In any version or adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, the audience focus has naturally been on the precocious young Anne Shirley character.
Yet each story relies heavily on adult characters that populate the plot. Anne is a classic "fish out of water" or "stranger in a strange land" archetype and the strange land is largely the adult one. These mature supporting roles have made stars - or restored past glory - to actors like Colleen Dewhurst as Marilla Cuthbert, the curmudgeonly grump who reluctantly takes Anne in at the Green Gables home; and Richard Farnsworth as Matthew Cuthbert, her softhearted brother who first falls for Anne's assertiveness.
In the Judy Russell production of Anne of Green Gables: The Musical, these two roles are played by two veterans of the local stage. Kathy Pereira portrays Marilla and Jim Cluff embodies Matthew.
For Pereira, it is a breakout opportunity. She has been in scores of productions, but usually for chorus work or colour characters that takes advantage of her acclaimed singing voice.
This was an extra welcome opportunity, she said, because she was one of those who fell under the Anne of Green Gables spell right off the pages written by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
"I read the first book, and then I saw the Megan Follows movie (the global hit directed by Kevin Sullivan, released in 1985) and stuck with that whole series," she said, admitting she cried, like many Canadian women of her generation did, when actor Jonathan Crombie died unexpectedly in 2015. Crombie portrayed Anne's girlhood crush Gilbert Blythe and girls all over the world fell in love with him on the screen.
"I never imagined myself getting a role in this production, I didn't initially think of Marilla, so I'm so excited. But I'm nervous, too, because this role is so serious compared to what I'm used to. I usually play quirky characters or ones that spend most of their time singing. I just get to do a little bit of that, this time. I sing in little snippets."
The actors playing Anne (it is split between Kate McGowan and Makenna Thiffault) and some of the other youthful characters overheard Pereira and interrupted with words like "showstopper" and "powerful" to correct the record on the vocal weight Pereira has to carry at times.
Emma Forgeron knows singing. She confirmed the Marilla statements. As one of the city's most acclaimed teen vocalists, and cast in the role of Josie Pye, Forgeron said no one in this musical gets away with relying on just one skill.
"There are four or five actors who don't dance, usually, but they've had to learn because they are stuck in the choreography and can't get out," Forgeron said. "There's no way to set people off to the side, or hide them in behind a chorus. It's one of the strengths of this production, I think. It really calls out people's talents and makes you grow as a performer. Another strength is, there are no two characters even close to the same. This is real storytelling. You can tell it comes from a book first."
It might be this feature that drew Cluff to the role. He is not a typical musical theatre performer. His strengths are in the realm of heavy drama, with a history of local Shakespeare productions and a standout turn as Sir Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons, for example.
But one notable exception to that resume was a 1974 production by Prince George Theatre Workshop where he played a role in Anne of Green Gables: The Musical.
"I had just moved to town. It was directed by Colin Scott," he said. "It was the same musical, of course, and I played Matthew then, too. We needed a lot of makeup; I was 27. We don't need the makeup anymore."
It's been 10 years since Cluff was on a stage of any kind, but he was wooed out of that self-imposed exile by co-directors Judy Russell and Shelby Meany. Russell knew the acting power Cluff possessed and wanted that to anchor the cast.
That instinct was the correct one. Thiffault and McGowan shared that, as they each ran through a particularly touching scene during rehearsals, they discovered they were each weeping as Cluff went through his motions as Matthew. His portrayal was so effective, even they were swept up in it.
In 1974, Anne of Green Gables: The Musical was performed in Prince George on the strength of the public's awareness it was beguiling Broadway, London and the world. The script was so effective and unique, as adapted by iconic performer-writers Don Harron, Mavor Moore, Norman Campbell and Elaine Campbell, that it was an international hit.
The same musical was produced again in 1985 in Prince George and at that time the Anne franchise was riding the enormous popularity of the Megan Follows movie series.
This time, it is here on its own merits. For much of the young cast, Anne of Green Gables is a vague Canadian cultural reference, so this play is an introduction of this story to a whole new generation. For those who were already aware of the Green Gables power, it is a rare opportunity to see an all Canadian music performed by an all-star all local cast.
Anne of Green Gables runs until July 29 (the only off day is July 24). Tickets are already selling briskly via the Central Interior Tickets website.
