You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown" is a Broadway show based off of Charles Schulz’s Charlie Brown comic strips. Omaha North High Magnet School performed this musical October 22-24.
This musical was very entertaining. It has been the best musical performed by Omaha North in the last four years. There were so many vibrant colors all over the entire stage. The colors alone could keep a small child entertained for the whole time. The songs and cast just added to it.
The songs were all very upbeat and well sang instead of songs from past musicals that have been pretty slow. The songs were all very cute and amusing.
Every one of the leading cast members was chosen very well. Senior John Glassman played Linus Van Pelt; I do not think anyone could have played Linus better. He carried around his blanket throughout the whole musical. His attitude was very intelligent and almost a know it all. His best song was "My Blanket and Me."
Senior Camille Scott played Linus’ older sister, Lucy Van Pelt. Linus and Lucy are almost complete opposites, Linus is incredibly smart and shows it often, but Lucy would rather be doing anything other than school related things. Lucy was a very stuck up character who was sort of grumpy and spoiled. There was even a song about her being grumpy. Also, Lucy wants Schroeder to marry her. There was a scene in the musical where Schroeder is playing the piano and Lucy is trying desperately to get his attention and get him to marry her.
Schroeder was played by junior Nikolas Whitcomb. He was in a lot of the scenes but he was very quiet. Schroeder played his piano a lot and he was obsessed with Beethoven. They even sang a song called "Beethoven Day" which was all about Beethoven and his birthday.
Katie Porter played Snoopy. She was like a little puppy craving attention and always wanting supper. She also resented Charlie Brown a little. Throughout the duration of the play, Snoopy was mostly sitting on top of his red doghouse. There were only a few times where he was actually away from it. My favorite song was Porter’s song about wanting supper titled "Suppertime." She performed that song about just wanting supper like she was on Broadway.
Senior Stephen Lobbes played Charlie Brown. He was a very sad little boy, and even though that is not really his personality, he played Charlie Brown very well. All Charlie Brown wanted was to be accepted and for "the red headed girl" to like him, but no one really liked him. Everyone just looked down upon him
Sally Brown was played by Junior Rachel Overbeck. She was very sweet sometimes and other times she acted like a very bratty child. Sally would go from being the most innocent little girl to rude and mean with someone saying just a couple words to her. She was also upset very easily. She was always tormenting and teasing her older brother, Charlie Brown. She is also best friends with Lucy who also tormented Charlie Brown.
The whole play was based around how Charlie Brown is not a good man. He was slow, not handsome, not smart, not funny or popular, not talented, could not do anything right, and no one liked him. Even his own sister, Lucy, was mean to him.
The musical opened with a song about all of the bad things about him. Charlie Brown really like "the red-headed girl," but is too doubtful to even look at her. At one point he ends up putting a paper bag over his head wondering if she even looked at him.
My favorite scene in "You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown" was when Snoopy and Sally were chasing the choir members that are supposed to be rabbits while singing a song about chasing rabbits. The rabbits ended up chasing them back all around the stage. The choir members put on rabbit masks and rabbit ears and hopped all around the stage.
Each of the choir members were dressed in a brightly T-shirt. The girls wore skirts and the boys wore shirts. They were on the stage for a lot of the musical singing, playing the rabbits, or acting as fillers.
Over all, this was an excellent play. It was definitely worthwhile. I think this play will inspire the drama department to put on more exciting plays. At the end of every song and every musical number, the whole crowd was clapping. I give this play four out of five stars.