Sixty years after being created by cartoonist Charles Shulz, the "Peanuts" gang comes to life for a spring performance of Theatricks' You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The production will run from March 5-14.
Auditions for cast members were held in late January and 12 cast members were chosen by directors Webster Crocker, Sylvia Rivers and Amy Dean. The production elements of this production are being handled by Theatricks' teen theatre group, the Supporting Cast. For the past three weeks, the cast, directors, and the Supporting Cast have been learning music, blocking, dance, and creating the set, costumes, props, lights, and sound for the production. A small combo band of 10 musicians, conducted by Pam Gauthier, will accompany the cast during the production.
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown chronicles the events in a day in the life of Charlie Brown, along with other familiar characters such as Lucy, Sally, Linus, Schroeder, Snoopy, Frieda, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Lila, Pig Pen, and Violet. It is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Clark Gesner. The show originally written and performed in 1967 and revised in 1999 includes the songs Beethoven Day, My New Philosophy, My Blanket and Me, The Kite, The Baseball Game, Little Known Facts, Book Report, Suppertime and Happiness to name a few. The revised version won two Tony Awards.
Performing in Theatricks production is Elliot Rivers, a junior at Sherman High School, in the title role of Charlie Brown. Taylor Walker, also a junior at SHS, plays Charlie's sister, Sally. Sherman High freshman Ellie Gundersheimer will be portraying Lucy, and Lucy's brother, Linus, is Joey Oliver, an eighth-grade home schooler from Van Alstyne. Lucy's love interest, Schroeder, the piano playing Beethoven fan, is Denison High School junior Zeke Dolezalek, and Charlie Brown's dog, Snoopy, is played by Van Alstyne junior Dallas Fleck.
Rounding out the cast are: Samantha Crocker, an 11th grade home-schooler, as Lila; Jennifer Thacker, a Grayson College freshman, as Frieda; Piner Middle School eighth-grader Taylor Garland, as Peppermint Patty; Sherman High junior Kaylea Daubenspeck, as Marcie; Sarah Davis, a senior, as Violet; and sophomore Kelly Phelan as Pig Pen.
Theatricks box office for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, opens March 1 for Theatricks season members and March 2 for the general public. Tickets are $10 adults and $8 students, and the production will be performed in the Honey McGee Playhouse, 313 W. Mulberry, in Sherman. A special $5 night with open seating will be held on March 4 at 7 p.m.