Saturday, December 12, 1998

Back in Avonlea for the holidays

By SHANNON HAWKINS -- Ottawa Sun

The Christmas holidays can bring out the sentimental side in all of us, but for actor Lally Cadeau's character it has been a heart-wrenching time of the year.

The reason is because her extended family -- the cast of the Emmy award-winning TV series Road to Avonlea -- have reunited for a CBC holiday special Happy Christmas, Miss King airing tomorrow night at 8.

"It was so neat to be back and seeing all the old familiar faces," says Cadeau from her home in Stratford.

For Cadeau reprising her role as Janet King was done in a whirlwind five days of shooting, while she was on a break from her performances in the Stratford Festival.

"They picked me up at 3 a.m. and I was filming everyday I was there," says Cadeau.

"It really helped to keep my energy levels up the whole time."

One into role she found it easy to find her character once again after her two year hiatus.

"It was a bit of a shock at first to put the corset and turn of the century clothes back on again, but being able to rediscover my character was a lot of fun.

"We've both grown a lot in the last two years."

Happy Christmas, Miss King is set in WWI, a time when families were separated during the holidays.

The King clan too is struck with the atrocities of the war when Felix (Zachary Bennett), the youngest son of Janet, is reported missing in action on the front lines.

"The emotional quality of the scenes were so rich that it was truly a different film experience," says Cadeau.

"She was so differently written that it was just nice (as an actor) to let go and communicate directly to the camera."

With the fear of her son's death looming, Cadeau's character becomes Avonlea's only pacifist.

During the two-hour special intermingling with the central war theme are subplots that each of the main characters face as Christmas draws near.

Hetty (Jackie Burroughs) faces retirement from teaching and recovering from a detected tumour in her lower back; Olivia (Mag Ruffman) is separated from her husband; and Felicity (Gema Zamprogna) loses her foundling house and must make some new career decisions.

Even though everything seems to be changing in Avonlea, the focus remains the same -- family.

It was that sense of family spirit and wholesome atmosphere that garnered Avonlea and producers, Sullivan Entertainment, numerous awards in Canada and the United States, making it staple Sunday night programming.

"Happy Christmas, Miss King is a heartwarming story that focuses on the strength of family and friends in turbulent times," says executive producer Kevin Sullivan.

"It's an uplifting drama that shows hope in the midst of suffering -- both personally and within the world."

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