By Mike Renzella | The Haldimand Press
April 17, 2025
PORT DOVER—The Lighthouse Festival Theatre’s summer season is just around the corner, promising another year of laughter, emotion, mystery, and more. Kicking off the annual tradition by the shores of Lake Erie is this year’s community show, a lively adaptation of Tony award-winning musical ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder’.
Directed by former Artistic Director Derek Ritschel, the show is a fast-paced comedy in which Monty Navarro, a poor young man played with gusto and charm by JP Antonacci, discovers he is ninth in line to be named Earl of the D’Ysquith family.
It’s not long before Monty realizes he can skip the line by ‘taking care’ of the eight unlucky heirs ahead of him, leading to a madcap set of songs and hilarious murders sure to get your toes tapping while a chorus of community actors keeps step with Antonacci.
While Lighthouse’s community shows are cast with local, unprofessional talent, you would never know it as the show unfolds on stage. The months of preparation is more than evident on the stage. This show is lengthy, always moving, and slides in and out of musical numbers with ease as the talented backstage team spin and arrange set pieces in the shadows.
Ritschel, who directed last year’s fantastic adaptation of ‘The Producers’ that also starred Antonacci, has the magic touch when it comes to shows like this. He knows exactly how to tap into the boundless joy of the cast and turn it onto the audience.
Alongside the lead, several local actors shine. There’s Richard Dupp’s Lord Adalbert D’Ysquith belting out the show-stopping musical number ‘I Don’t Understand the Poor’, while Jada Dawson as Sibelia Hallward and Charly Buck as Phoebe D’Ysquith trade barbs and songs vying for Monty’s heart.
Ritschel praised his entire cast: “The passion and dedication these local actors share is nothing short of remarkable. They dedicate so much of their time and energy for three and a half months; just for the love of performing for us all.”
While dead D’Ysquith cousins begin to pile up and the police begin to hone in on Monty, the show keeps audiences engaged and laughing along until the final note has been played.
Love and Murder has several fun theatrical tricks up its sleeve, as veteran Ritschel deploys singing portraits, on-stage decapitations, booming rifle blasts, and more to add a slapstick zaniness to the proceedings that never feels forced.
The behind-the-scenes artistic team, including choreographer Katie Edwards and Musical Directors Tony Proracki and Michelle Jackson Proracki, deserve a hearty round of applause for their excellent work. The choreography in the show is intricate and impressive, while the large cast never hits a sour note, despite the challenging complexity of the lyrics and relentless pace.
So, if murder and music with a dash of romance sounds like the right recipe for a night on the town, head to Port Dover and get ready to laugh with this solidly satisfying season-opener from the team at Lighthouse Festival Theatre.
The show runs until April 27. For tickets and further information, visit Lighthouse online at lighthousetheatre.com.
After studying journalism at Humber College, Mike Renzella desired to write professionally but found himself working in technical fields for many years. Beginning in 2019 as a freelancer, he joined the team full-time later that year. Since then, Mike has won several awards for his articles thanks to his commitment to presenting an unbiased, honest look at the important news and events shaping our community.
