Tag Archives: Connor Lucas

News Flash

It’s Islander Day!

Happy Islander Day! Charlottetown Festival Announces ‘Anne’ Casting & Two-Day Sale

Laurie Murdoch, Marlane O’Brien, Connor Lucas, and Quinn Dooley all joining Avonlea

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It’s a provincial holiday on P.E.I. today and to celebrate, Confederation Centre of the Arts is offering a special ‘Islander Day’ sale for Charlottetown Festival tickets. Artistic Director Adam Brazier has also announced the casting of four of the lead roles in Anne of Green Gables—The Musical™.

The Islander Day sale is for two days only, February 17 and 18, and offers ‘Islander pricing’ on the two mainstage productions, Anne of Green Gables-The Musical™ and The Drowsy Chaperone! Patrons can use promo code ‘Islander35’ to get 35% off tickets for the two productions at the 2020 Festival. The code can be used by phone at 1-800.565-0278, online, or in person at the box office.

Earlier this winter, Emma Rudy was announced as returning to the title role in Anne™ and now four more leads have been revealed. Returning as Anne’s academic rival and would-be beau, Gilbert Blythe, is Connor Lucas. Anne’s guardians, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, will be played by Laurie Murdoch and Marlane O’Brien, and joining as kindred spirit Diana Barry is Quinn Dooley.

The pride of Comox Valley, B.C., Lucas will also perform this season in the hilarious Jazz-age musical, The Drowsy Chaperone as loyal best man George. He returns to the Festival following roles in A Misfortune, Stories from the Red Dirt Road, and the Young Company, and recently starred as the title character in the acclaimed Pinocchio (Young People’s Theatre).

Lucas is grateful to share the stage with Emma Rudy once again. “To me, Anne Shirley’s spirit is one bursting with fiery passion, but also gentle kindness, and above all, boundless imagination,” he shares. “Emma encompasses all those traits and dives into the role with a fervour befitting Anne herself!”

Dooley last appeared at the Festival in 2015 in the critically-acclaimed remount of Evangeline. She recently performed in Ring of Fire with the Citadel Theatre, Once with The Grand and RMTC, and Mamma Mia! for the Capitol Theatre.

“I am so excited to be back on the Island working with the wonderful cast and creative team of Anne,” remarks the Edmonton native. “I’ve always wanted to play Diana and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to bring her to life for Festival audiences this summer.”

Playing Matthew Cuthbert is celebrated screen and stage actor, Laurie Murdoch. Originally from Whalley, B.C., Murdoch played the conflicted Colonel Winslow inEvangeline and was part of the Dora-winning cast of Once with Mirvish. He has appeared on screen in the Oscar-winning film Spotlight and on hit TV series Murdoch Mysteries, Rookie Blue, Dan for Mayor, and Warehouse 13.

P.E.I.’s own Marlane O’Brien returns to Anne of Green Gables-The Musical™ as Marilla, having memorably played the role on an emergency basis in 2019, and has played Marilla, Rachel Lynde, Lucilla, and other ladies of Avonlea to date. A long-time Festival favourite, O’Brien is known for her turns in A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline and her play, Stories From the Red Dirt Road (Charlottetown); and Calendar Girls and Annie with Neptune, among others.

The title sponsor of The Charlottetown Festival is CIBC. Sponsored by CAA Atlantic, Anne of Green Gables-The Musical™ plays the Homburg Theatre from June 3 through September 26, 2020. This 2020 staging is led by Brazier, Music Director Bob Foster; Choreographer Robin Calvert; Costume & Scenic Designer Cory Sincennes; Lighting Designer Michael Walton; and Sound Designer Peter McBoyle.

Confederation Centre wishes to acknowledge the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Government of P.E.I., and the City of Charlottetown for their continued support.

PEI Professional Theatre Network

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PEI Theatre is the Guild, Harbourfront Theatre,
Confederation Centre for the Arts,
Watermark Theatre, and the Victoria Playhouse

News Flash

Lucas Gets Gilbert Role

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Festival Casting: Connor Lucas To Play Gilbert Blythe

Shawn Wright & Susan Henley to reprise roles in Anne of Green Gables—The Musical™ alongside Emma Rudy & Lucas

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Artistic Director Adam Brazier has announced select casting for the 55th consecutive season ofAnne of Green Gables—The Musical™.

Connor Lucas will return to The Charlottetown Festival this summer, making his debut as Anne’s academic rival and would-be beau, ‘Gilbert Blythe’. Lucas and his ‘Anne Shirley’ counterpart, Emma Rudy will also both appear in the Festival’s productions of Kronborg—The Hamlet Rock Musical and Mamma Mia! this summer.

Hailing from Comox Valley B.C. Lucas first debuted at the Festival as part of the TD Confederation Centre Young Company. In 2017 he made the jump to the mainstage as ‘Moody’ in Anne™ as well as originating the role of ‘Ivan’ in the world premiere of A Misfortune at The Mack.

For his part, the Sheridan College grad can’t wait to return to P.E.I. “Having the opportunity to play Gilbert has been a dream of mine ever since first performing in the Young Company five years ago. I am so grateful to now have the chance to explore the role as part of such a fabulous company, in a terrific show, on a beautiful Island.”

Also returning to Avonlea under Brazier’s direction will be Shawn Wright and Susan Henley, who drew accolades last summer for their portrayals of Anne’s guardians, ‘Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert’. Wright also turned heads with the 2018 Festival staging of his award-winning one-man show Ghost Light. For her part, Henley will carry leading roles on opposite ends of the theatre spectrum, returning for her third season as Marilla, and also taking it up the octave as ‘Rosie’ in Mamma Mia!

Sponsored by CAA, Anne™ previews in the Homburg Theatre on June 24 and 25, opening June 29 and playing through September 28, 2019. With a company of 28 amazing Canadian talents and a 14-member live orchestra, this treasured Canadian musical is a humorous, touching, and truly athletic experience that will inspire and mesmerize patrons of all ages with both graceful and exhilarating song and dance.

This 2019 staging is led by Brazier, Music Director Bob Foster; Choreographer Robin Calvert; Associate Music Director David Theriault; Costume & Scenic Designer Cory Sincennes; Lighting Designer Michael Walton; Sound Designer Peter McBoyle; and Conductor Craig Fair.

Confederation Centre wishes to acknowledge the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Government of P.E.I., and the City of Charlottetown for their continued support.  The title sponsor of The Charlottetown Festival is CIBC.

PEI Professional Theatre Network

28660348_162333201093170_735205771249634989_n

PEI Theatre is the Guild, Harbourfront Theatre,
Confederation Centre for the Arts,
Watermark Theatre, and the Victoria Playhouse
On Stage

Misfortune’s World Premiere

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A Misfortune makes its world premiere tonight at The Charlottetown Festival.Sponsored by Key Murray Law, the bittersweet Canadian musical is playing a short run at the Centre’s cabaret theatre, The Mack until Sept 22.

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Adapted from a short story by Anton Chekhov, the musical starts with two old friends going for a walk in the woods. Their conversation soon takes a turn, revealing hidden depths to their relationship and forcing them to question the lives they’ve chosen.

 “Despite being written over a hundred years ago, the play’s themes are timeless,” says Kevin Michael Shea, scriptwriter and musical co-creator. “We’ve all loved the wrong people, or not loved the right people enough.”

 A Misfortune promises audiences a romantic, bittersweet musical about small moments and momentous decisions. Set at a dinner party among friends, sordid secrets are revealed with every shot of vodka.

Confederation Centre will present only nine performances of A Misfortune, so get your tickets for this must-see show. Please visit: http://www.confederationcentre.com/en/show/350-A-Misfortune

The cast includes Rejean Cournoyer (Andrey), Kelsey Falconer (Sofya), Connor Lucas (Ivan), Melanie Phillipson (Masha), and Brendan Wall (Pavel).

A Misfortune is directed by Eliza-Jane Scott with music by Scott Christian and lyrics by Wade Bogert-O’Brien.

Special thanks are extended to the Government of Canada for their support of Confederation Centre and to The Charlottetown Festival title sponsor, CIBC. Appreciation is extended to media sponsors Ocean 100, Hot 105.5, CTV, and The Guardian.

On Stage

Fortunate Casting Announced for Misfortune

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The Charlottetown Festival is in top gear this month, and producers are already preparing for the next round of productions, including the world premiere of A Misfortune, sponsored by Key Murray Law.

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The bittersweet Canadian musical plays a short run from September 7-22 at Confederation Centre’s cabaret theatre, The Mack. With just nine performances on deck, blink and you may miss it, so this is one theatre event to circle on the calendar.

A Misfortune follows Ivan, a young lawyer (Connor Lucas) and Sofya, a married woman (Kelsey Falconer), in pre-revolutionary Russia on a walk through the woods; their friendship has reached an impasse.

Soon they gather with three friends (Réjean Cournoyer, Brendan Wall, and Melanie Phillipson) for a dinner party in the country. With each drink, more sordid secrets are revealed. Adapted from a short story by Anton Chekhov, one of the world’s most celebrated and enduring writers, A Misfortune is a romantic, darkly comedic musical about small moments and momentous decisions. We follow Sofya’s journey from innocence and youth towards knowledge and self-actualization.

A Misfortune is directed by Festival alumna Eliza-Jane Scott, who wowed audiences in Mamma Mia! last year, and recently landed a lead role in the musical phenomenon, Come From Away, playing this winter with Mirvish.

A Sheridan College graduate, Lucas is currently performing in the Adam Brazier-led revival of Anne of Green Gables–The Musical™ and also appeared in two previous Young Company productions, The Voices of Canada and We Are Canadian. Falconer is playing Josie Pye in Anne™ as well this summer and is a recent graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The Blyth, Ontario native has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe as well as in workshops for the hit Proclaimers musical, Sunshine on Leith.

Cournoyer is a household name at the Festival, having starred in Mamma Mia! last year, as well as memorable roles in Evangeline, Alice Through the Looking-Glass, The Founding Father, and Anne™.

Wall performed here last year in the acclaimed Festival/Soulpepper musical Spoon River. He is currently appearing with Soulpepper’s Festival in New York City, in Of Human Bondage and Spoon River, which is drawing international attention and strong reviews, including from the New York Times. Wall has also performed in the award-winning War Horse (West End and Mirvish) and Once (Mirvish).

Phillipson is also presently performing in Anne™, and made her Festival debut in last year’s Belles Soeurs: The Musical. The Moose Jaw native has appeared across Canada with Mirvish, Tarragon, and seven seasons at the Shaw Festival.

Scott Christian is the musical’s composer, orchestrator, and music director with lyrics from Wade Bogert-O’Brien, and book and additional lyrics by Kevin Michael Shea.

Special thanks are extended to the Government of Canada for their support of Confederation Centre; and to The Charlottetown Festival title sponsor, CIBC. Appreciation is extended to media sponsors Ocean 100, Hot 105.5, CTV, and The Guardian.