Old and new shows prepare to take centre stage at this year's Charlottetown Festival
Following a three-year hiatus, "Anne of Green Gables The Musical" is returning to the Charlottetown Festival on Prince Edward Island this year.
The iconic musical is a quintessential island show and is ready to make a return to the main stage.
And it's not the only show preparing for curtain call at this year's festival.
The musical "Tell Tale Harbour" is playing for the first time as well.
The musical, based on the movie “The Grand Seduction,” tells the heartfelt tale of a struggling community in Atlantic Canada. It’s the product of a collaboration between Adam Brazier, the artistic director of performing arts at the Confederation Centre, and singer-songwriter Alan Doyle.
“The whole story about the lack of doctors or people having to bring a resident doctor into such a small community is pretty relatable,” said Dawn Ward, the associate artistic director for the Charlottetown Festival.
Despite the very real-world concerns about doctor shortages, the on-stage performance doesn’t take the topic too seriously.
“What I love about this piece is that it doesn’t dress it with some kind of browbeating, heavy, ‘Here’s the moral we want to cram down your throat,’” said Adam Brazier, the artistic director for performing arts for the Confederation Centre. “This is entertainment. This is an escape. This is a ticket to joy, to laughter.”
Both shows are thoroughly Atlantic Canadian, a change from most years, which usually features a more American performance alongside the island darling, "Anne of Green Gables The Musical."
“It’s an offering we do because we love it,” said Brazier. “It’s also an offering we do because we know that there are tourists who want to come and experience that world. It is certainly the shoulders with which this festival has built itself over the years.”
As one tradition continues, another begins making Anne and Alan an island attraction all summer long.
The Charlottetown Festival is taking place now until Sept. 24.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
BREAKING Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
BREAKING 1 dead in rollover crash in Sharbot Lake, Ont.; 5 others injured
Ontario Provincial Police confirm one person has died after a single-vehicle rollover crash in Sharbot Lake, Ont. that seriously injured five others.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street