CONTEST: Win 2 Tickets to See Anne of Green Gables in Lowell on April 6

Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Anne of Green Gables with a performance on Sunday, April 6 at 2 p.m. as part of the Discovery Series at the UMass Lowell Center for the Arts in Lowell. The musical version of the 100-year-old classic novel is recommended for children age 5 and older.

Bay State Parent magazine is giving away 2 tickets to the Sunday show. To enter, register your e-mail address for this blog's e-newsletter. (right side of page) All e-mail addresses registered by Tuesday, April 1 by 6 p.m. will be eligible for the random drawing.

The winning tickets can be picked up at the Lowell box office the day of the performance..

ABOUT THE SHOW: This new musical adaptation of Anne of Green Gables premiered Off-Broadway in 2007 to critical acclaim and sold-out audiences. The story opens as plainspoken farmer Matthew Cuthbert waits expectantly at the train station for an orphan boy he and his sister Marilla plan to adopt to help out on their farm. However, no boy steps off the train - only a girl with bright red hair and all her worldly possessions in a carpet bag. Her name is Anne Shirley. Never having had a real home, Anne is determined to stay with the Cuthberts at Green Gables, the little house they share. Through the years with her best friend Diana and her sometime-rival Gilbert Blythe, she turns the entire community upside-down with her irrepressible scope for imagination. Anne of Green Gables is an enchanting musical about love, family and the true meaning of home. 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of the beloved novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. First published in Boston, the book has been translated into 36 languages and sold more than 50 million copies. It has launched at least 10 movies and television shows, including the popular 1985 PBS series "Anne of Green Gables" and its 1987 sequel, both of which continue to run to this day. It spawned a 1979 Japanese anime series, "Akage no An" ("Red-haired Anne"), that has reached cult proportions throughout the East and Europe. As part of the 100th anniversary celebration, the Canadian government will issue new stamps and a 25-cent coin commemorating Anne. Now 100 years old, Anne of Green Gables continues to captivate young audiences everywhere.

ORDER TICKETS: This performance is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Mary Jo Leahey and will take place at Durgin Hall, 35 Wilder Street, on the UMass Lowell South Campus. The theater is convenient to free parking and is handicap accessible. Tickets are $12. $10 tickets for groups of 10 or more are available when purchased in advance. Tickets may be purchased by phone with Visa or Mastercard by calling the Box Office at 978-934-4444 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by visiting the Web site at www.uml.edu/centerforarts where directions to the concert hall and to parking may be found.