REVIEW
What: Anne of Green Gables
Where: McPherson Playhouse
When: Until Dec. 3
Tickets: 250-386-6121, rmts.bc.ca
Rating: Three and a half stars (out聽of聽four)
What鈥檚 not to love about Anne of Green Gables, especially during the home stretch of the 150th anniversary of sa国际传媒鈥檚 confederation?
Sure, the 1965 musical inspired by Lucy Maud Montgomery鈥檚 beloved 1908 novel about the escapades of Anne Shirley, the fiery, red-haired orphan who steals hearts in Avonlea, P.E.I., might seem dated and simplistic to the uninitiated. Yet it鈥檚 those characteristics and a sense of endearing innocence that make this show as gosh-darn appealing as its motor-mouthed heroine.
In Victoria Operatic Society鈥檚 production that opened Friday at聽the McPherson Playhouse, director-choreographer Tara Britt and her creative collaborators acknowledge this 鈥� that Anne of聽Green Gables would never be confused with Guys and Dolls, Chicago or other razzle-dazzle musicals of that ilk. It is what it is 鈥� an unbridled, old-school dose of聽Canadiana 鈥� and on those terms this production succeeds nicely.
That said, musical-theatre geeks will surely detect moments reminiscent of other shows within this musical鈥檚 creaky frames. Did You Hear?, in which the Avonlea townsfolk spread gossip, recalls to some extent the Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little number from The Music Man, for instance, and it鈥檚 hard not to think of Mary Poppins when Frances Bitonti appears as Miss Stacy, the students鈥� dreamy, inspiring new teacher.
Bitonti鈥檚 radiance as this seemingly heaven-sent character is in stark contrast to her portrayal of Mrs. Blewett, the overworked, shrewish mother whose eagerness to adopt Anne recalls Annie鈥檚 Miss Hannigan.
The VOS veteran鈥檚 uplifting rendition of Open the Window, in聽which Miss Stacy introduces the hitherto oppressed pupils to聽a聽whole new world of adventure through field trips, is a notable highlight.
Particularly effective is a second-act reprise when she jazzes it up, giving the productoin鈥檚 musical director Brad L鈥橢cuyer and his orchestra an聽opportunity to cut loose and聽make this number soar.
For someone who hasn鈥檛 seen Anne of Green Gables since the 1970s, the new show brings the added pleasure of becoming reacquainted with songs long forgotten and lovingly revived by this talented company.
You鈥檒l feel it from the moment Molly Lydon confidently belts out that rousing paean to self-esteem, Gee I鈥檓 Glad I鈥檓 No Else But Me, to If It Hadn鈥檛 Been For Me, the reflected-glory showstopper in which seemingly everyone in Avonlea tries to take credit for Anne鈥檚 ultimate achievements. It鈥檚 enough to make you want to run out and get a copy of the original Charlottetown Festival production鈥檚 soundrack.
Although neither as slight nor as young as her character, Lydon, 18, is a wonder as she embodies the loquacious, quick-tempered title character with carrot-coloured pigtails and a vivid imagination. The slender plot focuses on her adoption by aging farmer Matthew Cuthbert and his sister, Marilla, who initially thought they鈥檇 be adopting a boy, not a girl, to help them work their farm on Prince Edward Island.
Lydon鈥檚 a triple-threat, effectively exuding this homeless drama queen鈥檚 spunk and jaw-dropping candour, showcasing a聽singing voice both pure and powerful, and pulling off Britt鈥檚 dance moves with apparent ease.
Other noteworthy examples of Britt鈥檚 colourful staging include the picnic sequence, where the three-legged race and egg-and-spoon races stir memories of yesteryear, and the classic Ice Cream number.
Dan Costain, who appeared in the original, brings a folksy charm to his role as the shy bachelor and peacemaker whose paternal instincts are awakened when Anne shows up. The veteran song-and-dance man nicely showcases his baritone on Humble Pie and the title tune, and even dances a jig 鈥� an apparent reference to his career as a musical-theatre hoofer.
Jo Barnes is suitably stern as Marilla, accrediting herself well on We Clearly Requested a Boy before gradually softening her stance and becoming more maternal.
Angelina Robertson engagingly portrays Diana Barry, Anne鈥檚 newfound bosom buddy, with their tale of (young) female empowerment climaxing in their uplifting rendition of Kindred Spirits. Robertston is particularly amusing during the classic sequence in which her character inadvertantly knocks back several glasses of Marilla鈥檚 homemade wine instead of raspberry cordial.
Other standouts include Rowan Wolfe as Gilbert Blythe, the smart, handsome classmate who teases Anne before becoming smitten, and Eva Bild, colourfully formidable as judgmental busybody Rachel Lynde.
Guy Chester鈥檚 simple yet effective set design evoking the farmhouse interiors and schoolhouse is augmented by colourful projections that transport us to farmer鈥檚 fields, forests and trails in turn-of-the-20th-century P.E.I.
The technical standout in this聽production, however, is the period costumes supplied by designers Lal O鈥機onnor and Deb聽Cope.
