PRINCE.EDWARD.ISLAND (CBC) - The 100th anniversary of Anne of Green Gables, the book, has been good for Anne of Green Gables: The Musical.

The Charlottetown Festival says its numbers this year are up substantially over last year.

"Anne of Green Gables is clearly the star for the Charlottetown Festival this year," said festival CEO David MacKenzie.

"I think a combination of an early season ticket promotion we did to Islanders and the fact that it's the 100th anniversary is causing this, but right now it's running about 25 per cent ahead of last year in both attendance and revenue."

About 4,000 tickets were sold at the discounted rate of $25 to Islanders this spring, and that accounts for part of the increase in attendance.

The festival is also marking a good year for another show about a famous Island orphan: Stompin' Tom Connors. The Ballad of Stompin' Tom, playing at the MacKenzie Theatre, has been selling out, prompting the festival to add extra matinee showings.

Attendance at the show British Invasion II is down about five per cent compared to last year.

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