I could be wrong about this, but I believe that the first live stage production I ever saw was You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown... or MacBeth... I'm not sure which.
Whatever it was, they both made an impression on me when I was about nine years old. One, because it was my first taste of musical theater and one because my very pious, but Shakespeare loving, teacher took me aside before I went and she gave me a rundown of the plot so I would know what was going on and be able to follow the language... and she quoted the famous line as "Out, wretched spot. Out I say!" So that was my first experience where a teacher censored Shakespeare. It wouldn't be the last.
Charlie Brown needed no censoring however. I loved it. There was an older girl who attended our church that I knew tangentially and she played Lucy. So I was a bit star struck by her. I got all the cast members' autographs after the show and I believe I may still have that program to this day.
The Dormouse and The Caterpillar have only had the most minimal introduction to Charles Schultz. His strips don't appear in the Sunday paper anymore, but I do make a point of recording the holiday specials and making them watch, if nothing else than because they are such an iconic part of my childhood and the children should understand what I'm talking about it when I make random references to the show, like "I got a rock."
So when I saw on the Adventure Theatre website that Charlie Brown was playing, I got tickets for us all.
It was a delightful production and The Caterpillar sat in rapt attention through almost the whole play... now that's a feat if I ever heard one. She'd dance in the aisle and when the music stopped throw whatever was in her hands to the floor so she could clap and pat her legs every time the applause began.
The Dormouse was equally enraptured. So much so that she decided she too needed all the cast members' autographs after the play. Aw, how life comes full circle.
An adorable Charlie Brown
Lucy, who was hilarious.
Schroeder, whose voice filled the room more than anyone I've heard in quite some time.
There was also a pretty damn funny Sally and Linus (you can see his red shirt next to Schroeder in the picture above), whom I couldn't secure photos of due to the throng of small humans rushing them.
Afterward, we took a spin on the carousel.
If you haven't been to Glen Echo Park, you simply must go.
Whatever it was, they both made an impression on me when I was about nine years old. One, because it was my first taste of musical theater and one because my very pious, but Shakespeare loving, teacher took me aside before I went and she gave me a rundown of the plot so I would know what was going on and be able to follow the language... and she quoted the famous line as "Out, wretched spot. Out I say!" So that was my first experience where a teacher censored Shakespeare. It wouldn't be the last.
Charlie Brown needed no censoring however. I loved it. There was an older girl who attended our church that I knew tangentially and she played Lucy. So I was a bit star struck by her. I got all the cast members' autographs after the show and I believe I may still have that program to this day.
The Dormouse and The Caterpillar have only had the most minimal introduction to Charles Schultz. His strips don't appear in the Sunday paper anymore, but I do make a point of recording the holiday specials and making them watch, if nothing else than because they are such an iconic part of my childhood and the children should understand what I'm talking about it when I make random references to the show, like "I got a rock."
So when I saw on the Adventure Theatre website that Charlie Brown was playing, I got tickets for us all.
It was a delightful production and The Caterpillar sat in rapt attention through almost the whole play... now that's a feat if I ever heard one. She'd dance in the aisle and when the music stopped throw whatever was in her hands to the floor so she could clap and pat her legs every time the applause began.
The Dormouse was equally enraptured. So much so that she decided she too needed all the cast members' autographs after the play. Aw, how life comes full circle.
An adorable Charlie Brown
Lucy, who was hilarious.
Schroeder, whose voice filled the room more than anyone I've heard in quite some time.There was also a pretty damn funny Sally and Linus (you can see his red shirt next to Schroeder in the picture above), whom I couldn't secure photos of due to the throng of small humans rushing them.
Afterward, we took a spin on the carousel.
If you haven't been to Glen Echo Park, you simply must go.
Share:
-
|
August 3, 2009 at 11:20 PM
One of my favorite episodes is "Snoopy, Come Home". I still remember the words to the theme song ("Me and You, a two man crew. We're the best of buddies, me and you."), and still cry every time at the end.
August 4, 2009 at 10:20 AM
I love that the Caterpillar enjoyed it so much.
Do you know that no matter how you spell 'caterpillar' it doesn't look right?
August 6, 2009 at 5:32 PM
The next season looks terrific - the directors are mostly people whose shows I've seen at non-children's theatre locally (as was Charlie Brown) and the shows have been great.