Displaying items by tag: Neil Stratman
Happiness Is...'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" at Citadel Theatre
Yes, Happiness Is… The Peanuts! No doubt. As a kid, I read every Peanuts comic I could. I learned at a very early age that there is a little bit of all the classic characters in every one of us. This musical is fairly early in the history of character development for the creator, Charles Schultz. The story revolves around six Peanuts characters in ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’.
First up to bat is also the manager of the little league team - the title character Charlie Brown. Charlie is good kid, but his own inferiority complex often gets in his way. Neil Stratman does an above average job of becoming Charlie Brown. He was a good fit for the role and really brought the character to life in a memorable way.
When it comes to casting for this production, there are a lot of good fits and Sierra White as Lucy Van Pelt is excellent. She captured Lucy’s cynical, crabby persona. The Psychiatrist bit never gets old and still cracks me up. And when you think about it, the discourse between characters offers some intelligent language coming from eight-year-olds back in the day. The dialogue was right where Schultz left it, too. As a Snoopy aficionado I appreciated that.
Lucy had a fondness for music? Well, maybe but she does chase after Beethoven’s greatest fan. Schroeder is played by Jimmy Hogan and provides more of classic Peanuts material we’ve all come to love over the years. Hogan gives us a nice portrayal as the boy too busy playing the piano to notice Miss Van Pelt.
As comic strip fans know, Lucy has a younger brother named Linus. Marcellus Burt plays the role, though as a huge Peanuts fan, I feel Linus Van Pelt's personality comes across a bit differently than what us old schoolers might be used - and that would be directed to the play’s script more so than anything else, though Burt nails the role he is given and is a pleasure to watch. Every member of the cast does a superb job of becoming the characters they represent and capture the main essence of each. Last night I saw a brat. Lucy was the crabby Van Pelt. Linus was a cool cat. The thumb sucking and security blanket might fool some at first from how smart this young man really is at that age. Yep, Linus is hip and completely, utterly Zen.
Linus has a big fan, too – someone who recognizes his genius and also happens to be Charlie Brown’s little sister, Sally. Alley Ellis is pretty spot on in the role. She seemed more like a teenager at times instead of an eight-year-old but some of that is the material. Shultz wrote dialogue that was very atypical for eight-year-olds.
Finally, man’s best friend. Snoopy is by far the coolest comic strip character ever. Okay, that’s just my biased opinion but who else holds a candle to a dog that can both sleep on top of his doghouse and magically transform it into a Sopwith Camel? Tuesdai B. Perri plays America’s favorite beagle. She seems to have fun with the role and captures the sarcasm that is Snoopy.
I really enjoyed myself while taking in this wonderful production that takes us on a much different Peanuts adventure. The humor holds up and still cracks me up. All the jokes I remember from reading the comic strip and books as a kid still draw laughter. This is a toe-tapping, catchy musical production with book, music and lyrics by Clark Gesner that includes solid vocal performances all around. I was very impressed and recommend ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’ for a pleasant night of family entertainment that will have you leaving with a big smile. Hats off to director Joe Lehman, as well. The night was thoroughly enjoyable and should be on your list for holiday fun.
‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’ is currently being performed at the Citadel Theatre in Lake Forest, Illinois and will be running through December 23rd. For tickets and/or more show information, visit Citadel Theatre.
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