by Bob Johnston
I’m Bob Johnston, co-writer of the music and lyrics of Anne and Gilbert. I am the common denominator that links up Nancy and Jeff.
Nancy White is a renowned singer/songwriter and recording artist in Canada. She has written hundreds of songs and I first heard her on a weekly CBC radio news related show called “Sunday Morning”. For many years she wrote three songs a week that were based on the news or human interest stories that had occurred during the previous seven days. The songs were beautifully written and sung, always poignant and more often than not, very funny. Nancy writes with the speed of a journalist. I was a fan. We met and we wrote a musical together called “The Rumrunners”.
For many years I worked as her accompanist and musical director. I learned a lot about performing comedy working with her.
I also have collaborated with Jeff Hochhauser on a few musicals, two Off Broadway. He writes the book, I write the music and we both write the lyrics.
The collaborative process for Anne and Gilbert was simple. Jeff, the book writer, outlined the structure of the show and assigned the musical numbers to either Nancy or to Jeff and myself. Nancy wrote her songs separately and Jeff and I wrote our songs together and in the case of, “A Jonah Day”, we all contributed. In other songs, like “Blessed Be The Avonlea Bride”, Jeff said we need a song here and I wrote the music and Nancy wrote the lyric.
Roughly, Nancy wrote half of the score and Jeff and I wrote the other half.
We have made decision making simple. Jeff has final say on script changes. Nancy has final decision on her material. And Jeff and I have final say on our songs. There have been disagreements but we follow the rules whether we like it or not.
Other than deciding that the score should have a Celtic flavour, Nancy and I never discussed a musical style for the show. I guess we were so familiar with each other that we knew we were on the same page.
It was a wonderfully creative collaboration. I take as much pride in Nancy’s songs as I do in my own. Jeff is a big believer in giving up book scenes for musical scenes. We had a shared team goal and we could not have pulled Anne and Gilbert together without each other.
The success of Anne and Gilbert in Canada
Unlike the United States, where there is a long tradition of developing and marketing musicals, Canada lags far behind. Traditionally, American Broadway shows have been written, workshopped, put on in “out of town” venues, rewritten and brought to New York. After a run on Broadway, or perhaps during, national touring companies take the show on the road to cities all over America.
In Canada, there is no traditional pipeline of development. Mirvish Productions, the largest theatre producers in the country do not develop shows. They produce successful American or British shows almost exclusively.
Anne and Gilbert had been produced in Prince Edward Island since 2005. This production has been the flagship show and it has developed every year since its inception. The production in PEI has been skillfully marketed by Campbell Webster. He has taken advantage of the tourist trade and he even schedules the show around the cruise ships.
Our largest production was very successful and it’s run was extended at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in 2015. But that triumph did not lead to further Canadian professional productions. So we have depended on community theatre groups and school productions to spread the word. We have had productions in Toronto, Regina, Moosejaw and London Ontario, a couple in the US and a school in Singapore did it a couple of years ago. We are so appreciative of the Beaumaris Theatre.
Anne & Gilbert - the Musical will run at Beaumaris Theatre from May 21st - June 5th.
Due to the unpredictable nature of COVID-19 and resulting restrictions, tickets for Anne & Gilbert will go on sale in late April. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when tickets are on sale. www.beaumaristheatre.com.au/anne-gilbert