PROVO — You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown is a musical based on the beloved Charles Schulz Peanuts comic strip. Starring Charlie Brown and his other 5 year old friends, Lucy, Sally, Schroeder, Linus, and of course, Snoopy the dog, the team explores the world, learning valuable and hilarious lessons along the way. This revised script is based on the book, music, and lyrics by Clark Gesner, with additional music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. Michael Mayer contributed additional dialogue.
Young At Heart Casting
The Covey Center’s version of Charlie Brown incorporates a special twist on the show, calling it the “AARP version.” All the actors are older than the average theatre performer, framing the cast as “a group of aging theater kids com[ing] together to recreate their 50th anniversary” of performing the show together. This spin on the traditional casting choice is a brilliant move by director Heidi Mendez. From the very beginning of the show, the casting accentuates the wisdom of the emotional journeys that these children walk through. This take on Charlie Brown highlights the true meaning of the script, and it shouldn’t be taken as a gimmick. The brave choice to cast older actors in this production is successful because of the incredibly talented cast and crew.
Much like the comic strip, the musical has little to give in terms of real conflict. All of the tension derives from the characters’ tumultuous discoveries of how the world works. While this vignette-heavy script might prove challenging for both director and actor, the Covey’s cast approaches it with a whimsical sense of play.
You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown plays through May 3 | Photos: Covey Center for the Arts
Performances
James Arrington as Charlie Brown brings a tenderness to the ever-tortured Charlie. His engagement with unseen characters off-stage is often so believable, it made children and adults alike turn to make sure no one was actually there when I attended. Arrington is easily funny, using Charlie’s natural tendencies towards despair as an uproarious punchline. However, there are multiple times that Arrington portrays Charlie’s woe as sincere, creating a very nuanced portrayal of the 5 year old. In fact, expressing a child’s realistic range of emotions is a strength for the entire cast in this production. Director Heidi Mendez smartly utilizes the range of the actors to embody children who are meant to be comically wise. I was continually impressed by how grounded their depictions of children were. Mendez excels at highlighting the nuance of these child characters without making them into one-sided caricatures.
Another star of the show is Rosanna Weeks as the “crabby” Lucy Van Pelt. Weeks has a vibrancy to her performance that infects every other actor with whom she’s performing. Aided by an exceptionally strong singing voice, Weeks brings to life a sassy Lucy with both comedy and class. Lucy’s crush, Schroeder, is played by Nolan Goodwin, who matches Weeks’ powerful voice. Goodwin embodies the shy character with raised shoulders and blushing cheeks, making his impassioned speech about Beethoven even more startling, hilarious, and gripping.
From the moment Jayne Luke marches onstage as Snoopy the dog, she howls with fun. Like Snoopy, Luke knows when to command the stage and when to support her fellow actors. In her show-stopping number, “Suppertime,” she sparks with energy, bringing to life the happiness of both dogs and children. Peggy Matheson is Luke’s partner in act one’s energetic “Rabbit Chasing.” Matheson is particularly delightful in her facial expressions as Sally Brown. Always emoting, Matheson consistently finds the humor in her character. This is also true of Pat Debenham who plays the thoughtful Linus Van Pelt. The blanket-loving character shines through Debenham’s performance, especially when paired with one of his fellow actors. Debenham knows how to artfully play with a partner in a scene, providing some of the most witty exchanges in the show.
While the songs that are featured in the show aren’t especially memorable, what was more memorable was the actors’ commitment to the physical ridiculousness of some of their songs. Additionally, the great music direction by Andrea Chapman results in a very full sound for the group songs, despite having a cast of only 6 people.
Design
With the cast’s performances, the impressive prop design by Robert Seely brings the Peanuts characters to life. By using props on a larger scale, such as oversized pencils, Seely subtly communicates the age of the characters. Additionally, the set design, also by Seely, immediately sets the audience in the famous Charles Schulz cartoon. With bright depictions of the great outdoors including blue skies, green grass, and an ultra-red fire hydrant, I felt transported into the world of the Peanuts. Seely’s construction team even detailed every piece of scenery with cartoon-like black lines, perfectly evoking the comic strip’s art style.
In this same vein, Jessica Moody’s costume, hair, and makeup design succinctly encapsulates the personalities of these characters in one glance. Moody uses the familiar colors and patterns to the cartoon to help the audience distinguish characters, while also providing functional costumes for the use of props. The costumes looked beautiful, and the cast rolled around on the floor with them, proving the quality of the design goes beyond aesthetics.
As a whole, the Covey Center’s You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is aesthetically brilliant, with the design team pulling out all the stops in the black box theatre. However, this production is more than just looks, as the direction and performances both treasure the wonder of childhood. I left the Covey Center feeling like a kid again, and I recommend this production to anyone who wants to feel that way too.
