YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN
Book, Music, & Lyrics by
Clark Gesner
Directed by
Brian Fahey
This was the first musical I was cast in at Southwestern, and it was such a fun time. I think because everyone was so familiar with the Peanuts characters, they went all out with their characters. I know that when I was cast as Linus, I immediately started looking for spots to integrate his mannerisms, especially sucking his thumb. Linus' dance for "My Blanket and Me" was the most fun and most involved choreography I had done in a while. In fact, all of the choreography was challenging, not to mention the music. Up until the final performance, I was always backstage before the show, reviewing steps and practicing harmonies.
Dramaturgical Video
Part of the appeal of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and something the director wanted to capitalize on, was the nostalgia and familiarity of these characters. He wanted older fans to remember the good times with the Peanuts and he wanted younger fans to see themselves in the characters and relate to them. In service to that, I was tasked with putting together a brief video, that would be shown on a screen outside the theater. It would cover the history of Schultz, the Peanuts, the musical, and modern Charlie Brown. Another team of videographers got rehearsal footage and interviews with the director and set designer, while I researched and recorded the narration. I enjoyed researching the Peanuts and it definitely pulled the nostalgia strings. In a way, I was able to get closer to the Peanuts world, and I think that helped my overall performance.
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