Anne of Green Gables — The Musical has finally received the breath of fresh air it so badly needed.

The show has been revitalized under the direction of Anne Allan; it is now crisper, cleaner and shorter than any other production of the show in recent memory.

The story of Anne of Green Gables is timeless. No matter how many times I see the show I am always moved by it. The relationships between Anne, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert make for some wonderful moments on stage.

This year these three roles have been recast — an excellent move on Anne Allan’s part. Amy Wallis as Anne, Sandy Winsby as Matthew, and Janet MacEwan as Marilla breathe new life into characters that audiences have come to cherish over the last 40- odd years.

Amy Wallis’ Anne is an absolute delight.

Wallis is a newcomer to the Charlottetown Festival, but is quickly making her mark as one of the finest Anne Shirleys the show has ever seen.

She has a wonderful energy that just bursts out of her from the moment she opens her mouth, chattering on to Matthew at the train station.

Matthew Cuthbert falls in love with her feisty spirit right away — and so does the audience.

From the opening moments of the show to the very last, Anne grows before our very eyes, maturing from an impetuous girl into a smart, sensible young woman.

Wallis makes this transformation believable and heartfelt, never missing a beat along the way.

Sandy Winsby does a fine job as Matthew Cuthbert. The moments he shares with Anne are incredibly tender and moving.

Winsby and Wallis play off each other extremely well, exhibiting a chemistry that last year’s Anne and Matthew lacked. Winsby’s Matthew is gentle and kind as well as mischievous and fun-loving.

Janet MacEwan fits in nicely alongside Wallis and Winsby. MacEwan is at her best during Marilla’s tender moments. Her Marilla is a bit softer than what I’m used to seeing, but by the end of the show I found that to be quite a nice change. It sets MacEwan apart from past actresses who have played Marilla, giving the audience a fresh perspective on a complicated character.

The other two new principals, Charlotte Moore as Rachel Lynde and Natalie Daradich as Diana Barry are also superb additions to the cast.

Anne Shirley, played by actress Amy Wallis, arrives at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in a horse and buggy for the opening night performance of Anne of Green Gables - The Musical Saturday. Welcoming her with a bouquet is the centre’s CEO David MacKenzie. Anne, Canada’s longest-running musical, plays at the Confederation Centre's Mainstage Theatre on selected dates until September 30. (GUARDIAN PHOTO BY NIGEL ARMSTRONG)

Moore’s Mrs. Lynde is comedic without being over the top, whereas Daradich ’s Diana is wide-eyed and adorable without being irritating.

Besides bringing in these wonderful new actors, Anne Allan also freshened up the show by shortening it.

The show moves along at a faster pace; the transitions between scenes have been shortened, with one scene blending into the next rather than ending abruptly.

The lighting has also been redesigned to facilitate these new transitions.

For the most part, these new transitions work. However, I found the transition at the end of the concert scene in Act II to be slightly distracting.

In past years there was a blackout on the scene, freezing Anne in her moment of glory after winning the scholarship.This scene now dissolves while lit, and it takes away some of the scene’s power.

Anne of Green Gables The Musical is an immaculately crafted show. Its story, music, and dialogue were all designed by its creators to appeal to all ages in different eras.

I’m sure people cried when Marilla sang The Words in 1965; they are still moved to tears by the same scene today.

Anne Allan and her assistant director/choreographer Kerry Gage recognize this; it is apparent that they treat the show with a great deal of care and respect.

As Islanders, she is our Anne, and it is refreshing to see her so well taken care of.

Alix MacLean of Charlottetown has been involved in theatre on Prince Edward Island for more than 10 years. She is about to enter her final year at McGill University where she is majoring in women’s studies and political science. Her theatre reviews will appear regularly in The Guardian this summer. She welcomes comments from readers at alixmac@hotmail.com.

An Anne called Amy
Festival announces new star of Anne of Green Gables - The Musical™

Wallis will play the role of Anne Shirley in the 2006 Charlottetown Festival production of Anne of Green Gables—The Musical™
The Charlottetown Festival proudly announces that British Columbia actress Amy Wallis will star as Anne Shirley in its production of Anne of Green Gables—The Musical™ at the Confederation Centre of the Arts this summer. Wallis is the 14th actress to play Anne since the production opened at the Confederation Centre in 1965. She says she is thrilled to be playing Anne, a character she has “sympathized with and loved since childhood.”

“Anne is one of my best-loved childhood friends,” she says. “I first read the novel when I was nine and was enraptured. It was so exciting to meet a character who shared my wild imagination and fascination with life.” She is also very excited about performing at the Charlottetown Festival. “The first time I heard about the Charlottetown Festival was when I was a young performer of 12. I remember thinking that to play Anne in Charlottetown would be the best thing in the world. It is a career goal and an honour to actually be doing it.”

Anne Allan, artistic director of the Charlottetown Festival and director of Anne™, says she was immediately captivated with Wallis’ presence during Festival auditions held in Toronto in February. “We waited with bated breath: could she also sing? At the conclusion of the song ‘The Apology,’ I leaned across to the audition panel and whispered, ‘we have just found our Anne.’”

Wallis grew up near Vancouver, British Columbia, where she has performed professionally for several years.

Playing on selected dates from June 19 to September 30, Anne of Green Gables—The Musical™ tells the poignant and funny story of the red-headed orphan who comes to live—by mistake—with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert in Avonlea. Based on L.M. Montgomery’s 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables, the show is written and composed by Don Harron and the late Norman Campbell respectively, with lyrics by Elaine Campbell and Mavor Moore.

Tickets are available at the Confed’ Centre’s Box Office at 1-800-5656-0278, or online at www.confederationcentre.com.