Anne & Gilbert Highlights

I'm not used to writing reviews for two musicals of the same theme - well, almost - but this time really felt I need to.I found out about this little charming Canadian musical while looking all things "Anne Shirley", out of curiosity. As a fan of the books series and the musical "Anne Of Green Gables" (Check out my review for that one), I thought why not give it a try, although, I admit, it was the first time I heard two musicals that shares many of the same characters - albeit not the same voices and faces, off-course.The only fault I found in here is that there are only half or so of the songs that appeared in the original play - but as the ones that are included here are excellent - I can easily forgive the absence of others. I especially liked here the songs that Anne sings, the ones that Gilbert sings, but truly all the others are worth a listen also. I find the duet of Marilla and Rachel very touching ("Our Duty"), the duet of Gilbert and Josie (what an annoying girl!) very amusing ("Hello Gilbert"), the song all the newcomers to Redmond sing together ("The Days Ahead") very impressive, and there's also a terrific song at the end called "You're Island Through And Through".The only thing I'm not sure about, is why the composers chose to make these songs in such an Irish style, since the plot happens to be in Prince Edward Island, Canada... Oh well, I guess they had their reasons for that, and anyways, all the melodies are catchy and captivating, easy on the ear but with lyrics that really makes the listener pay attention and think!In conclusion, add this one to your musicals collection, it will cheer you up and will teach you a little more about the lives of Anne and her Friends back when! Hope this was helpful.

Love, love, love!. I saw this musical in September when I was in P.E.I. They were sold out of the CDs just about everywhere. On the plane trip home, I hopped on Amazon and purchased this CD before I even made it back home. It was even a better price! Love it.

I actually saw Anne and Gilbert, The Musical in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island this fall. For an Anne of Green Gables lover, who could ask for more? As I listen to the CD, I can picture the characters as they sang and danced their way across the stage. It makes me happy just listening to the music and singing along.

I had exceptionally quick delivery even though it was regular shipping! I had seen the Musical While visiting PEI this summer and LOVED it but I didn't purchase the CD then to my regret. But this way I had Amazon points that allowed me to purchase it FOR FREE!

Love the music. Sadly, this arrived in a non-cushioned envelope. The case was broken.

I just got back from PEI, where I saw the musical with my sisters. I'm listening to the CD I bought there, and some of the songs are missing! I love the music, but I am feeling a little ripped off right now! Anne's song when she's reading the letters and the candle song are very noticeably missing! So sad right now!!!

The CD itself is great, love, love, love the musical! However, the CD case has a few minor cracks in it, definitely not 'mint condition', but it doesn't bother me much as I am in it for the music, and not for collecting.

The musical "Anne And Gilbert" by Nancy White, Bob Johnston and Jeff Hochhauser is based upon the L.M. Montgomery novels "Anne of Avonlea" and "Anne of the Island." When we left Anne Shirley at the end of "Anne of Green Gables," she had come around a bend in the road and had realized that Gilbert Blythe was going to be the man she would marry. But when the surprising success of her novel dictated a sequel, Montgmoery backed off of her original conclusion and had Anne and Gilbert make it through two more novels before the scales fell from her eyes and she finally accepted Gilbert's proposal. For all those who have enjoyed the long-running "Anne of Green Gables" musical it is great news to know that the story continues and that we have this CD to tide us over until we can make our way back to Prince Edward Island.This musical, which premiered last year at Edwardian-era Victoria Playhouse outside of Charlottetown (and which is slated to run July to September at the Jubilee Theatre in Summerside, PEI), plays out the love story of Anne (Marla McLean) and Gilbert (Peter Deiwick) as they spend time teaching on PEI and then studying at Redmond Unviersity in Halifax. Obviously I have not seen the show yet, but I know the two novels well enough to be able to piece together what happens. We find ourselves back on PEI where the locals tell us what it means to show "You're Island Through and Through." Gilbert is also teaching and while all of the girls swoon over "Mr. Blythe," it is Josie Pye (Natalie Sullivan) who has set her cap for him, figuring he cannot wait for Anne forever.But Anne is caught up in her romantic ideals, personified by the story she has written and "Averil's Ideal." For Anne and Gilbert, being "Carried Away by Love" means different things. So he spends his time grading papers on "Saturday Morning" and resisting Josie's advances ("Hello Gilbert!"), knowing that with someone like Anne, "All You Can Do Is Wait." Meanwhile, Diana (Sarah Sheps) has added some bits about Rollings Reliable Baking Powder to Anne's short story and gotten it published ("Averill's Ideal Reprise"). The idea of a career as a writer beckons to Anne who feels "Someone Handed Me the Moon." To push Anne out of the nest, Marilla (Laura Smith) asks her friend Mrs. Rachel Lynde (Pam Stevenson) to move in to Green Gables, so that Anne can go off to college along with Gilbert ("The Days Ahead").Marilla does not want Anne to become a spinster ("When He Was My Beau"), but at college Anne has met debonair millionaire Roy Gardner (Sean C. Robertson), who personifies her ideal but who pointedly does not get a song as a gentle reminder to us he is not really good enough for our Anne. As for Gilbert, while Anne seems to be slipping away he may well be tempted by others ("Hothouse Flower"). But when she writes Diana a letter about Roy all Anne can do is lament that "Gilbert Would Never Compoase a Sonnet To My Eyes." But in the end everybody, even Anne Shirley knows what has been clear from the very beginning: "Gilbert Loves Anne of Green Gables."My only complaint with this musical is that there is not a song for Anne to sing regarding the book of revelations when Anne finally realizes that it is Gilbert she has always loved and the moment when "Love Takes Up the Glass of Time" and she finally says yes. But then Leonard Bernstein could never write an aria for Maria to sing at the end of "West Side Story" and it could well be that the musical sticks more directly to Montgomery's final two chapters in "Anne of the Island" (I should point out that I used Anne's "I don't want sunbursts and marble halls. I just want YOU" as part of my wedding vows, so I was especially hoping to hear that as a song). Besides, these are "Selected Songs Performed by the Original Cast," so maybe there is more to be heard.That aside this is an utterly charming musical. There are some wonderful harmonies on the first two tracks and "Gilbert Wold Never Compose a Sonnet to My Eyes," and Laura Smith singing Marila's "When He Was My Beau" will reduce you to tears ("Open up your eyes and see the man who's waited"). For me the most romantic character is Gilbert, because he has to wait for the woman he loves to come to her senses. The poor guy has to wait the entire two-and-a-half-hours of the musical for that to happen and all things considered my favorite track is when Deiwick as Gilbert sings "All You Can Do is Wait":All I can do is waitAll I can be is optimisticAll I can do is sighAll I can do is tryTry not to tell you I love you when you walk byTrr to believe in fateWhen you love someone like thatAll you can do is waitThat opening stanza alone shows you the simple elegance that you will find throughout these songs. Now the only question is how long will I be willing to wait to see this musical in person.

It was good quality and I received it in a decent amount of time!! I would recommend it to any tourist or Canadian into Canadian literature!

Loved it. Almost as good as the stage version.