March 12, 2025
Port Dover Maple Leaf
By Donna McMillan
From April 11th to April 27th. The Lighthouse Festival Theatre’s much anticipated 2025 Community Show “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” will be hitting the stage in Port Dover with a “farcical romp” for cast and crew to sing and dance their way through.
In an interview, Derek Ritschel, Director of the Community performance, described the Tony Award winning storyline as very quirky, musically complex and a lot of fun to unfold on stage. Essentially, Monty Navarro is eighth in line to an earldom and works his way to the top through trickery and murder, he said. And yet, you can’t help but like him in spite of the fact he is murdering for self – advancement! Derek shared an ensemble of 17 actors has been rehearsing three nights a week since the beginning of January.
The Community play started and continues to be a fundraiser for the Not – For – Profit theatre, Derek said. By buying a ticket,” it is a great way to donate to the theatre and get something cool in return.” And for the cast and crew, who donate their time, it is an opportunity to work with a professional Director and Choreographer as well as having fun. Fifteen of the ensemble are returning actors while two are new to the LFT Community Play, he shared.
Heather Reichheld, a retired librarian from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, is the Stage Manager for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, her 11th show. She has loved being involved in the Community Performance since her first “The Drowsy Chaperone” in 2014. “I enjoy doing it and it is something my husband ( also a performer) and I can do together.” J.P Antonacci, lead actor, described Heather as the nerve centre of the performance. “She keeps us in line. She has a big voice.” Heather concurred, joking she likes telling people what to do, keeping the spreadsheets and keeping track of such a large cast. Adding to the storyline of “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”, she shared Navarro learned his late mother was disowned by her wealthy family. Very poor, Navarro attempts to get a job with his rich relations. They reject him. Hence his determination to find a way into the family. “It’s different from the Broadway play,” she said, in that the Broadway performance used one person to play all eight characters standing in the way to the Earldom. Eight actors play those eight obstacles in Navarro’s way to the top in the community production.
Port Dover resident and Hamilton Spectator journalist, J.P. Antonacci, is the lead actor playing Monty Navarro in A Gentleman’s Guide….. This is his sixth Community Show. As well he has performed in Simcoe Little Theatre Performances and conducts the Haunted Walks in Norfolk.
In this play, he shared the audience will see a zany ensemble of characters through his character’s eyes and will have to decide if his protagonist role is evil or just fell into the circumstances. “It was fun to play it,” he said. The Community Play “is the most fun I have all year round,” JP said, “and I have a lot of fun,” mentioning also that he performs with the band The Shrubberies. He shared how much he enjoys working with a positive, energetic and good spirited group. “It fills me up,” he said.
J.P. feels he has become a better actor and gained more confidence every community show he has performed in. “I owe it to Derek and the Professional team here,” he said. The audience is going to see a high- quality show, he shared. The music is different; a faster pace; more operatic. The challenge of his lead role is singing a lot of words in so many songs while dancing, he said.
Julie Buffett plays Miss Shingle, a “mysterious person” who gives help and sets the protagonist in motion in his quest to gain the Earldom of the wealthy, but not so nice D’Ysquith family. A Social Worker, Julie is performing for the first time in the LFT Community play, but is no stranger to theatre. She has worked backstage or on stage in theatres in Simcoe, Hamilton, Cambridge and Tillsonburg. She directed Steel Magnolias and Nunsense in Tillsonburg. She is embracing her role in “A Gentleman’s Guide…..”. She’s great. She’s eccentric, she shared.
Kiana Littlemore, in her last year at Simcoe Composite School, has assumed a new role, along with Chrystal Stephens, of looking after Costumes and Props for this performance. A veteran actor in Young Theatre Players, she has performed in Little Shop of Horrors, The Wolves, Mean Girls Junior and more. She is enjoying the new experience of being in charge of costumes; making sure all costumes fit, is consistent with the time period and cast members can move easily in their clothing. She found Sibella and Phoebe the most challenging to costume to keep them elegant and period appropriate. She shared costumes have been collected from Simcoe Little Theatre, the Lighthouse Theatre wardrobe collection and some cast members have brought in their own. Not to be missed, tickets go quickly for the Community Play. For the April 11 to 27 performance tickets, contact Lighthouse Festival Theatre by visiting the Box Office at 247 Main St, Port Dover, calling 519 583 2221 or visit lighthousetheatre.com
