Sadly, The Love is Gone
Reviewed by Mary Alderson
An Anti-Valentine show is now on stage at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre. Instead of promoting romance for February 14, this show is all about breaking up.
Called Heartbreak Hits, it is the latest in the Billboard in Concert series. You will recognize most of the songs, a few maybe not. It’s an entire concert about the end of love.
The “community artists”, as they were listed in the program, are a wonderful surprise. Jeanne Truax and Nicholas Campbell are Northumberland residents. Jeanne was the 2025 winner of the Peterborough Folk Festival’s Emerging Artist Award, which Nicholas also won a few years earlier. The pair performs duets, and also take turns singing solo. They accompany themselves, Jeanne on piano, Nicholas on guitar.
They kick off their set with “Don’t Want your Love Anymore” by the Everly Brothers. Among other songs, they receive strong applause for Nicholas singing Roy Obison’s “Crying” with a perfect falsetto voice for those high notes, and Jeanne singing a real heartbreaker, Adele’s “Someone Like You”. Nicholas shines with the late great Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” and Jeanne sings the crowd-pleaser “You’re No Good” by Linda Ronstadt.
Three musical theatre performers who are well acquainted with the Capitol’s stage present a myriad of break up songs. The three women: Belinda Corpuz who was Annelle, the junior hairdresser in last summer’s Steel Magnolias; Kaylee Harwood starred in Waitress, also last summer; and Krystle Chance who was Judy in 2022’s 9 to 5; sing both solos and as a trio. All three are musical theatre singers, so it is nice to see them stretch out of their comfort zone to present pop songs.
After a tentative start with their trio numbers on opening night, they came into their own with the Supremes’ “Your Keep Me Hangin’ On”, singing it loud and proud.
Belinda Corpuz offers a powerful Kelly Clarkson style “Since U Been Gone”. Kaylee Harwood performs Carol King’s woeful “It’s Too Late” and a compelling version of Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain”. Krystle Chance gives an excellent rendition of Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart”.
The five-piece band seems to drown out the singers in some of the softer songs, particularly the very loud drum kit. In many theatres, drum kits are surrounded by a plexiglass box to dampen the loud sound. Perhaps that’s something the Capitol could take into consideration when the drum kit is on stage.
The concert concludes with the entire cast singing an ominous warning: Taylor Swift’s “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” A chilling song for a very cold February evening. Maybe things will warm up by Valentines Day.
Heartbreak Hits continues at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope until February 8, 2026. Tickets are available at the box office by calling 905-885-1071 or visiting https://capitoltheatre.com/
Photo: Jeanne Truax, Nicholas Campbell, emcee Will Parry, Belinda Corpuz, Kaylee Harwood, and Krystle Chance, all on stage for the finale. Photo by Sam Moffatt
Heartbreak Hits
Conceived by Jeff Newberry & Rob Kempson
Directed by Margot Greve
Musical Direction by Alexa Belgrave
Performed by Belinda Corpuz, Kaylee Harwood, Krystle Chance, Jeanne Truax, Nicholas Campbell, and Will Parry, with the band Alexa Belgrave, Alex Panneton, Kia Rose, Angelica Zavala, Malcolm Connor.
Capitol Theatre, Port Hope
February 7 to 9, 2026
Reviewed by Mary Alderson