Stage West production of YOU’RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN

This play is based on the Comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner. I didn’t exactly ‘grow up’ with Charlie Brown. I didn’t read comics, not even the little comic strips in the paper, so I didn’t discover Charlie Brown until I saw the first animated television special. I was introduced to Charlie Brown and the gang when I watched ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’. This wasn’t Charlie’s first appearance on TV or film, but it was my first memory of seeing him. I always felt a little too sad when I watched Charlie take teasing and the constant put downs from his so-called friends, but there was usually something sweet that happened right at the end of the show. The Christmas special is a great example of that, as the soliloquy given by Linus is quite moving and I have always subscribed to a kindly gentler Christmas rather than one that is about who gives or receives the most or the best gifts. I guess it’s not so much a soliloquy, as a message to Charlie Brown explaining what Linus believes is the true meaning of Christmas. Then there is the transformation of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree into a shiny perfect specimen. As unrealistic as that is, the message is not wasted on anyone.
I was looking forward to having a nice dinner, but unfortunately Stage West hasn’t really caught onto the fact that there are lots of us who don’t eat meat, dairy or gluten. I know that makes me a little strange, and they get marks for labeling the items that contained gluten and/or dairy, but most of the other selections were meat or fish. I didn’t see any labeling on the dressings, so my green salad was without dressing of any kind. That left me with potatoes and raw veggies or fruit. Nothing wrong with those choices, but they are a little too limiting for someone who was expecting dinner. I often eat before I go, knowing that there may not be more than one hot side dish and no real main dish for people like me, but on this particular evening, I wanted to give it a try. I didn’t starve and this is certainly a first world problem, but I do think it’s worth mentioning.
Now for the play. I wasn’t sure how a comic strip/television/movie Peanuts story would translate to live action with adults playing all the characters. The music was very good, and the set design was visually pleasing, with animation on the screens to add to the ambiance. I think if I had never seen Charlie Brown, I likely would have enjoyed it more. To be clear, there was nothing wrong with the play. The little stories, and songs were all cute and entertaining enough. Maybe it was my inability to let go of my insistence that the characters remain true to the animated versions. In any case, this was not my favorite play.
Having said that, the talent was of a high caliber. The cast did their best to mimic the demeanor, and quirks of each of the characters. Sally’s walk, Snoopy’s excitement at mealtime, were authentic. Lucy came the closest to convincing me that she was Lucy. She was so animated and well…..appropriately annoying, bossy and sure of herself.
I think one of the challenges was the voices. I remember Linus speaking in a soft voice, always sounding like a wise old soul. That must be tough to do on stage.
The musical performances were enjoyable and there is never any shortage of talent at Stage West. All the actors had beautiful voices and the live band is always wonderful.
I feel a little bad about giving a lukewarm review, but the truth is, I can’t love everything. I do love theater and I have loved most of what I have seen at Stage West. This was just not one of my favorites. I think it was a bold move to try to bring these characters to life and it just didn’t happen for me. I still had a delightful evening and I know there will be many more shows at Stage West, and I will love most of them.