Tag Archives: Charlotte Moore

News Flash

Calling All Actors

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Confederation Centre has announced that three plum roles are up for grabs at The 2017 Charlottetown Festival.

Incoming director of Anne of Green Gables—The Musical™ Adam Brazier is auditioning for the title role of Anne Shirley and her Avonlea guardians, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. For the past two summers, the parts have been held respectively by Islanders Jessica Gallant and Hank Stinson, and Festival veteran, Charlotte Moore.

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Gallant says it’s been a thrill to represent the Island as ‘Anne with an e,’ “Playing Anne has literally been a dream come true, she remarks. “My childhood revolved around the idea of joining the exclusive club of red heads I’m ready to pass the braids on to the next young dreamer, and to take everything I’ve learned from my experiences at the Festival into the next phase of my career.”

“My journey as a performer has been nurtured at Confederation Centre for the past 13 years,” she continues. “The Centre has taught me how to be an artist; it is a true Island treasure that should never be taken for granted.”

Adam Brazier, the Centre’s artistic director, has completed casting for the musical’s other lead roles and the Anne™ ensemble, some of whom will perform in Million Dollar Quartet. The full company and the 18th actress to don the red braids at the Festival will be revealed in winter 2017.

“On behalf of everyone at Confederation Centre, I want to thank Jessica for her dedication to this iconic role and production,” offers Brazier. “Jess has a deep love for Anne of Green Gables—The Musical™ and a long-standing relationship with our Festival and community, and those passions shine brightly in her performances.”

He adds, “I am thrilled that Jessica is home right now preparing to star as Maid Marian in our ridiculous Christmas show Robyn Hood. I look forward to seeing more of her many talents on our stages in the years to come.”

On Stage

Walk Right In, It’s Around the Back, Glenda’s Restaurant

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The final production of the summer season has opened at The Charlottetown Festival — a hot new matinee show that offers a taste of the Island, literally and culturally. Starring P.E.I. actress and accomplished chef Glenda Landry, Glenda’s Kitchen is sponsored by CAA, and plays select dates in Studio 1 at Confederation Centre until August 26.

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Glenda Landry is a 45-year veteran of The Charlottetown Festival, having shone for many seasons in Avonlea as Diana and later Mrs. Pye, among others, and in Centre productions such as The Kitchen Witches and Wizard of Oz. The Island native has also moonlighted for years as a chef, having completed the apprenticeship program at the Culinary Institute and plied her second trade alongside Chef Emily Wells at The Dunes and at Sim’s in Charlottetown.

This summer she leads a talented kitchen party cast, including fellow Islanders and Festival veterans Charlotte Moore, Marlane O’Brien, and Hank Stinson, all backed by the 12-piece Charlottetown Festival Orchestra, as they cook up the best kind of seafood chowder — a bowl with a story behind it. Glenda’s Kitchen plays Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 1:30 p.m. and concludes with a steaming bowl of chowder with an Island biscuit for every audience member.

Offering a bounty of songs, stories, and soup, Glenda’s Kitchen is directed by Artistic Director Adam Brazier and co-written by Brazier and Stinson. Musical direction and arrangements are by Scott Christian, and stage management is from Al Gadowsky.

On Stage

Island Strong Anne Opens

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The curtain lifted last night at 7:30 p.m. on an especially Island-strong edition of the long-running musical Anne of Green Gables. Jessica Gallant of Ten Mile House, P.E.I. stars as the world-famous orphan, with Charlottetown’s Hank Stinson and Aaron Hastelow as Matthew Cuthbert and Gilbert Blythe. This marks the first time an Islander has played Gilbert in the historic production, and thus the first time both romantic leads have been played by locals.

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Festival veteran Marlane O’Brien, of Crapaud, P.E.I. plays iconic busy-body, Miss Rachel Lynde, while Dora Award-winner Charlotte Moore reprises her turn as Marilla Cuthbert. New Island home-owner Katie Kerr returns to the role that first brought her to the Festival, as Diana Barry, and another Festival favourite and ‘Islander-by-choice’, Josée Boudreau debuts as Miss Stacey.

The creative team that brought the Guinness Record-holding musical to life last season has returned in 2016, with Wade Lynch in the director’s chair alongside Musical Director Bob Foster and Choreographer Robin Calvert.

“With a history that has enjoyed success under some of the country’s greatest directors, and that has benefited from the talents of legions of actors, musicians, designers, technicians, and theatre artisans of every stripe, it is no small task to approach a new season with the responsibility of maintaining the high standards of previous productions while attempting to bring something new to the play and the story,” says Lynch, who performed in many seasons of the beloved musical himself.

“That said, we must never treat our production as an antique; Anne is new every time the curtain goes up,” he continues. “When Anne Shirley arrives at Bright River she is not only encountering the possibility of a new family, she is entering a whole new world. As theatre artists it is our challenge and our responsibility to present a musical theatre experience that is new for every performance. With the tremendous talents and abilities of our 2016 company, you can be certain that the Anne of Green Gables experience our audiences enjoy this summer is brand spanking new!”

Anne of Green Gables plays select dates until August 27. Confederation Centre wishes to recognize CIBC as the returning title sponsor of The Charlottetown Festival. The Centre also acknowledges the Department of Canadian Heritage; the Government of P.E.I., and the City of Charlottetown for continued support. Media sponsors are The Guardian, Hot 105.5, Ocean 100, and CTV.