Strong Cast For The Peanuts Gang

This is a perfect show for the first few weekends post-New Year’s. “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” is a charming musical full of whimsy and nostalgia, brimming with gentle melancholy and significant glimmers of hope. 

 It’s also an ideal musical for a space like the Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck with a small cast, such as the one provided by CENTERstage Productions.

Opening night had a few rough patches — a hot mic, some prop issues — but I trust that director/choreographer Lisa Lynds had them sorted by Saturday night’s show. 

More importantly, Lynds has assembled a strong cast with dynamic personalities. One would think the show hinges only on casting Charlie Brown with a good actor (and Fred Fishberg is so intensely sympathetic and earnest), but the show definitely has to do well with the other characters, as there are so few. 

The stand-out performers are Sabrina Roberts as Lucy van Pelt and Kate Podell as Sally Brown. Certainly, I have to note that those parts are exceptionally well-written, but Roberts and Podell also maximized the humor and offered powerful vocals. There’s a reason Kristin Chenoweth emerged as a Broadway powerhouse in the 1999 Broadway revival: The role of Sally allows a performer like Podell the chance to belt beautifully and deliver some of the funniest monologues. She’s delightfully bratty and ironically wise.  

Roberts charms with a more knowing sarcasm, which is a perfect tone for the sardonic Lucy. Her chemistry with Fishberg works even better than her fruitless attempts to lure Schroeder (Jeremy Ratel) into a schoolyard romance.

This is a challenging show to stage. I served as choreographer on the show years ago for an amateur production. The scenes are obviously related based on the characters, but there isn’t really a plot. There are sections of songs that stretch out and demand choreography, and given that the cast is so small, that’s a lot to ask of performers. 

Dear Linus, played in this production by a sage-like, thumb-sucking Patrick McGriff, has a long song in which he serenades his beloved blanket. Lynds has the cast grab blankets and join him in a sweet, child-like dance. The machinery to get the characters their color-coordinated blankets is clunky, but the effect is comforting. McGriff manages to blend immature neurosis with appropriate gravitas: After all, Linus routinely offers the most beautiful pearls of wisdom in the comic strip and cartoons. 

As Snoopy, Tom Bunker also does well with the choreography in his big song, “Suppertime.” Bunker’s subtle wink-and-nod humor works well with the odd monologues delivered by the precocious dog on his giant red dog house. 

On that note, kudos to Kim-Denise Barnett for costume design. The bold colors, paired with props to match, work so well to set the Sunday comics style. 

Music direction by Paul and JoAnne Schubert sounded spot on, and reminded me that the score really is both whimsical and lovely. Ending on the high note of “Happiness,” a delicate song of hope, left me floating out of the theater, thinking that everything really will be OK tomorrow.

“You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” runs through Jan. 22 at the Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck. Call 845-876-3080 or go to www.centerforperformingarts.org.