This past week, one of America’s favorite characters, Snoopy, took the stage at the Allan Bales Theatre.
The University’s musical for fall 2024 is “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” which opened on Monday and ran through Sunday. Written by the late Clark Gesner and later receiving a 1999 revision by Andrew Lippa, the musical is a series of vignettes pulled from the earlier days of the “Peanuts” comic strip. Since its debut in 1967, the show has enjoyed popularity with theater companies nationwide.
“You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” boasts a small ensemble cast featuring familiar faces of Schulz’s beloved characters: Sally, Linus, Lucy and Schroeder, in addition to the titular Charlie Brown and everyone’s favorite beagle, Snoopy.
For the University’s production, Dailey Dodgen played the titular role of Charlie Brown with a sense of childlike wonder and anxiety that did the iconic character well, and Mekelle Alisse played Snoopy. Both kept the audience laughing because of their antics. All of the actors had a commitment to childhood joy and innocence that was refreshing and truly believable.
The design of the musical was truly stunning. As soon as audience members entered the theater, they were transported into the pages of Schulz’s beloved comics. It was an incredibly versatile set meant to evoke a school playground, with pieces that move in and out through two large, cartoony doors that looked plucked from the pages.
The set’s cartoonish design contrasts beautifully with the more historically rooted costumes, which take inspiration from the characters’ looks in the comics and children’s clothing in the 1950s. The costumes manage to not feel like costumes at all.
“You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” was a true delight. Every part of the show was beautifully realized.
