Anne of Green Gables- meet the director Mike Baker

Why did you suggest Anne of Green Gables: The Musical to the LTA Board?

The LTA Board was looking for a family show so I suggested the original Broadway version of this

musical. In addition to one of the most popular mini-series on PBS, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s story

was enjoying a popular rebirth through the Netflix series, “Anne with an e.” I knew it would be a

natural for LTA audiences young and old. Plus, the original 1965 version had not been done in the

DC area for a very long time, if at all.

Why did you decide to ultimately direct "Anne of Green Gables?"

First, the Board had to select me. But in a real sense, it just seemed to speak to me on so many

levels. Contemporary themes like child neglect, adoption, romance, friendship, and life in a small

town, were all rolled into this wholesome, imaginative, breezy tale of a young orphan girl who rose

from destitution to happiness in the farm country entirely by virtue of her pluck and personality. I felt

it could not miss.

What were you trying to accomplish with the telling of this play?

I didn’t just want to direct the musical, I wanted to ennoble the richness of Montgomery’s text, with

many non-spoken subtleties from the novel. Richer characterizations, additional episodic

development, and ingenious stagecraft choices imbue this production with a magic that is difficult to

muster in community theatre. For the Anne of Green Gables devotee, it is a treasure trove of

childhood memories.

What were the challenges as a director?  

A horse, carriage, and endless theatrical drops are a tall order for any community theatre, but with a

little imagination and mixed-media, this musically lush and youthfully energetic musical has reached

fruition at LTA. It also features dance within dance, mixed vocal and dialogue sections, 10 different

settings, a dozen legit voice parts, and a half-century of musical traditions. It was quite an

undertaking.

How does this show differ from other shows you have worked on?

It is clearly more complex than some I have done. It is essentially a 423 page novel in a little over

two hours. And yet, it is not pithy or overbearing. It has light airy moments with ‘Open a Window’

and true human pathos with ‘The Words.’ The width and the breath of this musical is a life worth

lived on stage.

What should the audience take away from this play?

The kindness of humanity. The precious gift of family. The joy of youth and the wisdom that comes

with age. Melodies that seem to talk to the human spirit and both renew and uplift.