Though still in grade school, he has been there for the better part of seven decades, so Charlie Brown has come up with a few wise-beyond-his-years thoughts over the years.
Through a series of vignettes that will be very familiar to anyone who’s ever encountered the Peanuts gang, we’re treated to a “day” in his life during the musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, a JM Drama production that opens next week at the Registry Theatre.
The hapless Peanuts character is a classic everyman: angst-ridden and prone to failure, he never completely loses heart. It’s a trait recognized by his companions, Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, sister Sally and, of course, a very unorthodox beagle by the name of Snoopy.
Many of the trademark moments from Charles Schultz’s immensely popular comic strip take to the stage: there’s Charlie Brown on the pitcher’s mound, Lucy at her psychiatrist’s booth and Snoopy atop his doghouse, locked in battle with his nemesis, the Red Baron.
“There are a couple of surprises, but nothing that deviates from the comics,” says director Kevin White of the production. “It’s a proper homage to the comics.”
A huge fan, White says he’s happy to be staging the play.
“I am a lifetime fan of Peanuts. I loved the characters even if I didn’t get all the jokes,” he laughs.
White notes that many people wrote to Schultz telling him how the comics affected their lives, especially Charlie Brown’s ability to deal with life’s struggles. He thought about writing, but never did, an option that went away with Schultz’s death in 2000.
“This is my chance to metaphorically write that letter,” he says of the production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
The musical made its debut on Broadway in 1967. A revival featuring new material prepared by Schultz was launched in 1999, the year he announced his retirement – the cartoonist lost a battle to colon cancer the following winter. Reruns of Schultz’s comic strip continue to run today courtesy of a catalogue of more than 18,000 penned since Peanuts first appeared on Oct. 2, 1950.
“We’ve tried to adhere to a lot of the material in the comic strips,” says White, noting the production draws on the 1999 revival. “The play doesn’t shy away from its source material.”
Generations of fans have seen the strips and the animated cartoons (what Christmas would be complete without Charlie Brown’s little tree?), but seeing the gang portrayed by live actors is a new experience for most. Though pretty much everyone has been exposed to the Peanuts in some way, even for those not overly familiar with them, the play still resonates, says White.
“I think it’s a very accessible play. The story and the emotions the characters are expressing on stage are universal.”
As a musical, the songs tell the tale: Linus (played by Ayden Elworthy) enjoys a private time with his most favourite thing of all in “My Blanket and Me;” Charlie Brown (Dave Humphrey) appears for still another bout with his own friendly enemy in “The Kite;” Valentine’s Day comes and goes with our hero receiving not one single valentine, which brings him to seek the temporary relief of Lucy’s (Amy MacDonald) five-cent psychiatry booth, “The Doctor Is In.”
The cast of six that brings the Peanuts gang to life on a stage is rounded out by Maggie Van Der Sluis (Sally Brown), Alex Meinzinger (Snoopy), Michael Klein (Schroeder). Jake Evans-Whitley serves as the puppeteer. There’s also a five-piece band.
The set, designed by Marian Marshall, is delightfully cartoonish, bringing the deceptively simple lines of Schulz’s comic to life-size (and larger-than-life-size) realization. Musical direction is by Nicole Simone, and original choreography by Julie Taylor.
The JM Drama production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown runs August 9-11, 16 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. at The Registry Theatre, 122 Frederick St., Kitchener. Tickets are $25 in advance ($30 at the door) or $21 ($25) for students and seniors, available by calling 519-578-1570, online at The Registry Theatre or at the door.
