See the emotional moment the new Anne put the red wig on

It was tears of pure joy as the new Annefinally got the chance to see herself in her new red locks.

"It's starting to actually feel real. The coolest thing I've ever done was getting to actually be the redhead," Emma Rudytold CBC News: Compass.

This summer, Rudy will become the 19th person to play Anne Shirley in the55-year history ofAnneof Green Gables: The Musicalat the Charlottetown Festival.

And putting on thewig for the first time reallydrove it home for her that she'll be the one oncentre stage bringing the "magical" character to life.

"I definitely was emotional. I was trying to scale it back a little bit but my eyes filled with tears and I couldn't see anymore. It was great," she said.

"She's just such an iconic character the pure joy that she has, how magical is that to be able to play that and bring her to life. It's a real honour to be able to put my own twist on it but also stay true to who she is."

As she's gotten older,Rudysaid she'sidentified more and morewith Anne's "joy and lust for life" and a bit of the character's "stubbornness" too and she can't wait for the festival to begin.

"The fact that it's real and it's happening and they're giving me the chance to do it, I couldn't be more grateful."

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