– Select Festival tickets on sale to celebrate –

February 17, 2022 – To usher in Islander Day weekend, Confederation Centre of the Arts announced the latest actor taking on the legacy of P.E.I.’s iconic redhead, Anne Shirley.

And to celebrate the return of Anne of Green Gables–The Musical™, one of two mainstage shows at this summer’s Charlottetown Festival, select tickets will be on sale this holiday Monday.

The titular role will be played by Kelsey Verzotti, a Calgary-born, Toronto-based performer. She has entertained audiences across the country in productions at the Shaw Festival, Young People’s Theatre, The Musical Stage Company, Theatre Calgary, and more. Verzotti was also one of the top 10 contestants on the CBC reality talent competition Over the Rainbow (2012).

“The opportunity to play Anne means so much to me,” says Verzotti. “She is a character who lives so presently in the moment while challenging her environment and the people around her, and she always speaks her truth.”

Verzotti is no stranger to the story of Anne, having previously played the character’s best friend and kindred spirit Diana Barry in a 2019 production at Thousand Islands Playhouse in Ontario. The 2022 Charlottetown Festival will have the role of Diana performed by Emma Rudy, who returns after playing the titular character in the Festival’s 2019 production as well as the 2020 broadcast special Feelin’ Mighty Proud!

“We traditionally discover new performers to play Anne every three years, and, like the many Annes before her, Kelsey is exceptional,” says Adam Brazier, Artistic Director of Performing Arts at Confederation Centre. “We are always thrilled to have exciting young talent on our stages.”

Sponsored by CAA Atlantic, this summer marks the first time Anne of Green Gables–The Musical™ has been staged at the Centre since 2019. The production ran annually since the Festival’s launch in 1965 and is recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s longest-running annual musical. The Centre was unable to produce the show in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-related challenges. Verzotti is the twentieth actor to take on the role of Anne Shirley.

For Islander Day only – Monday, February 21 – patrons can get 40% off tickets to Anne of Green Gables–The Musical™ and Tell Tale Harbour for performances through July 15. The sale runs exclusively online through the Centre’s website using the promo code ‘Island22’. This discount is valid on new purchases and does not apply to openings or preview performances.

Additional casting for the Festival will be announced soon. For tickets and more information, visit confederationcentre.com.

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