"Anne of Green Gables" is a perfect choice for the Wheelock Family Theatre: A show that’s adult-level sophisticated while retaining kid-friendly fun.

Anne of Green Gables

by Kilian Melloy -  EDGEBoston - Monday Oct 29, 2012

The Wheelock Family Theatre once again mounts a top-notch production, as director Jane Staab helms a musical play based on the 1908 children’s classic "Anne of Green Gables" by L. M. Montgomery. (The initials stand for "Lucy Maud," by the way.)

This wholesome story is so charming and so engaging that it’s no surprise to find it thriving as a vibrant stage play. First premiered in 1965, the musical has enjoyed annual productions ever since as part of the Charlottetown Festival on Prince Edward’s Island, Canada, where the story is set.

The traditional elements of the classic kids’ story are all in place: A smart, imaginative orphan, Anne (Jennifer Beth Glick), is sent to adoptive parents Matthew (Robert Saoud) and Marilla (Jacqui Parker) Cuthbert. (The Cuthberts are not a married couple; she’s a spinster, and he’s her bachelor brother. Evidently, "non-traditional" families are nothing new.) The Cuthberts are taken aback: They had asked for a boy to help them with the farmwork. But Anne is such a lively girl that Matthew and Marilla quickly discard their plan to send her back to the orphanage and decide to keep her.

Winning over the town at large is a different matter. At first, Anne’s wild imagination causes some consternation for the gentle folks of Avonlea, such as Mrs. Lynde (Maureen Keiller) and schoolteacher Mr. Phillips (Nick Sulfaro). Moreover, her sensitivity about her looks (red hair and freckles) provokes her to flights of pure rage -- to the astonishment and fascination of young Gilbert Blythe (Bradley Jensen), a development that incites the jealous rage of Josie Pye (Kaitee Tredway). In time, of course, Anne’s curiosity, generosity, and cheerful disposition make friends out of the town’s most skeptical citizens. But will the smitten Gilbert ever convince Anne to forgive his thoughtless remarks?

The Wheelock Family Theatre’s venue seems custom-built for grand productions, and set designer Matthew T. Lazure has a field day, imagining Green Gables as a two-story house in cutaway so that we can observe action taking place in and around the house in several locales at once... a handy thing, especially in the scene in which Matthew, who warms to Anne more quickly than Marilla, spirits the girl out of her room from under Marilla’s nose, but gets her safely back just before his sister comes upstairs to check in on her. The backdrop looks a bit like a home spun quilt, and a bit like the fields and meadows of an agrarian community from a century past. The cumulative effect provokes nostalgia for a simpler time, and invests the audience emotionally in the setting and the community of Avonlea, where Anne works to fit in and can’t help but stand out.

But standing out is part of the joy of this production; the cast comes spilling from the stage and into the aisles repeatedly, transforming the entire theater into a performance space and bringing some extra charge into a highly energetic production. Lisa Simpson’s costumes look smashing on stage, but they are just as gorgeous up close.

Musical Director Robert L. Rucinski does a superlative job with the show’s 26 numbers, as do the singing members of the cast -- especially Glick, who belts her renditions with charm and verve. (She undertakes the production’s second song, "Gee I’m Glad I’m No One Else But Me" with such gusto and delight that Matthew is not the only one who’s taken with Anne; she has the audience eating out of her hand from then on.)

Saoud’s shy Matthew is another charmer; he despairs of learning to express himself in "The Words," but his tendency to be tongue-tied is a source of high comedy. He can’t get the words out in "General Store," the hilarious song in which he tries to buy a fancy dress for Anne and bystanders helpfully pile purchases on as they try to make out what he’s looking for.

Parker’s Marilla is one of those characters that seems tough on the outside, but who turns out to be tenderly devoted. Her turn at a reprise of "The Words" will bring tears to many an eye.

"Anne of Green Gables" is a perfect choice for the Wheelock Family Theatre: A show that’s adult-level sophisticated while retaining kid-friendly fun.

"Anne of Green Gables" plays through Nov. 18 at the Wheelock Family Theatre, 180 The Riverway, in Boston. Tickets cost $20, $25, and $30; teens pay $15 on Fridays.

Performance schedule: Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3 pm. ASL / AD performances will be Nov. 16 at 7:30 and Nov. 18 at 3:00. For tickets and more information please visit www.WheelockFamilyTheatre.org

David Henry Hwang at Wheelock Family Theatre!

Very exciting news! David Henry Hwang, a renowned playwright, will be at Wheelock Family Theatre on Saturday December 8 for an onstage interview with Jared Bowen. Mr. Hwang has recently been awardd a prestigious prize... http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/22/david-henry-hwang-wins-200000-prize-for-playwriting/  and you can read all about it at the New York Times...

The onstage interview will be a kick-off to the Emerging Playwrights Initiative here at WFT.

Photo of David Henry Hwang by Lia Chang.

WEST ROXBURY ACADEMY Students respond to ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

1. Words used to describe the play:

funny, love, sadness;

funny, entertaining, sad;

hilarious, entertaining, sad;

entertaining, colorful, interesting;

funny, lovely, jealous

2. Which characters did you enjoy the most?

Anne Shirley and Gilbert;

Josie and Gilbert;

Gilbert and Anne;

Anne and Gilbert;

3. Questions you have:

why did brother of Marilla have to die?

Why girl hated the fact that Gilbert didn’t love her and acted like this at the beginning?;

What inspired you to do this play?

How long did it take to produce?

How long did you rehearse?

Why did Matthew have to die?

Why didn’t Marilla accept Anne at the beginning?

Why did Gilbert act like a bad person b/c of the girl who hated Anne?

4. Favorite scene or moment:

Gilbert and Anne’s fight when she started school;

When Anne Shirley was going to leave Gables;

The ice cream scene and when Matthew died I cried;

When Anne threw the thing over Gilbert’s head;

When Anne and Gilbert find themselves together;

5. Anything else:

I really liked the play and they did an amazing job;

Good job, I really enjoyed my time,

Love you Mr. Jensen;

To hopefully be in a play with both of them;

Thanks so much for having us, Brad and Charles!

 

Yarielis, Melissa, Darveens, Alex, Angie, Stamenley, Mrs. Grady and Ms. Grady

xxoo

Whatchoo Want?

I went to bed thinking about you guys last night. No, really. I did. I knew it was time to reach out with a blog post (because I missed writing here and I just KNEW you missed reading.) But then I got to thinking: what is there to write about that is novel? On my personal blog, I write [mostly] about my kid, which is easy. He's doing new things every day and I am learning things about him and myself and the world constantly. I have an ever-present and ever-expanding bank of photos from which to choose and I know that I have a loyal team of followers, waiting to hear what cute or brilliant thing he's going to do next. (Today, it was to "creatively spell" the word microwave with his magnetic letters on the fridge: M-G-R-W-A-V. He's not yet four years old.)

(Okay, I know I just totally threw in a gratuitous mom-brag. But, I mean, come on.)

Aaaaanyway, cute as that stuff is, I know that's not what you're here to read. But, what I realized that I don't know is what you are here to read.

So, if you'll do me a kindness and reply to this short (7-question) survey, I'd be very grateful. Collecting this data will enable me to make this blog just what you want it to be.

Thanks!

Click here to take survey

Pajama Parties at WFT

Join us for the Pajama Parties at Wheelock Family Theatre!

 

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

October 19 – November 18, 2012

Friday nights at 7:30; Saturday & Sunday matinees at 3:00

Two New Added Performances: Saturdays November 10 and 17 at 7:30

Pajama Parties for Anne of Green Gables ---join us with discounted tickets and The Story Quilt Project. Sponsored by WickedLocal.com.

Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables is the story of feisty and imaginative Anne, an orphaned child who, under the care of an elderly sister and brother, finds acceptance, love, and a home. Anne has captured the hearts of readers since the book’s publication in 1908.

Attend a Pajama Party in your pajamas, receive discounted tickets, and work on the Story Quilt Project before the show. Patrons of the Pajama Parties will build a paper quilt over the evening performances during the run of Anne of Green Gables. We hope to make a quilt with 125 squares by the end of the run.  Learn about the symbols of quilt making, tell your own story through your own symbols, and participate in a giant community art project.

Wheelock Family Theatre is a professional, Equity theatre located on the campus of Wheelock College in Boston’s Fenway Cultural District. WFT has been producing since 1981 and has been recognized both locally and nationally for its commitment to accessible, multi-cultural, multi-generational productions for all families.

 

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

October 19 – November 18, 2012

Friday nights at 7:30; Saturday & Sunday matinees at 3:00

Two New Added Performances: Saturdays November 10 and 17 at 7:30

ASL Interpretation/Audio-description: Friday November 16 and Sunday November 18

All performances offer Open Captioning

 

• Tickets: $30, $25, $20; Pajama Parties: $15 (discount code: pajama)
• Box Office: 617-879-2300; tickets@wheelock.edu
• Website: www.WheelockFamilyTheatre.org
• Location: 180 The Riverway on the campus of Wheelock College in Boston’s Fenway district
• Parking: Discounted parking at MASCO garage at 375 Longwood Avenue
• MBTA: Fenway or Longwood on Green Riverside Line (D train); CT busses to Beth Israel
• Access: The Theatre is wheelchair accessible. All performances are Open Captioned. Final weekend performances are interpreted in American Sign Language and Audio-described.

The Globe attends ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

“Anne of Green Gables,” the story of an orphan girl adopted by an aging brother and sister on idyllic Prince Edward Island, has been charming readers since it was first published in 1908. The book has sold more than 50 million copies, and has been adapted several times for film, television and the stage. This musical version of the story now at Wheelock Family Theatre is the one that has been performed in Charlottetown in the Canadian island province every summer since 1965, and while the story may be timeless, this musical feels dated.

Despite some terrific ensemble work and a feisty performance by Jennifer Beth Glick in the title role, Norman Campbell’s score is melodically limited, so few of the songs stand out. The story line follows Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novel, but the approach is superficial, as if we’re getting a selection of unrelated highlights: Anne’s temper gets her in trouble; Anne accidentally gets her friend drunk on homemade wine; Anne worries that she’s ugly and dyes her hair. The incidents all appear in the novel, but they aren’t presented here with any dramatic tension or sense that we are on a journey with these characters.

Glick does a terrific job illustrating Anne’s oversize imagination and forthright manner in the song “Gee I’m Glad I’m No One Else But Me.” She gets lots of support from Anne’s best friend, Diana Barry (Jenna Lea Scott), even though their duet, “Kindred Spirits,” sounds like a weak knockoff of any number of Jerry Herman songs (think “Mame,” or “Hello, Dolly!”). Also, Anne’s love-hate relationship with Gilbert Blythe (Bradley Jensen) and his jealous girlfriend, Josie (Kaitee Tredway), becomes the focus of the story, distracting attention from Anne’s relationship with her adopted family, Matthew Cuthbert (Robert Saoud) and his sister Marilla (Jacqui Parker).

Saoud does a lovely turn as the quiet, gentle Matthew and even though the lyrics to his ballad, “The Words,” are soppy with sentiment, Saoud’s direct delivery finds some sincerity there. Parker is also strong as the stern Marilla, whose disappointment about receiving a girl orphan rather than the boy she and Matthew requested, slowly turns to affection.

The musical’s best moments come in the production numbers featuring the children in the cast. Choreographer Laurel Conrad has devised combinations that highlight the talents of the Wheelock ensemble, particularly “Where Did the Summer Go To?” and the “Pageant Song.” But director Jane Staab is overly fond of parading the cast up and down the aisles, which slows the action down and pulls the audience out of the story.

At intermission, Emma Harris, 7, of Milton said she was enjoying it, but wasn’t quite sure how it would all turn out. But she confided, “I think Gilbert and Anne are going to like each other.” There’s nothing wrong with that, but by taking the focus off Anne’s indomitable spirit, we lose Montgomery’s theme of a young girl’s struggle to find a balance between her imagination and social expectations.

-Terry Byrne

The Story Quilt Project

Friday nights for Anne of Green Gable---The Story Quilt Project.

Friday nights bring together the stories and symbols of quilt making with a giant community art project.  The Story Quilt Project will build a paper quilt over the 5 Friday nights of the run of Anne of Green Gables. We hope to make a quilt with 125 squares by the end of the run.  (yes, Wheelock College is celebrating 125 years!)

 

The symbols and patterns in quilts tell stories and have hidden meanings; come in and send a secret message using quilt patterns Anne would used or make a  square that  shows your favorite  book or story, then add it to the  quilt in the lobby. The Story Quilt Project takes place every Friday night before the performance. Drop in anytime after 6:15

WFT Story Troupers 2012

Ashlyn Frank

Jaleel Williams

                                                                  Ethan Hermanson

 

The Troupers have had Enough!

Opening Our Doors, sponsored by the Fenway Alliance, is Monday October 8 - Columbus Day. This neighborhood-wide fair has been happening since 2001 and is a wonderful, family-friendly event that encompasses activities from the Mary Baker Eddy Library (on one end of the Fenway Cultural District) to the MFA (WFT friend Wendy Jehlen will be performing there) and Wheelock (on the far side of the Fenway Cultural District).

Wheelock Family Theatre will be opening our doors for a free Education Programs open house - meet and greet our teaching artists and sample classes and drama activities, as well as a free performance of the teen touring group, WFT Story Troupers.

The Trouper program is delightful, silly AND poignant! I drove the tour van to 4 of their shows. Culled from children's stories and poems, the band of eleven performs a series of stories illustrating the difficulties of growing up, making hard choices, and yet remaining true to oneself. Directed by Grace Napier and Sophie Rich, the Trouper show is one of the best of the last few seasons!

So a special shout-out/thank-you to the Troupers who will be returning to campus on Columbus Day. We will miss our good pal, Max Papadopoulos (living in the mid-west, the "commute" is a bit difficult), but are thrilled eveyone else will be joining us! So thank you to Emma Foley, Ashlyn Frank, Trey Gaskin, Ethan Hermanson, Kirin Maypole, Erin Simshauser, Amiya Stephney, Alexandra Upton, Sonia Wiecek, and Jaleel Williams.

The Open House starts at 10:00am.

The Story Troupers will perform at 11:00am.

These events are FREE and open to the public.

For additional information, please contact the Wheelock Family Theatre: 617-879-2300
For a complete list of ALL the activities of Opening Our Doors, please visit the website www.fenwayculture.org
The Troupers have had Enough!