So Many Different Annes
So Many Different Annes
"There’s such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I’m such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn’t be half so interesting.”
-Anne of Green Gables, Chapter 20
Anne of Green Gables –The Musical™: Ballet and Beyond
As Norman Campbell’s memorable score for Anne of Green Gables - The Musical™ continues its wide appeal in stage productions mounted around the world since 1964, the evocative composition has also been celebrated in ballet and symphonies.
Lauren Graham (Anne) and Jordan Morris (Gilbert) the poster for the Anne of Green Gables ballet, 1989.
The Company in Anne of Green Gables—The Ballet, 1989
Based on the musical, Mr. Campbell composed the original Anne of Green Gables—The Ballet symphonic score for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet of Canada, orchestrated by Robert Farnon and choreographed by Jacques Lemay. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet toured the ballet in Canada and the U.S. in 1989 and 1990.
In 2018, Bengt Jorgen choreographed his own ballet utilizing songs in mixed sequence from the musical, arranged by Alexander Levkovich. Ballet Jorgen toured Canada and the U.S. in 2019/2020. Orchestral scores of the musical include arrangements by acclaimed music arrangers John Fenwick and Howard Cable.
Anne of Green Gables—The Musical™ was also translated into Japanese and produced by the Shiki Theatrical Company for the last 30 years in Japan. The musical has also been translated into Swedish and played in Stockholm.
Samuel French, Inc., New York, continues licensing Stock and Amateur productions with full orchestral scores in the U.S. and England.
The magnificent legacy continues!
-- Avonlea Productions Ltd. and Erinsharn Productions Ltd.
Miyazaki Prefecture Opera
A promotional poster for the Miyazaki Prefecture Opera Association's production of Anne.
The Miyazaki Prefecture Opera Association performed the first authorized operatic adaptation of Anne of Green Gables on August 25th and 26th of 2018. Kate Macdonald Butler and her daughter Eliza, L.M. Montgomery’s granddaughter and great-granddaughter, traveled to Japan for these performances. The opera was composed by Toshihiko Sahashi and directed by Koji Kurasako, both highly respected in their fields. They produced a totally new classical musical experience in an operatic rendition of Anne of Green Gables.
I couldn’t be more pleased about the Miyazaki Prefecture Opera Association’s interpretation of Anne of Green Gables. I enjoyed every minute and even though I don’t speak Japanese, emotion was evoked in me.
Anne of Green Gables the Opera was performed again by the Miyazaki Prefecture Opera Association on July 25th and August 1st, 2021. It was originally scheduled for 2020 but was postponed for a year due to COVID-19.
— Kate Mcdonald Butler
Annes in Print and Online
Since the text entered the public domain in 1992, Anne of Green Gables has inspired as many text spinoffs, prequels, and adaptations as she has stage and screen versions. There are board books for babies, abridged versions for young readers, and themed gift books with crafts and recipes to go along with the story.
In 1994, to protect Montgomery's legacy and the image of Anne and some of the other heroines, the province of Prince Edward Island and the Heirs of L.M. Montgomery Inc. formed a licensing authority that owns the trademarks and official marks for all merchandising using the name or image of "Anne of Green Gables." The Anne of Green Gables Licensing Authority 1 reviews applications regularly.
Budge Wilson's Before Green Gables (2008)
Other works inspired by Anne expand her universe or share how their authors were influenced by Anne, by Montgomery, or by images of Prince Edward Island. For example, Budge Wilson's Before Green Gables (2008)--specially commissioned by (then) Penguin Canada and the Heirs of L.M. Montgomery Inc. to celebrate the centennial of the publication of the novel—imagines Anne’s life prior to arriving at Green Gables. Julie Sellers’ Kindred Verse: Poems Inspired by Anne of Green Gables (2021), is a collection of original poems inspired by and written in homage to Montgomery’s novel.
There are other prequel novels, new stories of “Annes” in other settings and parts of the world, graphic novel versions of the text, and graphic adaptations featuring Anne-like characters. Fans have created web series, fan fiction, and countless riffs on the everlasting Anne.
— Emily Woster
Kate Macdonald Butler, Budge Wilson, and Elizabeth Epperly sign books at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, 2008.
Other Annes
Montgomery and her Anne have inspired films, poetry, sculptures, paintings, textiles and fiber art, clothing, home furnishings, food products, figures, coins, stamps, house designs, souvenirs, and all manner of collectibles.
"A Glimpse of Beauty" by Grace Curtis and Nathan Scott
The Anne of Green Gables topiary sculpture from the MosaiCanada tribute to Canadian culture, Jacques Cartier Park, Gatineau, 2017
