''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' is a 1967 musical with music and lyrics by

Clark Gesner Clark Gesner (March 27, 1938 – July 23, 2002)Clark Gesner
at the

Andrew Lippa Andrew Lippa (born December 22, 1964) is an American composer, lyricist, book writer, performer, and producer. He is a resident artist at the Ars Nova Theater in New York City. Early life Lippa was born in Leeds, England, to English parents. ...

. It is based on the characters created by

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...

Charles M. Schulz Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz (; November 26, 1922 – February 12, 2000) was an American cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', featuring what are probably his two best-known characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. He is wi ...

in his

comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...

Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ' ...

''. The musical has been a popular choice for

amateur theatre Amateur theatre, also known as amateur dramatics, is theatre performed by amateur actors and singers. Amateur theatre groups may stage plays, revues, musicals, light opera, pantomime or variety shows, and do so for the social activity as well as f ...

productions because of its small cast and simple staging.

Background

John Gordon was credited with the book of the show, but according to Gesner's foreword in the published script, "John Gordon" is a collective pseudonym that covers Gesner, the cast members, and the production staff, all of whom worked together to assemble the script. ''The Guide to Musical Theatre'' notes that "John Gordon is a pseudonym for the staff and cast of the show. The original cast included

Bob Balaban Robert Elmer Balaban (born August 16, 1945) is an American actor, author, comedian, director and producer. He was one of the producers nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for ''Gosford Park'' (2001), in which he also appeared. Balab ...

Gary Burghoff Gary Rich Burghoff (born May 24, 1943) is an American actor who is known for originating the role of Charlie Brown in the 1967 Off-Broadway musical ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'', and the character Corporal Walter Eugene "Radar" O'Reilly in ...

Bill Hinnant William Hinnant (born John F. Hinnant; August 28, 1935 – February 17, 1978) was an American actor. His younger brother is actor and comedian Skip Hinnant. Biography Hinnant was born John F. Hinnant in Chincoteague Island, Virginia. He a ...

Skip Hinnant Joseph Howard "Skip" Hinnant (born September 12, 1940) is an American actor, singer, voice actor and comedian. Career Skip Hinnant's first major role was as Cathy's boyfriend, Ted, on ''The Patty Duke Show'' from 1963 to 1965. In 1967, he pla ...

, Karen Johnson and

Reva Rose Reva Rose (born July 30, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actress of stage and screen, best known for her award-winning performance as Lucy van Pelt in the 1967 Off-Broadway production of Clark Gesner's ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brow ...

History

During the early 1960s, Gesner had begun writing songs based on Charles Schulz's '' Peanuts'' characters, but was unable to get permission from

United Feature Syndicate United Feature Syndicate (UFS) is a large American editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1919. Originally part of E. W. Scripps Company, it was part of United Media (along wit ...

to use the characters in his songs. Eventually Gesner sent Schulz a demo recording of some of the songs and Gesner soon had permission to properly record them, which he did in 1966."Biography of Clark Gesner, Clark Gesner Papers, 1940–2005"
Princeton University Library

Orson Bean Orson Bean (born Dallas Frederick Burrows; July 22, 1928 – February 7, 2020) was an American film, television, and stage actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He was a game show and talk show host and a "mainstay of Los Angeles’ small ...

sang the role of Charlie Brown, Clark Gesner sang Linus, Barbara Minkus sang Lucy, and

sang Snoopy (he reprised his role in the Off-Broadway production). At the time, Gesner had no plans for a musical based on this pre-production "

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

". However, producer Arthur Whitelaw, who would later go on to write another musical based on ''Peanuts'', encouraged Gesner to turn the album into a musical. The stage adaptation of the concept album, titled ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'', went into rehearsal in New York City on February 10, 1967. Prior to its opening, the musical had no actual

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

; it was several

vignettes Vignette may refer to: * Vignette (entertainment), a sketch in a sketch comedy * Vignette (graphic design), decorative designs in books (originally in the form of leaves and vines) to separate sections or chapters * Vignette (literature), short, i ...

with a musical number for each one.

Productions

Original New York productions and U.S. tours

On March 7, 1967, the musical premiered

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

Theatre 80 Theatre 80 was an Off-Broadway theater located at 80 St. Mark's Place in Manhattan's East Village neighborhood. It is owned and operated by Lorcan Otway, who restored and renovated the building with his father and opened it as a theater in the 1 ...

in the East Village, featuring

Charlie Brown Charles "Charlie" Brown is the principal character of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', syndicated in daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser," Charlie Brown is one of the great American ar ...

Schroeder __NOTOC__ Schroeder is a North German language, German (from Schröder) occupational name for a cloth cutter or tailor, from an agent derivative of Middle Low German , "to cut". The same term was occasionally used to denote a gristmiller as well as ...

Lucy Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Lu ...

Linus Linus, a male given name, is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Linos''. It's a common given name in Sweden. The origin of the name is unknown although the name appears in antiquity both as a musician who taught Apollo and as a son of Apollo who di ...

, Karen Johnson as

Patty A patty or burger (in British English) is a flattened, usually round, serving of ground meat and/or legumes, grains, vegetables, or meat alternatives. Patties are found in multiple cuisines throughout the world. In British and American Eng ...

(an early Peanuts character not to be confused with

Peppermint Patty Peppermint Patty is a fictional character featured in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip ''Peanuts''. Her full name is Patricia Reichardt, which is very rarely used in the strip. She is one of a small group in the strip who live across town from C ...

), and

Snoopy Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. He can also be found in all of the ''Peanuts'' films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of the most recog ...

. Joseph Hardy directed and choreographer

Patricia Birch Patricia Birch (born October 16, 1934) is an American dancer, choreographer, film director, and theatre director. Early life Born in Englewood, New Jersey, Birch began her career as a dancer in Broadway musicals, including ''Brigadoon (musical), ...

was billed as "Assistant to the Director".

Joe Raposo Joseph Guilherme Raposo, OIH (February 8, 1937 – February 5, 1989) was an American composer, songwriter, pianist, singer and lyricist, best known for his work on the children's television series ''Sesame Street'', for which he wrote the theme ...

, later of ''Sesame Street'' fame, was billed as "Music Director" and composer of incidental music for the show. This production of ''You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown'' lasted 1,597 performances, closing on February 14, 1971. The off-Broadway

cast recording A cast recording is a recording of a stage musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording or OCR, as the name implies, features the voices of the sho ...

, originally released on MGM Records, was later remastered by

Decca Broadway Decca Broadway is an American record label specializing in musical theater recordings founded in 1999 by Decca Records and is a unit of Universal Music Group. Decca Broadway issued both new original cast albums as well as reissues of classic music ...

Universal Classics Decca Gold is a United States-based record label focusing on classical repertoire. It falls under the umbrella of Verve Label Group, owned by Universal Music Group. The label has a new roster of classical artists and partnerships, and was inspired ...

and re-released on September 31, 2000. A 1970 U.S. tour lasted 202 performances on the road. A Broadway production opened at the

John Golden Theatre The John Golden Theatre, formerly the Theatre Masque and Masque Theater, is a Broadway theater at 252 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, the Golden Theatre was de ...

on June 1, 1971, and closed on June 27, 1971, after 32 performances and 15 previews. Directed by Joseph Hardy and with choreography by Patricia Birch, the new cast consisted of Carter Cole as Schroeder, Grant Cowan as Snoopy, Stephen Fenning as Linus, Liz O'Neal as Lucy, Dean Stolber as Charlie Brown, and Lee Wilson as Patty.

1968 West End premiere

The musical opened in the West End in London on February 1, 1968, produced by

Harold Fielding Harold Lewis Fielding (4 December 1916 - 27 September 2003) was an English theatre producer. Fielding was one of Britain's foremost theatrical producers who produced several musicals, including ''Mame'', '' Charlie Girl'', ''Half a Sixpence'', ...

and Bernard Delfont, and directed by original 1967 director Joseph Hardy. It played at the

Fortune Theatre The Fortune Theatre is a 432-seat West End theatre on Russell Street, near Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster. Since 1989 the theatre has hosted the long running play ''The Woman in Black''. History The site was acquired by author, playw ...

for 116 performances, until closing on May 11, 1968. The whole original Toronto cast reprised their roles for West End. Don Potter, who portrayed Snoopy, reprised his role in the original San Francisco cast of ''

Snoopy! The Musical ''Snoopy: The Musical'' is a musical comedy with music by Larry Grossman, lyrics by Hal Hackady, and a book by Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw, and Michael Grace. The characters are from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip ''Peanuts''. This seque ...

''.

1986 television special

1998 U.S. tour and 1999 Broadway revival

A U.S. tour began on November 18, 1998, in

Skokie, Illinois Skokie (; formerly Niles Center) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, neighboring the City of Chicago's northern border. Its population, according to the 2020 census, was 67,824. Skokie lies approximately north of Chicago's do ...

. The tour was expected to become a full-scale revival to open at the

Longacre Theatre The Longacre Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 220 West 48th Street (Manhattan), 48th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States. Opened in 1913, it was desi ...

on Broadway, but was moved to the Ambassador Theatre after '' Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funks closing. After the tour ended on January 17, 1999, the revival opened on February 4, 1999, and closed on June 13, 1999, having played 14 previews and 149 performances."IBDB listing for 1999 production"
ibdb.com It featured new dialogue by Michael Mayer, who also directed, and additional songs and orchestration written by

; choreography was by

Jerry Mitchell Jerry Mitchell is an American theatre director and choreographer. Early life and education Born in Paw Paw, Michigan, Mitchell later moved to St. Louis where he pursued his acting, dancing and directing career in theatre. Although he did not g ...

and sets by

David Gallo David Gallo (born January 10, 1966) is an American production/scenic designer, media/ projection designer, and creative director for Broadway, international productions, television, and arena shows. Gallo won the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design ...

, Mayer's frequent collaborator. In this revival, the character of

was replaced with

Sally Brown Sally Brown is a fictional character in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles Schulz. She is the younger sister of main character Charlie Brown. She was first mentioned in May 1959 and throughout a long series of strips before her first appeara ...

, inspired by the same change Schulz made in the animated TV adaptation. The cast featured

Anthony Rapp Anthony Deane Rapp (born October 26, 1971) is an American actor and singer who originated the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of ''Rent''. Following his original performance of the role in 1996, Rapp reprised it in the film version ...

as Charlie Brown,

B.D. Wong Bradley Darryl Wong (born October 24, 1960) is an American actor. Wong won a Tony Award for his performance as Song Liling in ''M. Butterfly'', becoming the only actor in Broadway history to receive the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critic ...

as Linus,

Ilana Levine Ilana Levine (born December 5, 1963) is an American actress. She made her first on-screen appearance as Andrea Spinelli in the HBO comedy-drama series ''Tanner '88'' (1988), appearing in 11 episodes. Career Raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, Levine ...

as Lucy, and

Stanley Wayne Mathis Stanley Wayne Mathis (born December 1, 1955) is an American actor, singer, and dancer. He played the character Schroeder in the 1999 revival of Clark Gesner's ''You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown''. Career Mathis played Paul in the revival of ''Kis ...

as Schroeder. Also featured were

Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...

and

Roger Bart Roger Bart (born September 29, 1962) is an American actor and singer. He won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for his performance as Snoopy in the 1999 revival of ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown''. Bart received his second Tony Award no ...

as Sally and Snoopy, with each winning the Tony award in the respective category.

Kirsten Wyatt Kirsten Wyatt (born 1975) is an American singer and stage actress. She portrayed Frenchy in the 2007 Broadway revival of '' Grease''.

was the standby for Lucy and Sally. The original Broadway revival recording was released by

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

/ BMG on March 9, 1999. The 1999 cast appeared on ''

The Rosie O'Donnell Show ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' is an American daytime variety television talk show created, hosted, and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It premiered on June 10, 1996, and concluded after six seasons on May 22, 2002. This talk sh ...

'' to promote the show, singing "Beethoven Day." O'Donnell joined in with the cast to close her show by performing the finale as the credits rolled.

2008 Manhattan benefit concert

On December 15, 2008, a one-night-only benefit performance of ''Charlie Brown'' was staged at the

Gerald W. Lynch Theater The John Jay College of Criminal Justice (John Jay) is a public college focused on criminal justice and located in New York City. It is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY). John Jay was founded as the only liberal arts ...

John Jay College The John Jay College of Criminal Justice (John Jay) is a public college focused on criminal justice and located in New York City. It is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY). John Jay was founded as the only liberal arts co ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

for the

Make-A-Wish Foundation The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in the United States that helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of and 18 years old. Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 and headqua ...

, directed by David Lefkowich. The cast featured Morgan Karr as Charlie Brown,

David Larsen David Larsen (born April 23, 1980) is an American stage actor. A 1998 graduate of Hillsboro High School, Larsen starred in many of its productions, including the title role in '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat''. Larsen attended ...

as Schroeder, Tom Deckman as Snoopy, Matt Crowle as Linus, Carmen Ruby Floyd as Lucy, and Kenita R. Miller as Sally.

2016 Off-Broadway revival

The musical was revived at the Off-Broadway York Theatre Company. The revival used some young actors from Broadway productions. The six-member “Peanuts” gang featured

Joshua Colley Joshua Robert Colley is an American actor. Personal life Joshua Colley and his twin brother Cameron were born on January 20, 2002, to Brad and Robbie Lynn Colley. Colley was raised in Trinity, Florida. Career Colley played the role of Les in t ...

, Gregory Diaz as

, Aidan Gemme as

Milly Shapiro Milly Shapiro is an American actress and singer. She starred in the 2018 horror film '' Hereditary'' and the 2013 Broadway production of ''Matilda the Musical'' playing the role of Matilda Wormwood. She also played Sally Brown in an Off-Broadwa ...

Sally Sally may refer to: People *Sally (name), a list of notable people with the name Military *Sortie (siege warfare), Sally (military), an attack by the defenders of a town or fortress under siege against a besieging force; see sally port *Sally, ...

, Mavis Simpson-Ernst as

, and Jeremy T. Villas as

. Graydon Peter Yosowitz played the role of Charlie Brown from June 1–7. The production ran from May 24 – June 26, 2016.Dale, Michael
"BWW Review: York Theatre Casts Broadway Kids In ''You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown''"
broadwayworld.com, June 1, 2016

Synopsis

Original

;Act I Charlie Brown and Linus are together, as his friends give their various opinions of him ("Opening"). Today everyone is calling him a "good man". They state he could be king. Lucy, however says he could be king if he wasn't so wishy-washy ("You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown").

expresses her deep infatuation with

and asks him what he thinks of the idea of marriage. Schroeder is aware of her feelings, but remains aloof as he plays his piano. Lucy then exclaims: "My Aunt Marion was right. Never try to discuss marriage with a musician" ("Schroeder"). Schroeder is walking around in the sun, happy with all the peace and quiet. However, that is soon interrupted by Lucy screaming for a ball.

is lying on top of his

doghouse A doghouse, also known as a kennel, is an outbuilding to provide shelter for a dog from various weather conditions. Background Humans and domesticated dogs have been companions for more than 15,000 years, beginning with the wolf and hunter–ga ...

, relaxing vacantly and peacefully. He daydreams that all the children are adoring him, and saying he's “the best dog in the world”. Birds start to poke his stomach, and then he begins to

daydream Daydreaming is the stream of consciousness that detaches from current, external tasks when attention drifts to a more personal and internal direction. This phenomenon is common in people's daily life shown by a large-scale study in which partici ...

about being a wild jungle beast. In a few minutes, however, he is back to his peaceful state ("Snoopy"). Linus enters, holding his blanket and sucking his thumb. Lucy and Patty show up and mock him for this habit. Lucy tries to pull away the blanket, but fails. Linus decides to abandon his blanket and move on, only to come running back to it in desperation. After the girls leave, Linus decides to relax with his blanket until he can outgrow it ("My Blanket and Me"). Charlie Brown appears, trying to get his unusually stubborn kite to soar in the air. Eventually, he succeeds in doing this, and he enjoys a few minutes of triumph before the kite plummets to the ground ("The Kite"). After this trauma, Charlie Brown tries to find the right way to give The Little Red-Headed Girl her

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...

card, but he ends up saying "Merry Christmas", making a fool out of himself. He finds Patty handing out valentines, and she drops a valentine with the initials C.B. Charlie Brown gives it back to Patty, but soon learns it was Craig Bowerman's valentine. He goes to see Lucy, who is at her

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...

booth. He tells her all the things he thinks of himself. Lucy then clears it up by saying that Charlie Brown is unique the way he is, then asks for the five cent price ("The Doctor Is In"). Later, Lucy comes up to Schroeder again and talks about if they got married, and they were so poor that Schroeder had to sell his piano for saucepans, and, again, Schroeder cannot stand it. At noon, Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, and Charlie Brown are working on their

Peter Rabbit Peter Rabbit is a fictional animal character in various children's stories by English author Beatrix Potter. A mischievous, adventurous young rabbit who wears a blue jacket, he first appeared in ''The Tale of Peter Rabbit'' in 1902, and subs ...

book reports, each in his or her own way. Lucy is simply babbling to fit the 100-word requirement, Schroeder is doing a "comparison" between the book and

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...

, Linus is doing an overcomplicated psychological analysis, and Charlie Brown hasn't even started out of worry, while Sally and Snoopy chase rabbits ("The Book Report"). ;Act II Snoopy, in his World War I

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

uniform, climbs atop his doghouse. He goes through a scene, with him being a pilot searching for the

Red Baron Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary ...

. In his imagination, he is defeated by the Red Baron and returns to the aerodrome in France ("The Red Baron"). Meanwhile, Charlie Brown returns, and, with his friends, plays the

Little League Baseball Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationflashback, and Charlie Brown expresses his deep sorrow to his

pen pal Pen pals (or penpals, pen-pals, penfriends or pen friends) are people who regularly write to each other, particularly via postal mail. Pen pals are usually strangers whose relationship is based primarily, or even solely, on their exchange of le ...

("T-E-A-M (The Baseball Game)"). Later on, Linus and Lucy arrive home. Linus starts to watch TV, but Lucy tells him to switch channels. Lucy tells Linus that what she intends to do when she grows up, she will become a queen. Linus denies, and Lucy decides to cultivate her life for her "natural beauty" ("Queen Lucy"). The next day, at lunchtime, Charlie Brown talks about his bad days. Then he notices the Little Red-Haired Girl approaching and puts a paper bag over his head. It turns out it is Lucy and Patty, chatting together. At Schroeder's

Glee Club A glee club in the United States is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs by trios or quartets. In the late 19th century it w ...

, Patty is the only one to arrive early. When everyone comes, it's chaos. Unfortunately, a fight ensues between Lucy and Linus over a pencil. Lucy threatens to tell Patty that Linus called her an enigma. The fight spreads, and Charlie Brown decides to leave with his angry friends, leaving Schroeder and Snoopy the only ones singing ("Glee Club Rehearsal"). Later, Charlie Brown comes across Lucy teaching Linus about nature the way she views it, with "facts" such as bugs pulling the grass to make it grow or snow coming out of the ground in

winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...

. Charlie Brown tries to correct her, but she retaliates with a false explanation, and Charlie Brown bangs his head against a tree in frustration (" Little Known Facts"). The next morning, Snoopy is puzzled why he has his supper in the red dish, and the water in the blue dish. Meanwhile, Linus and Schroeder are walking to school. Schroeder asks if Linus filled out the form that Ms. Othmar gave them. Linus puts down “

Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
'' Little Red-Haired Girl The Little Red-Haired Girl is an unseen character in the ''Peanuts'' comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, who serves as the object of Charlie Brown's affection, and a symbol of unrequited love. The character was first mentioned in the strip on Nove ...

(his perennial crush). As he examines it, he discovers that "there are teeth-marks all over it . . . she ''nibbles'' her pencil . . . ''she's HUMAN!''" With that realization, he concludes that today hasn't been so bad, after all, and he's done a lot of things that make him happy. As Charlie Brown expresses what makes him happy, everyone, touched by his love of life, begin to express what makes them happy as well ("Happiness"). Right then, he realizes being a "good man" means trying your best and making the most of the things you've been given in life. As his other friends leave the stage, Lucy turns to him then tells him, "You're a good man, Charlie Brown."

Revised

;Act I Charlie Brown stands alone as his friends give their various opinions of him, each overlapping the other ("Opening"). Today everyone is calling him a "good man". Charlie Brown is happy and hopeful as usual, but he nevertheless wonders if he really is what they say. He decides to find out how he can really become a good person ("You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"). Alone one day, during lunch, Charlie Brown talks about his bad days. Then he notices the

Little Red-Haired Girl The Little Red-Haired Girl is an unseen character in the ''Peanuts'' comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, who serves as the object of Charlie Brown's affection, and a symbol of unrequited love. The character was first mentioned in the strip on Nove ...

and decides to go sit with her. However, he cannot find the courage to do so, and puts a paper bag over his head. It turns out it is Lucy and Sally, chatting together. They draw a dress on the paper bag, while Charlie Brown, feels like he has no confidence ("You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" (reprise))

expresses her deep infatuation with

is lying on top of his

, relaxing vacantly and peacefully. He begins to

about being a wild jungle beast. In a few minutes, however, he is back to his peaceful state ("Snoopy"). Linus enters, holding his blanket and sucking his thumb. Lucy and Sally show up and mock him for this habit. Linus decides to abandon his blanket and move on, only to come running back to it in desperation. After the girls leave, Linus daydreams of a blanket fantasy where everyone can relax with their blankets ("My Blanket and Me"). Lucy later tells him that she would someday like to be a queen ("Queen Lucy"). However, Linus tells her that she can't and she threatens to punch him. Sally gets a D for her pathetic coat-hanger sculpture. Charlie Brown appears, trying to get his unusually stubborn kite to soar in the air. Eventually, he succeeds in doing this, and he enjoys a few minutes of triumph before the notorious

Kite-Eating Tree The Kite-Eating Tree is a fictional tree in the ''Peanuts'' comic strip created by Charles M. Schulz. In the comics, when Charlie Brown attempts to fly a kite, the kite always ends up tangled in the tree. In an editorial from 1964, the '' U. ...

eats it up ("The Kite"). After this trauma, Charlie Brown tries to find the right way to give The Little Red-Headed Girl her

card, but he ends up saying "Merry Christmas", making a fool out of himself. He goes to see Lucy, who is at her

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

's birthday and pulling together a celebration. He and company join Schroeder in the song of jubilation ("Beethoven Day"). The next morning, Sally wakes up Snoopy to go rabbit chasing, and they go into strange places, like the Sahara. At noon, Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, and Charlie Brown are working on their

book reports, each in his or her own way. Lucy is simply babbling to fit the 100-word requirement, Schroeder is doing a "comparison" between the book and

uniform climbs atop his doghouse. He goes through a scene, with him being a pilot searching for the

. In his imagination, he is defeated by the Red Baron and returns to the aerodrome in France ("The Red Baron"). Sally is clearly cross about a D her teacher gave her on her homework assignment. In response, she says, "Oh, yeah? That's what you think!" Schroeder hears and asks why Sally is telling him that. It quickly becomes Sally's new "philosophy", and she bursts into song about her philosophies. Schroeder, after failing to explain to her how philosophies work, leaves in bafflement while Sally continues ("My New Philosophy"). Charlie Brown returns, and, with his friends, plays the

Little League Baseball Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationflashback, and Charlie Brown expresses his deep sorrow to his

("T-E-A-M (The Baseball Game)"). Lucy takes a crabbiness survey and Linus says that her crabbiness rating is ninety-five. After punching him, she realizes that she, in reality, is really very crabby. Determined not to let what happened at the championship bother him, Charlie Brown decides to join Schroeder's

and cheer up by singing "

Home on the Range "Home on the Range" is a classic cowboy song, sometimes called the "unofficial anthem" of the American West. Dr. Brewster M. Higley (also spelled Highley) of Smith County, Kansas, wrote the lyrics as the poem "My Western Home" in 1872 or 1873 ...

" with his friends. Unfortunately, a fight ensues between Lucy and Linus over a pencil. The fight spreads, and Charlie Brown decides to leave with his angry friends, leaving Schroeder and Snoopy the only ones singing ("Glee Club Rehearsal"). Later, Charlie Brown comes across Lucy teaching Linus about nature the way she views it, with "facts" such as bugs pulling the grass to make it grow or snow growing out of the ground in

. Charlie Brown tries to correct her, but she retaliates with a false explanation, and Charlie Brown bangs his head against a tree in frustration (" Little Known Facts"). That evening, Snoopy complains that he hasn't been fed yet, and begins to overly complicate and dramatize the matter until Charlie Brown shows up with his dinner. Snoopy bursts into song about his craving for supper until Charlie Brown firmly tells him to eat his meal ("Suppertime"). That night, Charlie Brown is still sad that he has not discovered what it means to be a "good man", then he discovers a pencil which has been dropped by the

(his perennial crush). As he examines it, he discovers that "there are teeth-marks all over it . . . she ''nibbles'' her pencil . . . ''she's HUMAN!''" With that realization, he concludes that today hasn't been so bad, after all, and he's done a lot of things that make him happy. As Charlie Brown expresses what makes him happy, everyone, touched by his love of life, begin to express what makes them happy as well ("Happiness"). Right then, he realizes being a "good man" means trying your best and making the most of the things you've been given in life. As his other friends leave the stage, Lucy turns to him and puts out her hand, making him shrink back. As he reaches out, she shakes his hand firmly, then tells him, "You're a good man, Charlie Brown." A medley of "Happiness" and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" is performed as the cast comes out for a final curtain call.

Musical numbers

;Original ;Act I * "Opening" – Company * "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" – Company * "Schroeder" – Lucy (sung over

's "

Moonlight Sonata The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, marked ''Quasi una fantasia'', Op. 27, No. 2, is a piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven. It was completed in 1801 and dedicated in 1802 to his pupil Countess Giulietta Guicciardi. The popular name ''Mo ...

") * "Snoopy" – Snoopy * "My Blanket and Me" – Linus * "The Kite" – Charlie Brown * "The Doctor is In" (Dr. Lucy) – Lucy and Charlie Brown * "The Book Report" – Company ;Act II * "Opening, Pt. 2" - Company * "T-E-A-M (The Baseball Game)" – Charlie Brown and Company * "The Red Baron" – Snoopy * "Queen Lucy" – Lucy and Linus * "Glee Club Rehearsal" – Company (sung over "

") * " Little Known Facts" – Lucy with Linus and Charlie Brown * "Peanuts Potpourri" – Snoopy, Schroeder, and Linus * "Suppertime" – Snoopy * "Happiness" – Company * Bows – Company (includes a

reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repea ...

of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown") ''Note: "Opening, Pt. 2", "Glee Club Rehearsal", and "Bows" was not included in the original cast recording.'' ;Revised ;Act I * "Opening" – Company * "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" – Company * "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" (reprise) – Charlie Brown, Linus, and Sally * "Schroeder" – Lucy (sung over

's "

") * "Snoopy" – Snoopy * "My Blanket and Me" – Linus and Company * "Queen Lucy" – Lucy and Linus * "The Kite" – Charlie Brown (optional company background) * "The Doctor is In" (Dr. Lucy) – Lucy and Charlie Brown * "Peanuts Potpourri" – Sally, Linus, Snoopy, Lucy, and Schroeder * "Beethoven Day" – Schroeder and Company * "Rabbit Chasing" - Sally and Snoopy * "The Book Report" – Company ;Act II * "The Red Baron" – Snoopy * "My New Philosophy" – Sally and Schroeder * "T-E-A-M (The Baseball Game)" – Charlie Brown and Company * "Glee Club Rehearsal" – Company (sung over "

") * " Little Known Facts" – Lucy with Linus and Charlie Brown * "Suppertime" – Snoopy * "Happiness" – Company * Bows – Company (includes a partial

of "Happiness," and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown") ''Note: The three new songs added to the show ("Beethoven Day", "Rabbit Chasing", and "My New Philosophy") are by Andrew Lippa. "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown Reprise", "Queen Lucy", "Peanuts Potpourri", "Rabbit Chasing", and "The Red Baron" are not included in the 1999 revival Broadway cast recording.''

Instrumentation

The instrumentation varies greatly and three kinds exist. In the original Off-Broadway production, the instrumentation was simply a piano (doubling on

toy piano The toy piano, also known as the ''kinderklavier'' (child's keyboard), is a small piano-like musical instrument. Most modern toy pianos use round metal rods, as opposed to strings in a regular piano, to produce sound. The U.S. Library of Congress ...

and

melodica The melodica is a handheld free-reed instrument similar to a pump organ or harmonica. It features a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. The keyboard usual ...

), a bass, and percussion. It can be heard on the original cast recording. When Tams-Witmark acquired the rights to ''Charlie Brown'', the orchestration was rewritten from the original version. The complete orchestration contained a piano, bass, guitar, percussion, five woodwind parts, two trumpets, horn, trombone, and strings. The piano player can also be doubled on celeste, toy piano, and melodica; the first woodwind plays flute and piccolo; the second is the second flute part; the third and fourth are the first and second clarinet parts respectively; the fifth on bass clarinet and tenor sax. Any guitar, horn, and string parts (excluding bass) were all optional. When ''Charlie Brown'' was brought back to Broadway in 1999, the orchestration was deeply revised, containing a five-piece orchestra that consisted of a piano, bass, percussion, a woodwind player, and a violinist. The piano player can double on keyboard synthesizer and kazoo; the bass player doubles on electric and acoustic bass, tenor recorder, and kazoo (in the original Broadway pit the bass player also doubled on acoustic and electric guitar); the woodwind part doubles on piccolo, flute, clarinet, soprano and alto sax, soprano recorder, and kazoo; the violin part also doubles on viola, alto recorder, kazoo, and tambourine. The percussionist primarily plays drum set but doubles on vibraphone, bells, triangle, timpani, and xylophone, with the parts intended to be played with a synthesizer. This version is also available through Tams-Witmark.

Casts

''Notes: The character of "Sally" was added in the 1999 revival, replacing "Patty" from the original version. Sally was then used for the 2016 revival as well.
The characters of Patty and Schroeder do not appear on the concept album.''CastAlbums.or

/ref> Articles about the 1999 revision while it was in previews noted that the one difference between the original production and the 1999 version was that the latter reflected the increased ethnic diversity of casting over the decades that had passed, with Schroeder being played by an African American actor (Mathis) and Linus by an Asian American (Wong).Frank Rizzo. "'Rent' Original To Star In New 'Charlie Brown'" ("On Stage" column), ''The Hartford Courant'', October 4, 1998, Arts section, page G4.Alex Beam. "It's The Great White Way, Charlie Brown" ("TGIF" column), ''Boston Globe'', October 9, 1998, Living section, page D1.Chris Jones. "Good grief: For a way-Off Broadway preview, why not Skokie?" (Theater column), ''Chicago Tribune'', November 22, 1998, Arts & Entertainment section, page 6.

Response

The off-Broadway production was well received, with ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

'' praising the simplistic set and "strikingly talented" cast.

Walter Kerr Walter Francis Kerr (July 8, 1913 – October 9, 1996) was an American writer and Broadway theatre critic. He also was the writer, lyricist, and/or director of several Broadway plays and musicals as well as the author of several books, genera ...

in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' called the show "a miracle", saying, "Almost everything works, because almost everything is effortless."Brantley, Ben
"THEATER REVIEW; Your Sister's Gutsy, Charlie Brown"
nytimes.com, February 5, 1999. In reviewing the 1999 revival, ''

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's pr ...

s Steven Suskin found it "overblown and underwhelming. The scenic and musical enhancements were especially harmful, it seemed to me; the unassuming, child-size characters were overwhelmed… Which is not to say that the 1999 music department did a bad job; it's simply that the concept of a big, new 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown' worked against the inherent qualities of the material." In ''The New York Times'',

Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 to ...

wrote a lukewarm review: Brantley did praise some of the cast, saying, "

Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...

's performance as Sally will be the part that should seal her reputation. This glow cast by a star-in-the-making gives a real Broadway magic to a show that otherwise feels sadly shrunken… And

, in the plum role of Snoopy, the charismatic beagle, incorporates some delightful doglike mannerisms."

Awards and nominations

Original Off-Broadway Production

1999 Broadway Revival

Adaptations

In 1973, the show was adapted for television in a

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in t ...

TV special, broadcast on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

. Actors featured in the adaptation included original 1967 cast member

as Snoopy. Hinnant was the only member of the original off-Broadway cast to reprise their role in the special.

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

aired a new prime-time animated

TV special A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of ent ...

in 1985, based on the original musical.Internet Movie Database listing, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (TV 1985)
imdb.com This version was the first animated depiction of Snoopy with comprehensible dialogue, voiced by Robert Towers, who previously portrayed the role in the 1967 Los Angeles production alongside Burghoff as Charlie Brown and

Judy Kaye Judy Kaye (born October 11, 1948) is an American singer and actress. She has appeared in stage musicals, plays, and operas. Kaye has been in long runs on Broadway in the musicals ''The Phantom of the Opera'', ''Ragtime'', '' Mamma Mia!'', and ...

as Lucy. Original cast albums have been released for all three versions of the stage show, however the 1973

recording on

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

is no longer in print.

References

External links

''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' 1999
at the

Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade assoc ...

''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown''
at the

Internet Off-Broadway Database The Internet Off-Broadway Database (IOBDB), also formerly known as the Lortel Archives, is an online database that catalogues theatre productions shown off-Broadway. The IOBDB was funded and developed by the non-profit Lucille Lortel Foundation ...

Tams-Witmark plot synopsis and production information
{{DEFAULTSORT:You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown 1967 musicals Broadway musicals Drama Desk Award-winning musicals Musicals based on comic strips Off-Broadway musicals Works based on Peanuts (comic strip) Peanuts music West End musicals Tony Award-winning musicals