You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
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| You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown |
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| Music | Clark Gesner additional music by: Andrew Lippa |
| Lyrics | Clark Gesner |
| Book | John Gordon |
| Based upon | Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts |
| Productions | 1967 Off-Broadway 1971 Broadway 1973 U.S. Television 1985 Animated TV Special 1999 Broadway revival |
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts. Ten of Gesner's songs were first recorded as an "Original Album Musical" for MGM's Leo record label, on which recording Orson Bean played Charlie Brown, Barbara Minkus was Lucy, Clark Gesner was Linus and Bill Hinnant played Snoopy.
The record album was then adapted for the stage and premiered Off-Broadway on March 7, 1967,[1] featuring Gary Burghoff as Charlie Brown, Bob Balaban as Linus and Bill Hinnant again playing Snoopy. Joseph Hardy directed and choreographer Patricia Birch was billed as Assistant to the Director. John Gordon was credited with the book of the show, but according to Gesner's foreword in the published script, John Gordon is a "collective pseudonym" that covers Gesner, the cast members and the production staff, all of whom worked together to assemble the script. The off-Broadway production was a big hit, running for 1,597 performances.
In 1971, a Broadway production featuring an entirely new cast opened at the John Golden Theatre, but closed a month later after only 15 previews and 32 regular performances.[2]
The show was adapted for television in a 1973 Hallmark Hall of Fame special[3] and a prime-time animated TV special based on the musical, also called You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, was aired on the CBS network in 1985.[4]
The musical was revived again on Broadway in 1999.[5] It featured new dialogue by Michael Mayer and additional songs and orchestration written by Andrew Lippa. In this revival, the character of Patty (an early Peanuts character not to be confused with Peppermint Patty) was replaced with Sally Brown. The revival received four Tony Award nominations, winning two (Best Featured Actor and Best Featured Actress for Roger Bart as Snoopy and Kristin Chenoweth as Sally, respectively). Unfortunately, the production closed just one week after the Tony broadcast, having played only 14 previews and 149 performances.
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[edit] Synopsis (1999 version)
[edit] Act I
Charlie Brown stands alone as his friends give their various opinions of him, each overlapping the other. Today everyone is calling him a "good man". Charlie Brown is happy and hopeful as usual, but he nevertheless wonders if he really is what they say. He decides to find out how he can really become a good person ("Opening/You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown"). Lucy expresses her deep infatuation with Schroeder and asks him what he thinks of the idea of marriage. Schroeder is aware of her feelings, but remains aloof as he plays his piano. Lucy then exclaims: "My Aunt Marion was right. Never try to discuss marriage with a musician" ("Schroeder").
Snoopy is lying on top of his doghouse, relaxing vacantly and peacefully. He begins to daydream about being a wild jungle beast. In a few minutes, however, he is back to his peaceful state ("Snoopy"). Linus enters, holding his blanket and sucking his thumb. Lucy and Sally show up and mock him for this habit. Linus decides to abandon his blanket and move on, only to come running back to it in desperation. After the girls leave, Linus daydreams of a blanket fantasy where everyone can relax with their blankets ("My Blanket and Me").
Charlie Brown appears, trying to get his unusually stubborn kite to soar in the air. Eventually, he succeeds in doing this, and he enjoys a few minutes of triumph before the notorious Kite-Eating Tree eats it up ("The Kite"). After this trauma, Charlie Brown goes to see Lucy, who is at her psychiatrist booth. He tells her all the things he thinks of himself. Lucy then clears it up by saying that Charlie Brown is unique the way he is, then asks for the five cent price ("The Doctor Is In"). Later, Charlie Brown sees a happy Schroeder spreading the word of Beethoven's birthday and pulling together a celebration. He and company join Schroeder in the song of jubilation ("Beethoven Day").
At noon, Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, and Charlie Brown are working on their Peter Rabbit book reports, each in his or her own way. Lucy is simply counting the number of words, Schroeder is doing a "comparison" between the book and Robin Hood, Linus is doing an overcomplicated psychological analysis, and Charlie Brown hasn't even started out of worry, while Sally and Snoopy chase rabbits ("The Book Report").
[edit] Act II
Snoopy, in his WWI flying ace uniform climbs atop his doghouse. He goes through a scene, with him being a WWI flying ace searching for the Red Baron. In his imagination, he is defeated by the Red Baron and returns to the airdrome in France.
Sally is clearly cross about a D her teacher gave her on her homework assignment. In response, she says, "Oh, yeah? That's what you think!" Schroeder hears and asks why Sally is telling him that. It quickly becomes Sally's new "philosophy", and she bursts into song about her philosophies. Schroeder, after failing to explain to her how philosophies work, leaves in bafflement while Sally continues ("My New Philosophy").
Charlie Brown returns, and, with his friends, plays the Little League Baseball Championship. After some mishaps, the team finally manages to make some progress. Charlie Brown steps up to the plate, and despite his valiant efforts, strikes out and loses the game. We learn that this was a flashback, and Charlie Brown expresses his deep sorrow to his pen pal ("T-E-A-M (The Baseball Game)"). Determined not to let that ruin everything, Charlie Brown decides to join Schroeder's Glee Club and cheer up by singing "Home on the Range" with his friends. Unfortunately, a fight ensues between Lucy and Linus over a pencil. The fight spreads, and Charlie Brown decides to leave with his angry friends, leaving Schroeder and Snoopy the only ones singing ("Glee Club Rehearsal").
Later, Charlie Brown comes across Lucy teaching Linus about nature the way she views it with such as bugs making the grass grow or eating eagles for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Charlie Brown tries to correct her, but she retaliates with a false explanation, and Charlie Brown bangs his head against a tree in frustration ("Little Known Facts"). That evening, Snoopy complains that he hasn't been fed yet, and begins to overcomplicate and dramaticize the matter until Charlie Brown shows up with his dinner. Not even apologizing for ignoring him, Snoopy bursts into song about his craving for supper until his master firmly tells him to eat his meal ("Suppertime").
That night, Charlie Brown is sad that he still has not discovered what it means to be a "good man". He proudly displays a pencil which had been dropped by the Little Red-Haired Girl (his perennial crush). As he examines it, he discovers that "there are teeth-marks all over it . . . she nibbles her pencil . . . she's HUMAN!" With that realization, he concludes that today hasn't been so bad, after all, and he's done a lot of things that make him happy. As Charlie Brown expresses what makes him happy, everyone, touched by his love of life, begin to express what makes them happy as well ("Happiness"). Right then, Charlie Brown realizes that being a "good man" means trying your best and making the most of the things you've been given in life. As his friends leave the stage, Lucy walks over and puts out her hand, making him shrink back. As he reaches out, she shakes his hand firmly, then tells him, "You're a good man, Charlie Brown."
[edit] Songs
Songs created for the 1999 Broadway revival are denoted with revival.
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[edit] Characters
- Charlie Brown (baritone)[6]
- Lucy van Pelt (mezzo-soprano)
- Schroeder (tenor)
- Linus van Pelt (baritone)
- Sally Brown (soprano)
- Sally was added to the show in the 1999 revival, replacing Patty from the original version
- Snoopy (tenor)
[edit] The original Off-Broadway cast
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[edit] The 1999 Broadway revival cast
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Articles about the revised musical while it was yet in previews noted that the one difference between the original production and its turn-of-the-millennium counterpart was that the latter reflected the increased ethnic diversity of casting over the decades that had passed, with Schroeder being played by an African American actor (Mathis) and Linus by an Asian American (Wong).[7][8][9]
[edit] References
- ^ IMDB info on off-Broadway opening
- ^ IBDB listing for 1971 production
- ^ IMDB 1973 television production
- ^ IMDB 1985 animated adaptation
- ^ IBDB listing for 1999 production
- ^ Voice parts given are based on vocal ranges indicated in the revival vocal score.
- ^ Frank Rizzo. "'Rent' Original To Star In New 'Charlie Brown'" ("On Stage" column), The Hartford Courant, October 4, 1998, Arts section, page G4.
- ^ Alex Beam. "It's The Great White Way, Charlie Brown" ("TGIF" column), Boston Globe, October 9, 1998, Living section, page D1.
- ^ Chris Jones. "Good grief: For a way-Off Broadway preview, why not Skokie?" (Theater column), Chicago Tribune, November 22, 1998, Arts & Entertainment section, page 6.
[edit] External links
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