Anne of Green Gables - The Musical

A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

Anne of Green Gables - The Musical

Full-Length Musical, Comedy  /  17w, 12m plus ensemble

Book by Donald Harron
Music by Norman Campbell
Adapted from the novel by L. M. Montgomery

Based on L.M. Montgomery's timeless classic, Anne of Green Gables – The Musical™, which has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's longest-running annual musical theatre production, follows the rise of Anne Shirley, a feisty, red-haired orphan who arrives unexpectedly in the small farming community of Avonlea and soon captures the hearts and minds of her newfound family and neighbors.

Image: 2017 Charlottetown Festival Production (Louise Vessey)

Anne of Green Gables - The Musical

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    17w, 12m plus ensemble
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptations (Literature)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences
Accolades
Accolades
  • Guinness World Record: Longest-Running Annual Musical Theatre Production
Anne of Green Gables - The Musical

Details

Summary

Based on the beloved novel by L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables – The Musical™ follows the precocious and imaginative Anne Shirley as she captures the hearts and minds of her newfound family and neighbors in the small farming community of Avonlea – simply by virtue of her own pluck and personality. This original, glorious adaptation – now firmly embedded in Canadian national culture and musical theatre canon – continues to enrapture audiences around the world with its rich score and a rare, affecting story for all ages.

Now with customizable Rehearsal and Performance Tracks from Right on Cue Services, Anne of Green Gables – The Musical™ remains an enduring musical, readily performable by groups around the world.

History
Anne of Green Gables – The Musical™ started life as a TV musical adaptation, originally premiering on CBC Folio in 1956. Anne of Green Gables – The Musical™ premiered on the mainstage at Charlottetown Festival, becoming a perennial favorite for all those who visit Canada's Prince Edward Island. The production (which underwent significant changes in 2011) has run every year since its stage inception, and has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the Longest-Running Annual Musical Theatre Production. The musical premiered in London in 1967 and at New York City Center in 1972.
Cast Attributes

ANNE SHIRLEY – Young girl; red-haired and freckled; exuberant and precocious. She is scholastic and well intentioned, but has a fiery temper. 
MARRILA CUTHBERT – Late 50s; stern, moral, and no-nonsense spinster. She lives with Matthew, her unmarried brother. She has a wry sense of humor and is eventually affectionate toward Anne. 
MATTHEW CUTHBERT – Early 60s; bachelor; silver hair and grey mustache. A sweet, soft-spoken farmer who works the Green Gables acreage. He lives with his sister Marilla and is painfully shy toward women. 
GILBERT BLYTHE – Young boy; smart, handsome, and confident. Good-natured but cocky, he inadvetently becomes Anne's adversary.
RACHEL LYNDE – Early 60s; outspoken and indiscreet; the town gossip. Affectionate towards her good friend Marilla. 
DIANA BARRY – Young girl; loyal, agreeable and sweet. She is Anne's best friend, schoolmate and kindred spirit. Diana is an attractive girl with long black hair. 
JOSIE PYE – Selfish, harsh and scheming; Anne's worst enemy. Josie is blonde and pretty. 
MISS MURIEL STACY – Schoolteacher; radiates enthusiasm and rampant desire for learning. She is a role model and mentor for Anne. 

MRS MACPHERSON
MRS. SLOANE
MRS. PIE
THE MINISTER
EARL
CECIL
MRS. SPENCER
MRS. BLEWETT
DIANA BARRY
PRISSY ANDREWS
RUBY GILLIS
TILLIE BOULTER
GERTIE PYE
CHARLIE SLOANE
MOODY MACPHERSON
GERRY BUOTE
TOMMY SLOANE
MALCON ANDREWS
MR. PHILLIPS
LUCILLA
THE STATIONMASTER

  • Time Period 1900-1910
  • Setting Avonlea, a tiny village in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Turn of the century.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

“A show that has a heart as big as its red-pigtailed title character!” – Toronto Star

“A piece of Canadian history that is absolutely beautiful.” – Broadway World

Anne of Green Gables is light-hearted and fiercely wholesome.” – New York Times

“This is a show theatre lovers should not miss and one that newcomers, children and adults alike, will enjoy completely.” – London Free Press

“Comes laden with pig tails, a brilliant smile and astonishing leaps of imagination.” – Calgary Herald

“If London’s heart doesn’t embrace this show, the show is in urgent need of a transplant.” – London Evening News

“Harron and Campbell fashioned a show that has a heart as big as its red-pigtailed title character.” – Toronto Star

“The musical is something more, namely a tale filled with love and longing about their country and its people.” – Gotenborgs-Posten

“A rousing musical tribute to Canada’s most famous and beloved heroine.” – The Standard

“The audience leaves the theatre singing and humming the catchy tunes, especially the first act closer, ‘Ice Cream.’” – Theatre News London

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

27 Plays & Musicals for Book Lovers
by Annette Storckman
August 2, 2019

Videos

  • Anne of Green Gables - Globe Theatre Trailer youtube thumbnail

    Anne of Green Gables - Globe Theatre Trailer

  • Don Harron on Anne of Green Gables youtube thumbnail

    Don Harron on Anne of Green Gables

  • Feelin' Mighty Proud! | Official Broadcast Special Celebrating the Legacy of Anne of Green Gables youtube thumbnail

    Feelin' Mighty Proud! | Official Broadcast Special Celebrating the Legacy of Anne of Green Gables

  • Anne of Green Gables - The Musical: Confed Center Trailer youtube thumbnail

    Anne of Green Gables - The Musical: Confed Center Trailer

Music

Music Samples

Act I

1. “Great Workers for The Cause” – Rachel Lynde & Ladies
2. “Gee I’m Glad I’m No One Else But Me” – Anne
3. “We Clearly Requested” – Marilla, Anne, Matthew
4. “The Facts” – Anne, Mrs. Spencer, Mrs. Blewett, Marilla
5. “Where’d Marilla Come From?” – Mailman, Farmer & Ladies
7. “Humble Pie” – Matthew & Anne
8. “Oh Mrs. Lynde!” – Anne
9. “Back to School” – The Pupils
9a. “Avonlea, We Love Thee” – Mr. Phillips & Pupils
10. “Wond’rin’” – Gilbert
11. “Did You Hear?” – Josie, Mrs. Pye, Lucilla, Mrs. Barry, Mailman, Farmer, Mrs. Lynde
12. “The Picnic” – Diana & The Company

Act II

13. “Summer” – The Pupils
14. “Kindred Spirits” – Anne & Diana
15. “Open The Window” – Miss Stacy & Pupils
16. “The Words” – Matthew
17. “Nature Ballet” – Miss Stacy & Pupils
18. “I’ll Show Him” – Anne & Gilbert
19. “General Store” – Lucilla, Matthew & Townspeople
19a. “Prince Edward Island” – The Pupils
20. “If It Hadn’t Been for Me” – Company
20a. “If It Hadn’t Been” Tag – Anne, Gilbert & The Pupils
21. “Anne of Green Gables” – Matthew
22. “The Words” (Reprise) – Marilla
23. Finale: “Wond’rin’” – Anne & Gilbert

  • Musical Style Classic Broadway
  • Vocal DemandsEasy
  • Orchestra Size Large
  • Chorus Size Large

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!

Full Setting:

The story is set in Avonlea, a tiny village in Prince Edward Island, Canada's smallest province, at the turn of the century. Green Gables is a charming farm in rural Prince Edward Island on the east coast of Canada. The late 1800's wooden farmhouse is constructed with second floor gables painteed green, which overlook a sizeable barn, a scenic fruit orchard, and rolling fields of produce sprouting from rusty-red soil.

1 Piano-Conductor
25 Vocal Books

1 Flute/Piccolo
1 Oboe
1 Clarinet 1
1 Clarinet 2
1 Bassoon 1&2
1 Horn 1
1 Horn 2
1 Trumpet 1
1 Trumpet 2
1 Trombone 1 
1 Trombone 2
1 Harp
1 Percussion
1 Violin 1&2
1 Violin 3
1 Viola
1 Cello
1 Bass
1 Piano-Conductor
25 Vocal Books

Add-Ons

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Authors

Author

Norman Campbell

Author

Donald Harron

Author

L.M. Montgomery

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