KITCHENER - It's difficult to take a well worn story like Anne of Green Gables and give it a fresh new edge, but K-W Musical Productions has succeeded with the musical version of the story which opens tonight at Centre in the Square.

Anne of Green Gables the Musical is Canada's longest running production of its kind, created after television producer, Norman Campbell and his wife, Elaine, visited their pal Don Harron, a.k.a. Charlie Farquharson. Together the threesome created a musical version of the much loved story about a spunky and overly dramatic orphan named Anne Shirley who comes to live with a bachelor Matthew Cuthbert and his spinster sister Marilla. With her fiery red hair, Anne attracts a lot of unwanted comments from the folks in Avonlea and usually fights back. Eventually, she wins everyone over, even the crusty Rachel Lynde, played with great flourish by Vicci Taylor.

The show was first broadcast in 1956 as a CBC Television movie and from that a stage adaptation was written then premiered in 1965 at the Charlottetown Festival. The musical has been performed at every festival since that first year.

In the local production it seems just about every person in the region with a smidgen of talent is on that stage: 24 in the ensemble, nine in the children's ensemble as well as the principal actors of which there are several stand outs.

At the top of the list is, of course, Anne Shirley, played by Heather Brezden, a veteran of K-W Musical Productions. Brezden has just the right mixture of sass and dreamy romanticism to make Anne believable. She also has real chemistry with Matthew Cuthbert, played by Terry Barna who is a much in demand actor but rarely gets a chance to sing. Too bad because the man has pipes.

Matthew is a difficult character to play because he is supposed to be soft-spoken, shy and halting in his speech. Barna must project all this while capturing the audience's attention and not going over the top. When he sings Anne of Green Gables, never change to Anne as he's dying from heart failure, well it's a tear jerker.

One of the best voices on stage is Amanda Kind as the school teacher Miss Stacy. Vocal director of KW Glee and a voice coach, Kind has tremendous presence on stage and a voice to match. She is one of those performers you want to keep watching.

The character Josie Pye, Anne's bouncy blond nemesis, is played by Amy Leis, who is a young performer to watch for in the future. Leis easily creates the spirit of the mean girl, yet she has an angelic voice. Jamie Murray as Anne's best pal Diana Barry, is equally adept at playing the nice girl and she is also an excellent singer and dancer.

Considering Anne of Green Gables is an amateur production, there is very little about the show that gives it away as anything other than top notch. And it's very funny too, brimming over with good humour.

The set design, created by Pascal Labillois, is mostly kept simple. With so many performers on stage, there would be no room anyway. His recreation of Green Gables, however, is exceptional. The two storey with its green roof is warm and homey, very P.E.I.

Directed by David Atkins and with a live 13-member band in the pit, Anne of Green Gables will feel both familiar and new, with enough action on stage to keep even little ones in the audience engaged for a couple of hours.

K-W Musical Productions

Anne of Green Gables four shows Nov. 14 to 16

Centre in the Square

Box office toll free number: 1-800-265-8977

Website: centreinthesquare.com

