Anne of Green Gables – The Musical
| Anne of Green Gables | |
|---|---|
| The Musical | |
 |
|
| Music | Norman Campbell |
| Lyrics |
Don Harron Norman Campbell Elaine Campbell Mavor Moore |
| Book | Don Harron |
| Basis |
Lucy Maud Montgomery's novel Anne of Green Gables |
| Productions | 1965 Charlottetown Festival annually 1969 London 1971 Off-Broadway |
Anne Of Green Gables: The Musical is a musical based on the novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The book is by Don Harron, the music is by Norman Campbell and the lyrics by Don Harron, Norman Campbell, Elaine Campbell and Mavor Moore. The musical has been performed continuously ever since 1965, making it Canada's longest-running musical. In March 2014, the production was officially recognized as the longest running annual musical theatre production in the world by Guinness World Records.
The idea for the musical version of the book came about when the Campbells (Norman and Elaine) visited Don Harron, and he gave them the book Anne of Green Gables, suggesting that it would make a musical. The three prepared a musical version, which was broadcast in 1956 on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a television movie.
Mavor Moore, the founding artistic director of Charlottetown's Confederation Centre of the Arts, used a song from that Green Gables TV movie in the inaugural variety performance. Queen Elizabeth II was in the audience. A stage version was then written, with the premiere in 1965 at the Charlottetown Festival.
The musical was originally directed and choreographed by Alan Lund. It has been performed every summer since 1965, headlining the Charlottetown Festival at the Confederation Centre of the Arts, Prince Edward Island, making this Canada's longest-running mainstage musical. Officials are currently researching to determine whether it is the world's longest running musical. A song from the musical was part of the feature performance at the opening of the Confederation Centre of the Arts on October 6, 1964, playing to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh as well as Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.
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