Buhler Hall comes alive with the classic Canadian tale March 6-8
The students of Mennonite Collegiate Institute (MCI) in Gretna are bringing a beloved Canadian story to life next week.
A cast and crew featuring most of the MCI student body bring Anne of Green Gables: The Musical to Buhler Hall March 6-8.
“We have 29 students on stage and probably 10 or so students doing backstage things like sound and lights and hair and makeup,” shares musical director Erin Klassen. “Plus our art classes are involved with doing set painting. So when it comes right down to it, almost the whole school is involved in some way.”
Adapted from L.M. Montgomery’s classic book about a precocious and imaginative orphan who finds a home in the small farming community of Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, the show features a script from Donald Harron and music by Norman Campbell.
It seemed a perfect change of pace after last year’s production of The Pirates of Penzance, says Klassen.
“I was really drawn to the fact that it’s a classic Canadian story,” she says, “and that it has a young female heroine. After last year’s show where our main characters were more the guys, it’s nice to come back to a story that’s about a girl and is kind of a more gentle family story.
“It’s about connection, it’s about love, and it’s about belonging,” Klassen observes. “It just seemed to be a good choice for our student body this year.”
While many people are familiar with the story of Anne Shirley from the book series and its various television adaptations over the years, this musical version is something unique.
“The music is really, really fun,” Klassen shares. “There’s a lot of dancing, especially for the characters who play the young people of Avonlea. They do a lot of singing and dancing.
“The music is very catchy, and there’s definitely a couple of tunes that I think people will go home humming.”
Gr. 11 student Nadia Lee is playing the titular role, and she’s having a blast with it, especially given her familiarity with the story.
“My mom introduced Anne of Green Gables to me probably when I was around seven or eight, and then I started reading the books and I watched the original movies with my mom. I just loved them,” she shares.
Getting the chance to bring the character to life in her own way has been an exciting challenge.
“I think it definitely helps that this is a musical, not a drama,” Lee reflects. “I was a little bit inspired by the show Anne with an E. They show way more of Anne’s past life and some of the trauma she has … it was actually really hard for her, so I’m playing into that a little bit and trying to give the character some depth.”
It’s Anne herself that has kept this story alive for generations, Lee says.
“Her willingness to try new things and not be afraid of who she is, and her imagination” really resonates with people, she observes.
“This is a classic book, and it has a wide variety of characters that we can all relate to,” Lee adds on why everyone should come check the show out. “And the cast and crew are just brilliant.”
There are evening showings at 7:30 p.m. March 6-7, and a matinee showing on Saturday, March 8 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $12 in advance for youth ($15 at the door) and $22 for adults ($25 at the door). Book yours by calling 204-327-5891 or online at mciblues.net/performing-arts/musical-theatre.
