo success, but the show at the Capitol (created by Jesse Collins) is a concert that will make you wonder what might have happened had they stayed together.
The season finisher (Aug. 6 through Sept. 1) is Million Dollar Quartet, based on an actual jam session (also in the '50s) at Memphis-based Sun Records.
Some amazing talent was floating around Memphis at the time, and Sun Records executive Sam Phillips had an unsurpassed eye for picking it out. Inevitably, four of his greatest finds (Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley) got together for an informal jam session at some point before they all became million-dollar stars. What may have seemed an insignificant session at the time has been made into a musical presentation like no other.
In between, proven properties offer a crowd-pleasing summer season.
Guys And Dolls (May 21 through June 16) is a beloved Frank Loesser musical comedy about mobsters and their gals rolling the dice and falling in love under Broadway lights.
Tuesdays With Morrie (July 2 through 21) has been called the best-selling memoir of all time, and certainly was a beloved movie in recent years.
Before and after the big summer productions, the Capitol Concert Series runs.
March 8 – Night Fever: An Evening With The Beegees
March 15 – Sounds of Motown
March 22 – Solitary Man: The Music of Neil Diamond
Sept. 20 – Brass Transit: The Musical Legacy of Chicago
Sept. 21 – Abba Revisited
Sept. 26 – Songs of the Prideland: The Music of The Lion King
Tickets to each concert are $49 including fees and HST (except for the March 22 concert, which is $48).
The Cameco Capitol Arts Centre is located at 20 Queen St. in Port Hope. For a more complete schedule of events and ticket information, visit capitoltheatre.com.
