Coming off one of the busiest seasons in the history of the Chatham Capitol and Kiwanis theatres, Devon Hansen and the theatre operations team are springboarding into a promising 2026-27 season.
Hansen, theatre manager for the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, and his team are bringing a variety of musical and comedy talent to town beginning in October, offering something for everyone, and taking big swings to deliver entertainment to C-K.
From comedians Tom Arnold and Brent Butt to Canadian icons Susan Aglukark, I Mother Earth and Big Sugar, to family friendly shows such as K Pop Dreamworld, the season is diverse indeed.
“We are trying to create a season that has something for everybody,” Hansen said. “We are also taking a chance on things you don’t know, such as the Toronto Jazz Orchestra and Meet the Hatter. We have some at the Kiwanis Theatre which are really unique.”
Those include the intimate Shipyard Kitchen Party and Girls’ Night Out.
Hansen said he’s personally excited for the Natalie McMaster Christmas show, and is curious to see the response for the K Pop event.
“The K Pop trend is huge for the kids right now,” he said.
Hansen added the bevvy of shows announced last week don’t include performances outside organizations book into the Capitol and Kiwanis theatres. When it is all said and done, he expects another really busy season.
Tickets for all events are now on sale through cktickets.com.
Over the past 12 months, Hansen said more than 62,000 people came through the theatre doors.
“Those visitors attended concerts, school performances, movies, graduations, dance competitions, community events, theatrical productions, and so much more. Every one of those visits represents a person choosing to spend their time engaging with the arts in our community,” he said.
And it’s not just local residents attending. Figures show that only 42 per cent of those coming to shows are from Chatham-Kent, while the remainder come from other parts of Ontario, and into the U.S.
“Those numbers tell an important story . They tell us that what happens on our stages matters beyond our municipal boundaries. People are travelling here because of the experiences being created in our venues,” Hansen said.
The Capitol hosted 155 events, while the Kiwanis held 35 more.
The theatre team took a look at the economic impact the performances at the Capitol and the Kiwanis have made for Chatham-Kent. Hansen said thy utilized what is called the Tourism Regional Impact Model and determined the theatres helped bring approximately $9.4 million into the community for the past year.
“We didn’t make the number up. It’s a provincial model for this. That impact includes restaurants, hotels, shopping, transportation, staffing, and countless other businesses and services that benefit when people gather for live events,” he said. “Every ticket sold creates a ripple effect throughout our community.”
Just for the month of June, Hansen said the theatres are hosting 25 events in 30 days.
“There are events on nights other than weekends that bring people downtown,” he said. “Support theatre. Support arts and culture.”
