Charlottetown – Canada’s longest running musical is heading from the smallest provincial capital to the largest. The Charlottetown Festival’s world famous production of Anne of Green Gables –The Musical™ is hitting the stage in Toronto in May 2009. David MacKenzie, the CEO of the Confederation Centre of the Arts, home of the Charlottetown Festival, made the announcement today alongside Aubrey Dan of Dancap Productions Inc. at a press conference in Toronto.
“Anne™ has graced our stage for 44 consecutive years. More than 2.3 million people will have seen our production in Charlottetown by the end of this summer. It is almost 18 years since we last staged Anne™ in Toronto, and we could not be happier than to announce today our partnership with Dancap Productions Inc. to bring Canada’s favourite redhead to Toronto,” MacKenzie says.
“We at Dancap are very excited to bring the Prince Edward Island treasure to Toronto for all those who have not had the chance to experience this wonderful musical,” says Aubrey Dan, President and Founder of Dancap Productions Inc.
Anne of Green Gables –The Musical™ plays each summer in the Charlottetown Festival in Prince Edward Island. It has a professional cast of 26 with a 19 piece orchestra. Anne Allan, artistic director for the Charlottetown Festival, was also in Toronto for the announcement and will direct and choreograph the Toronto production just as she has in Charlottetown for the past five years.
The Honourable Valerie Docherty, PEI’s Minister of Tourism agrees that there is no better way to share Anne™ onstage than to bring the Festival’s own production to another province.
“A four week run of Prince Edward Island’s much loved musical in Toronto is an achievement we are very proud to support,” says Minister Docherty. “It is one of the icons of our summer tourism season. Toronto is widely recognized for its large entertainment district and this opportunity will draw even greater attention to this popular production.”
The provincial tourism department is contributing to the promotion of the Toronto production.
Based on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s famous novel, the musical first appeared at the Confederation Centre of the Arts, Canada’s national memorial to the Fathers of Confederation, in 1965. Don Harron and Norman Campbell adapted the novel for the stage with additional lyrics by Elaine Campbell and Mavor Moore. Alan Lund was the musical’s original choreographer and director.
Launched in 2007 by Aubrey Dan, Dancap Productions Inc. is a commercial theatre company dedicated to producing the best of Broadway-style theatre created in collaboration with acclaimed artists and award-winning creative teams. On Broadway and internationally, the company's producing and investment credits include: Jersey Boys, Wicked, The Drowsy Chaperone, My Fair Lady, and many others.
Aubrey Dan and Dancap Productions manage Broadway Across Canada and Toronto's Canon and Panasonic Theatres.
-30-
Media contact: Dan Wall, publicist, Confederation Centre of the Arts, phone (902) 628-6135
Email: confederationcentre.com, web www.confederationcentre.com