Anne & Gilbert
Encyclopedia
Anne & Gilbert is a musical
based on the Anne of Green Gables
series of books by Lucy Maud Montgomery
. The show was based on the books Anne of Avonlea
and Anne of the Island
, and adapted by Jeff Hochhauser, Nancy White, and Bob Johnston.
During the course of the first act, Gilbert Blythe
gives up the position of Avonlea Schoolmaster for Anne Shirley
, allowing her to stay close to home to care for her adoptive mother, Marilla Cuthbert. It is revealed that almost all of Avonlea knows that Gilbert is deeply in love with Anne, and she with him, although Anne will not admit it. In return for the kindness he has done her, Anne agrees to a wager with Gil; he will propose to her at some day of his choosing, and if she says no he will never ask again. After some time, Anne's best friend Diana Barry becomes engaged to her beau, Fred Wright and at the end of the first act, marries him. Gilbert takes advantage of his wager with Anne and proposes to her following the wedding, but she rejects him. He vows never to propose again. Through a series of fortuitous events, Anne is finally able to follow her dreams and go to Redmond University.
The second act opens with Anne of the Island, introducing several new friends for Anne. Meanwhile Anne falls in love with a millionaire named Royal Gardner much to the dismay of Marilla and Diana back home in Avonlea. Although she toys with the idea of marrying Roy, she finally decides that she does not truly love him and rejects his proposal. Roy storms off and is not seen again. Gilbert, who is paying his way through University with odd jobs, happens to be working as a waiter at the restaurant where Anne and Roy are. He gives Anne an early birthday gift in the form of three letters her parents left behind before they died. As she reads the letters she begins to realize that she truly can love somebody, and finally finds the love she's had for Gilbert all along.
The show ends with Anne proposing to Gilbert back home in Avonlea for the summer, as the entire town and several friends from Redmond look on.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
based on the Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables is a bestselling novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery published in 1908. Set in 1878, it was written as fiction for readers of all ages, but in recent decades has been considered a children's book...
series of books by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery OBE , called "Maud" by family and friends and publicly known as L.M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908. Anne of Green Gables was an immediate success...
. The show was based on the books Anne of Avonlea
Anne of Avonlea
-Plot introduction:Following Anne of Green Gables , the book covers the second chapter in the life of Anne Shirley. This book follows Anne from the age of 16 to 18, during the two years that she teaches at Avonlea school. It includes many of the characters from Anne of Green Gables, as well as new...
and Anne of the Island
Anne of the Island
Anne of the Island is a the third book in the Anne of Green Gables series, written by Lucy Maud Montgomery about Anne Shirley.Anne of the Island was published in 1915, seven years after the bestselling Anne of Green Gables...
, and adapted by Jeff Hochhauser, Nancy White, and Bob Johnston.
Plot
The show closely follows that of the books on which it was based, with just a handful of alterations and a number of cuts for length. The first act is entirely based on Anne of Avonlea, while the second act is based on Anne of the Island.During the course of the first act, Gilbert Blythe
Gilbert Blythe
Gilbert Blythe is a fictional character in Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series of novels.In the CBC Television film adaptations of the 1980s, Gilbert Blythe is portrayed by Jonathan Crombie. For the 1934 film adaption, Gilbert is portrayed by Tom Brown. In the Japanese anime...
gives up the position of Avonlea Schoolmaster for Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Montgomery wrote in her journal that the idea for Anne's story came from relatives who, planning to adopt an orphaned boy, received a girl instead...
, allowing her to stay close to home to care for her adoptive mother, Marilla Cuthbert. It is revealed that almost all of Avonlea knows that Gilbert is deeply in love with Anne, and she with him, although Anne will not admit it. In return for the kindness he has done her, Anne agrees to a wager with Gil; he will propose to her at some day of his choosing, and if she says no he will never ask again. After some time, Anne's best friend Diana Barry becomes engaged to her beau, Fred Wright and at the end of the first act, marries him. Gilbert takes advantage of his wager with Anne and proposes to her following the wedding, but she rejects him. He vows never to propose again. Through a series of fortuitous events, Anne is finally able to follow her dreams and go to Redmond University.
The second act opens with Anne of the Island, introducing several new friends for Anne. Meanwhile Anne falls in love with a millionaire named Royal Gardner much to the dismay of Marilla and Diana back home in Avonlea. Although she toys with the idea of marrying Roy, she finally decides that she does not truly love him and rejects his proposal. Roy storms off and is not seen again. Gilbert, who is paying his way through University with odd jobs, happens to be working as a waiter at the restaurant where Anne and Roy are. He gives Anne an early birthday gift in the form of three letters her parents left behind before they died. As she reads the letters she begins to realize that she truly can love somebody, and finally finds the love she's had for Gilbert all along.
The show ends with Anne proposing to Gilbert back home in Avonlea for the summer, as the entire town and several friends from Redmond look on.
Performances
- Anne & Gilbert opened in 2005 at the Victoria Playhouse in Victoria–By-the-Sea, Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. Much of the original cast returned for the second season, although some of the roles were switched. In spring 2008 the show entered its fourth season at the Jubilee Theatre in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, with returning actors Rebecca Parent and Aaron Kyte in the title roles.
- A second professional production at The Thousand Islands PlayhouseThe Thousand Islands PlayhouseThe Thousand Islands Playhouse is a highly successful summer theatre company located in Gananoque, Ontario, Canada.The Thousand Islands Playhouse was founded in 1981 by Greg Wanless and a collection of local actors and graduates from Queen's University including Timm Hughes, Joan Gardiner, Mo Bock,...
in July–August 2007 was directed by Greg Wanless, music-directed by Sandy ThorburnSandy ThorburnSandy Thorburn is a noted Canadian composer, arranger, theatre director, musical director, and academic, specializing in Canadian musical theatre...
, and choreographed by Kiri-Lyn Muir. A tour of Ontario is set for 2008. - The show will return in 2009. Performances will run from June 23 - September 19, according to the show's Web site.
- Anne and Gilbert is back at the Jubilee theatre from June 15 - September 26 in 2010.
Sources
- http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/article_5988.php
- http://www.anneandgilbert.com/
- http://annegilmusical.blogspot.com/
- http://www.harbourfronttheatre.com/