Did you ever want to spend a day in Peanuts Land with Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and Schroeder? Now is your chance to jump inside Charles Schultz's landmark comic strip.
St. Thomas Playhouse Summer Theatre Project will present the 1967 musical "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown" at the nexStage Theatre, in Ketchum, 2 p.m. Friday, June 15, through Sunday, June 17.
Guest directing is Robin Parker, who will spend two weeks in the valley working with the young cast, who range in age from 5 to college age. Assisting her are musical director Dorinda Rendahl, choreographer Sherry Horton and stage manager (and actor) Kristy Kuntz. Cast members from St. Thomas Playhouse's production of "Tommy" are serving as interns in voice, improvisation and choreography. "Tommy" will run concurrently with "Charlie Brown" at nexStage with a 7:30 p.m. curtain, from Thursday, June 14, through Sunday, June 17.
Now living in Washington, D.C., Parker is an old friend of Sara Gorby, the Company B and St. Thomas Playhouse Summer Theatre Project camp director. While living in Idaho, she founded the Twin Falls based J.U.M.P Company, a musical theater for children.
Parker laughingly said the cast of Charlie Brown includes 77 children, despite the fact there were only six parts in the original Broadway production. The growth of St. Thomas Playhouse's summer theater program is a testament to its popularity. In fact, the program grew from 15 students in 2005 to 57 in 2006. Directors now struggle to cast every child who joins the camp hoping for a moment on stage.
To round out the cast, Parker and her assistants added dancing Linus blankets and mini-Snoopys to be played by the 5-year-olds. Eight-year-olds will play kites, while 7- and 8-year-olds will make up baseball players and fans. Paws and feathers will be performed by 10- and 11-year-olds. There are three numbers in which the complete cast will all be on stage at once.
The play consists of vignettes, well known from the Peanuts strip, that make up an average Charlie Brown day. In snap shot scenes, the audience sees Charlie Brown playing baseball and flying a kite. There's Lucy in her psychiatrist booth, Schroeder at the piano and Snoopy at his doghouse. Linus enjoys private time with his blanket. Best of all the characters will be played by actual children, rather than adults as it was done on Broadway.
"All (the scenes) have little life lessons," Parker explained. "The reason I work in theater is because there's a deeper meaning. Kids get a boost of confidence. They learn discipline and to work hard to overcome hurdles. The process for me is about support and teaching kids that they've got what it takes. Hopefully they learn life lessons they can take away with them into other parts of life."
The principal cast includes Andrew McKean as Charlie Brown, Scottie Jorgensen as Linus, Amy Jo Weaver as Snoopy, Calder Zarkos as Schroeder and Brooke Allen as Sally Brown.
Tickets will available at the door of the nexStage Theatre.
For great family entertainment, don't make the mistake of missing this charming show. Remember, in the words of the inimitable Lucy Van Pelt, "I never made a mistake in my life. I thought I did once, but I was wrong."
The primary cast of ?You?re a Good Man Charlie Brown? gathers at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. From left to right top row, Josie Potts, Scott Jorgensen, Amy Ho Weaver, Eric Williamson and Julia Dwyer. Bottom row, Calder Zarkos, Andrew McKean, Brooke Allen, Arielle Rawlings and Shelby Barnes. Photo by David N. Seelig
