For the first time in its young history, Anne & Gilbert is crossing the border and will be seen by American theatre audiences. Campbell Webster, president of Anne & Gilbert Incorporated, confirmed the hit musical has been licensed for productions this year in Michigan and Iowa.
“We received the good news from our agent in New York,” said Webster. “We’ve also had word that another theatre on the American west coast is seriously considering a production for 2012. This is a breakthrough trend I only see growing.”
The first American production starts March 11th in Pontiac, Michigan and is being staged by the Pontiac Theatre IV.
“I’ve been an Anne of Green Gables fan for many years,” says John Tonner, producer and director of the Michigan production of Anne & Gilbert. “Having visited Prince Edward Island a number of times, I also read the Charlottetown Guardian on-line daily and that’s how I first heard about Anne & Gilbert.”
Tonner then traveled to PEI as part of a visiting group from the Michigan theatre. “The first thing we did was make reservations to see Anne & Gilbert,” says Tonner. “The music and story were so enchanting we had to produce the show.”
A second American production of Anne & Gilbert is being staged in June in Iowa.
Anne & Gilbert is based on the sequel novels to Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. Written by Nancy White, Jeff Hochhauser and Bob Johnston, the musical premiered in 2005 and has been in production every year since in Canada. An estimated 100,000 people have seen the show in Canada. In 2007, the Original Cast CD of Anne & Gilbert received an East Coast Music Award.
