Anne of Green Gables-The Musicial, Charlottetown Festival, 2018
Directed by | Adam Brazier
Choreographer/Associate Director | Robin Calvert
Set, Prop and Costumer Designer | Cory Sincennes
Lighting Designer | Michael Walton
Sound Designer | Peter McBoyle
A struggle between people in power and exploring the choices that define a person’s character and their future..Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera that you’ll never forget.
(Brendan Wall + Aaron Hastelow, Jesus Christ Superstar, Charlottetown Festival 2018)
A wonderfully titled comedy about parents who know too much or know too little about their kids and the journey of discovery, or: how to pull your head out of the sand and stop being an ostrich.
But wait, the show tells us that is a myth. Just as it’s a myth to call this play by Matt Murray just a comedy. This is a comedy with heart.
The zany insightful show is at the Victoria Theatre through September 2nd.
“The stories told here are all very different on the surface but there is a common thread running through them and that thread is one of perseverance and determination.”
-The Buzz
Stories from the Red Dirt Road is a beautiful tapestry of women’s stories. See it at the Mack this summer. — with Katie Kerr.
The Confederation Centre of the Arts is bringing the critically-acclaimed and multi-award-winning The House of Martin Guerre toThe Charlottetown Festival this September. This intimate concert presentation, starring Adam Brazier and Josée Boudreau, is based on a true story from 16thcentury France and explores what limits an individual confronts to follow their heart.
The original book was written by Leslie Arden and Anna Theresa Cascio, and then adapted to music and lyrics by Leslie Arden. The story follows a young peasant girl named Bertrande who is forced to marry the abusive Martin Guerre. After years of unhappy marriage, he abandons her and their son; but years later a stranger returns claiming to be Martin Guerre. He is a transformed individual and Bertrande accepts this person, but then she declares him an imposter and he is sent to jail and trial.
“Making its Atlantic Canadian debut, The House of Martin Guerreis a powerful musical about community, tradition, and what we’re willing to believe for love,” says Adam Brazier, artistic director of The Charlottetown Festival and starring in this musical.
It is one of the most celebrated Canadian musicals ever written, but it was lost to the public for decades because rights of the piece were locked up by American commercial producers. The last productions were in Toronto in 1997 and in Chicago in 1996. This production at the Confederation Centre, directed by Mary Francis Moore with musical direction by Wayne Gwillim, is a chance for local audiences to see this concert.
“I saw this inspired musical almost 20 years ago and it remains one of the best original Canadian musicals I’ve ever seen,” says Brazier.
Leslie Arden is one of Canada’s foremost musical theatre composers. Her extensive career has taken her around the world, but her love of theatre came from watching The Charlottetown Festival, where her mother, Cleone Duncan, performed for many years in Anne of Green Gables – The Musical™.
The House of Martin Guerre (Concert Presentation) comes to the Homburg Theatre on September 18 at 7:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased now. Appreciation is extended to the title sponsor for The 2018 Charlottetown Festival, CIBC. Media sponsors are Ocean 100, Hot 105.5, and The Guardian.
Did you catch this past week’s performance of Jesus Christ Superstar with Alicia Toner?
Let’s prep for another amazing coming week with Lee Siegel as Judas back on the mainstage at the Confederation Centre!
The story of Jesus Christ Superstar is told through the eyes of Judas Iscariot – a tragic figure who is dissatisfied with how Jesus is leading his disciples and what downfalls may come because of it. This season at The Charlottetown Festival, audiences have been raving about actor Lee Siegel’s interpretation of the role.
This week, people who come to our production of Jesus Christ Superstar will see a new interpretation, as actress Alicia Toner fills in for the iconic part.
“I’ve known since I got my contract for this year that I would be going on this week, so I started going back to the album and the movie and listening again,” says Toner about her preparation. “I also had the entire rehearsal period to watch Lee (Siegel) make Judas into a compassionate but conflicted being and had my own understudy run to get a feeling for stepping into this role.”
Toner is a well-known singer and performer on P.E.I.. Earlier this year she won the SOCAN Songwriter of the Year award with MusicPEI and has been on The Charlottetown Festival main stage for the past six seasons.
The role of Judas, itself, has always been a dream for Toner to play. Toner says, “I definitely did not think I would ever be able to say I got a chance to play Judas. It means a lot to be able to do it here in Charlottetown.”
Adam Brazier, director of Jesus Christ Superstar and artistic director of The Charlottetown Festival, is also excited to see Toner in this role.
“Alicia Toner is a powerhouse force of nature. Her incredible vocals and ability to interpret this story without gender bias or any shifting of narrative offers an amazing experience for anyone who is familiar with this highly celebrated production,” adds Brazier.
For Toner, she feels the narrative of the story doesn’t change with a woman in the role of Judas, but by simply having a different actor playing that part it will be a new experience for audience-goers.
“If you’ve already seen the show, you know that Lee is a force to be reckoned with. We are obviously two different people, genders aside, and seeing the show with a different Judas will be a different experience. That being said, the narrative remains the same. One thing I love about playing Judas as a woman is that nothing needs to change.
If you’ve heard the musical, you also know how vocally-demanding the role of Judas can be. Toner has years of experience as a singer and performer that has allowed her to prepare, vocally, for these parts. Only in one song was the key changed and the rest remains the same. Still, even though she feels she’s ready, she’s also nervous and excited.
“Name the emotion and I am feeling it – excited to share the stage in a different context with this incredible cast and thankful to Lee for creating such a beautiful character for me to step in to.”
Alicia Toner will be taking on the role of Judas from August 15 to 19 and can be seen throughout the season in Jesus Christ Superstar as a Soul Sister and Anne of Green Gables-The Musical as Prissy Andrews until September 22.
