COME FROM AWAY, YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN And More Set for Capitol Theatre 2026 Season

Artistic Director Rob Kempson has announced the Capitol Theatre’s 2026 season, Where Our Stories Begin, featuring ten Canadian productions, five world premieres, and three musicals across its Mainstage, Second Stage, and Music Lovers’ Series.

Four ensemble productions will take the Mainstage next summer: Come From Away by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the Tony Award-winning musical You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Liars at a Funeral by Sophia Fabiilli, and a Canadian adaptation of the thriller Gaslight, by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson. Rounding out the season, the Capitol’s 2026 winter holiday musical will be the world premiere of RED!...a Big Bad Wolf Panto by Rebecca Northan.

The Capitol will also continue its Second Stage Series in the intimate Sculthorpe Theatre, presenting three world premieres. Chris Tsujiuchi’s Big Gay Cabaret, written and performed by Chris Tsujiuchi, will open the series in June, followed by Born to be Bad: The Villains of Broadway, written and performed by Tahirih Vejdani. The series concludes with Farley Mowat’s And No Birds Sang, adapted by Dave Carley and directed by Rob Kempson.

Throughout the year, the Capitol’s Music Lovers’ Series will feature three original works. Heartbreak Hits: Billboard in Concert, created by Rob Kempson and Jeff Newberry, offers an anti-Valentine’s celebration of love lost. Tom Thomson’s Wake, created and performed by Shipyard Kitchen Party (John Eaton, Sacha Law, and Jason Murphy), combines storytelling and East Coast-style folk music to revisit one of Canada’s great artistic mysteries. Finally, I’m Every Woman: The Whitney Houston Songbook, written and performed by Taylor Lovelace with music supervision by Jeff Newberry and direction by Rob Kempson, will make its world premiere in October.

Both And No Birds Sang and I’m Every Woman were developed through the Capitol’s Creators’ Unit, the theatre’s new play development program launched in 2023.

“At the Capitol, we believe in telling the stories of our community, for our community,” said Artistic Director Rob Kempson. “Over the past few years, that has meant an investment in new play creation and a commitment to supporting artists in the early stages of theatre-making. There has never been a better time for us to celebrate Canadian stories. Some of these stories are familiar; some are told in ways that will truly surprise and delight. Whether it feels like coming home or setting out on a new journey, we want to share it with our audiences.”

MAINSTAGE

The Mainstage season opens with You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (May 15–31, 2026), with book, music, and lyrics by Clark Gesner, additional dialogue by Michael Mayer, and additional music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. Directed and choreographed by Rob Kempson with music direction by Shane O’Regan, the musical follows Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang in a heartfelt celebration of life, love, and friendship.

Liars at a Funeral by Sophia Fabiilli (June 12–28, 2026), directed by Aaron Jan, offers a darkly comic look at family dysfunction as an estranged clan reunites to mourn their matriarch, Mavis, in a riotous mix of grief and reconciliation.

From July 10 to August 2, Come From Away, the internationally acclaimed Canadian musical by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, will be directed by Rob Kempson with music direction by Jeff Newberry and choreography by Genny Sermonia. The production tells the true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the Newfoundland community that welcomed them in the aftermath of 9/11.

The season continues with Gaslight by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson (August 21–September 6, 2026), based on Patrick Hamilton’s play and directed by Marie Farsi. This reimagined Canadian adaptation of the psychological thriller follows Bella Manningham as she questions her sanity amid a series of eerie happenings in her own home.

Closing the Mainstage season, the world premiere of RED!...a Big Bad Wolf Panto (November 20–December 27, 2026) will bring a lively twist to the classic fairytale. Written by Rebecca Northan with musical arrangements by Jeff Newberry and direction by Aurora Browne, the production offers a comedic and music-filled retelling of Little Red Riding Hood in the Capitol’s holiday pantomime tradition.

Second Stage

The Second Stage lineup begins with Chris Tsujiuchi’s Big Gay Cabaret (June 4–7, 2026), a world premiere musical celebration written and performed by Tsujiuchi. The production will be followed by Born to be Bad: The Villains of Broadway (June 30–July 5, 2026), a new solo cabaret created and performed by Tahirih Vejdani that celebrates theatre’s most memorable antagonists.

From August 14 to September 6, the world premiere of Farley Mowat’s And No Birds Sang, adapted by Dave Carley and directed by Rob Kempson, will bring Mowat’s war memoir to the stage in the town where it was written, exploring his transformation from a young soldier to a battle-hardened veteran during World War II.

MUSIC & ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING

The 2026 Music Lovers’ Series begins with Heartbreak Hits: Billboard in Concert (February 6–8, 2026), conceived by Jeff Newberry and Rob Kempson and directed by Margot Greve, offering a musical exploration of heartbreak through popular hits. Tom Thomson’s Wake (March 6–8, 2026), created and performed by Shipyard Kitchen Party, brings a blend of story and song as three friends remember the life and legacy of the famed Canadian painter. Finally, I’m Every Woman: The Whitney Houston Songbook (October 23–25, 2026) will debut as a world premiere celebration of the music and legacy of Whitney Houston.

The Capitol’s Cabaret and Kitchen Party programs will continue throughout the year in the Sculthorpe Theatre, alongside additional concerts and On Screen programming, including the return of The Met: Live in HD broadcasts.

CAMP CAPITOL

The theatre’s Camp Capitol youth program returns in 2026 with three week-long sessions for participants aged 8–15, led by Kelly Perras. Camp dates include March 16–20 (March Break) and July 6–10 and July 13–17 (Summer Sessions).

TICKETS