Cappies Review for “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown”
On February 28, Costa Mesa High School's Drama department performed a musical adaptation of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, based on the Charles Schultz cartoons. The play chronicles the adventures of the pathetic, yet lovable everyman, Charlie Brown, as he explores his own identity through his fellow peers.
The staging and set components of the play brilliantly complemented the performance. The Stage Manager (Allie Hatch) kept the transitions between various vignettes very short. Actors did a good job of moving set during transitions to keep the all-important flow of the play intact. The set and props emphasized the two dimensional nature of the play, almost making the play seem like a comic strip. For example, the baseball mitts used during the song "Baseball" appeared flat and abstract, which reinforced the comic strip nature.
The main actors conceived their characters with a meticulousness rare to high school productions. Charlie Brown (Joey Dinh) was played in a very reserved way, emphasizing his existential resignation to the world around him. His quiet, pathetic nature created a resonant emotional reaction from the audience. When Charlie Brown emerged a new man in the last number, "Happiness", by realizing that satisfaction is possible through the subtle instances that evoke happiness, one could not help but feel uplifted.
Another character that delivered in her performance was Lucy (Sam Strodel). Aggressive and unrelenting throughout the play, Lucy did an excellent job by sharply contrasting her character against Charlie Brown's unassertive nature. Even Lucy herself went through a meaningful metamorphosis, going through a soul-searching journey at the impetus of her younger brother, Linus (Elliott Sneen). However, Lucy displayed her greatest talent in her voice. Her performance of "The Doctor is In" gave her an opportunity to explore her dynamic range and showcase her excellent abilities to act while still singing.
Another character that gave a well-wrought performance was Linus. He masterfully conveyed the paradoxical nature of Linus, who mentally is very mature yet still retains many immature psychological aspects. Linus's speech to Lucy perfectly exhibited his character; he discussed the philosophical implications of happiness, still protected by his omnipresent blanket.
Finally, the entire ensemble did an excellent job of enhancing the performance of the principle actors. The ensemble enhanced the music vocally and spatially, making for a fuller arrangement. For example, in Snoopy's (Ethan Simonoff's) jazz-influenced song "Suppertime", the ensemble provided a counterpoint to Snoopy's voice, while also holding up large placards in the back of the stage spelling out each letter of "Suppertime". The ensemble also did an excellent job of providing strong characters to complement the acting. Perhaps the strongest character of the ensemble was Frieda (Sami Hagerman), whose ineffable desire to capture a rabbit provided the audience with many comical moments.
Overall, Costa Mesa High School gave an excellent performance of Charlie Brown, ultimately conveying the theme that happiness lays in the little things in life.
by Joel Wagner of Los Alamitos
The little moments of the day can cause for some life developing changes even if they come about by “blockheads.” You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown produced by Costa Mesa High School’s Drama Department features the life of the clumsy, outcast Charlie Brown and all the “Peanuts” gang in their quest for everyday “Happiness.”
As Charlie Brown learns to fly a kite, talk to a pretty red-headed girl, play baseball, and grows up being best friends with a dog, Snoopy, he gains a new-found respect for himself by just being himself. As Lucy sings, “Whatever it’s worth Charlie Brown, you’re you.” The entire “Peanuts” gang offers a look at the joys and turbulences of childhood.
Costa Mesa High School fills the small auditorium with laughter as the actors enjoyably bring the audience back to the good old, embarrassing times of their youth.
In the portrayal of the curious, picked-on Charlie Brown, Joey Dinh brings the traits of the shy character properly forth with his expired sighs and head-hangs. Sam Strodel as the arrogant, pompous Lucy and Monica Dimson as the snappy, young Sally keeps the audience entertained as they perform their characters with as much energy as they can muster, showing their talents as actors and singers. As Snoopy, Ethan Simonoff adds even more humor to the plot with his doggie-style dances and dog-house naps, especially in such numbers as “Rabbit Chasing” and “Suppertime.”
The Orchestra adds excitement to the scenes and is right on with the characters in the needed parts. Furthermore, the stage crew managed by Allie Hatch fulfills all desires of the audience.
Overall, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown produced by Costa Mesa High School will not disappoint viewers with its themes of friendship, self-inspiration, and light-hearted humor.
by Ilyse Liffreing of Huntington Beach APA
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Elementary school is brutal—crushes, siblings, teasing. On Thursday, February 28th, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” opened at Costa Mesa High School to explore the ups and downs in the lives of the Peanut’s Gang.
Based on the comic strip “Peanuts” by Charles M. Schulz, the musical first opened in 1967. The events from the comic strip flowed together to illustrate a day of Charlie’s life. Assured by his friends he is a good man, Charlie Brown struggles to see himself as such. It’s a journey of self discovery not just for Charlie Brown, but everyone.
The performance’s foundation was the vivid characterization from the entire cast. Each embodied a little kid with their mannerisms, tendencies, and emotions. Another anchoring force was the talent and skill of the orchestra.
The two leads, Joey Dinh (Charlie Brown) and Sam Strodel (Lucy) both had multiple solos in which they shared their talent as both vocalists and actors. Strodel’s motivation as Lucy was demonstrated in her booming voice inflection and dynamics, because it showed Lucy’s frankness and “crabbiness.” She conveyed her emotions effectively with her reactions to Schroeder and in the many situations where her power was challenged, changing as if thrown by a switch.
Also to be congratulated are Elliott Sneen, Monica Dimson, and Ethan Simonoff. Sneen personified the bridge between childhood and adulthood though the paradox of Linus’ attachment to his baby blanket contrasted with his great intellectual maturity. Dimson as Sally was adorable and humorous. Her commitment and thorough characterization was apparent during her character’s temper tantrums. Simonoff as Snoopy also added humor to the story. His movements across stage were exceptionally developed, showing his dog-hood, but still Snoopy’s human characteristics. He had a presence on stage even when lounging on the dog house. His main song “Suppertime” was full of energy. Unfortunately some actors did not take their characters to the level they could have, consequently they were not memorable.
The orchestra’s performance was impressive and on cue. One particular instance was when Schroeder played his piano; the piano notes were perfectly in sync with his arm movements. At times it was difficult to hear the vocalists, but the instrumentals were still well performed.
Though not perfect, just like life itself, CMHS’s performance of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” brought back childhood memories to invoke “Happiness” in both child and adult.
by Carissa Friedman of Los Alamitos
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Childhood sneaks back into teenage hearts with, You’re a good man Charlie Brown, presented by Costa Mesa High School on February 28, 2008.
Smooth transitions in the musical numbers make the flow movie like as Snoopy’s dog house attracts attention for its magical moving ability.
The orchestra, extremely impressive with the timing on Shrouder’s piano, made for correct portrayal and seamless scenes.
With voice expressions and physicality, the cast embodied their child like behavior to achieve the proper representations of the characters. Very distinct characters made for a “melting pot” ensemble.
With appeling characterization of being a dog with human charm, Ethan Simonoff, Snoopy, commanded the stage with his presence. Sam Strode portrays the true crabbiness of Lucy in spirit and in song.
Well mixed ensemble, stand-out actors and smooth musical numbers make You’re a good man Charlie Brown an attention getter.
by Sam Corral of Los Alamitos
From the childrens comic and cartoon Costa Mesa high school presents You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. Was a hilarious laugh out loud comedy of growing and being who you are.
You're A Good Man Charlie Brown is the story of Charlie Brown(Joey Dinh) along with the rest of the Peanuts Gang as Charlie Brown tries to find the courage to achieve his goals and prove to himself and the rest of gang what he is really made of.
The transitions were clean and percise.The orchestra played rite on que as the actors moved on and off stage adding more of a comic yet dramatic tone to the play. The projection coming from the actors was clean and clear there truly fit the characters.
Snoopy (Ethan Simonoff) was the laid back, care free dog of Charlie Brown. This hilarious canine, who slept on the red dog house had an obsession with girl scout cookies and the passion for rabbit hunting. His most common adventure was fighting the red baron. Ethan Simonoff did an outstanding role as Snoppy as he brought a more hip and lively portrail of mans best friend.
Lucy (Sam Strodel) was the loud mout, Athletic prep girl who has a crush on Shroeder (Victor Tran) and the big sister of Linus (Elliott Sneen) and Charlie Brown's rival. Lucy wants what every girl her age wans. She wants to be queen. Sam Strodel did a spectacular job of Lucy her vioce and movement fit the character perfecty. From her loud voice to her diva, ton boyish attitude.
With the combination of costumes, precise transition, and clear distinct sound and maginificant acting. Costa Mesa's portrayal of Charles M. Schulz You're A Good Man Charlie Brown gave a entertaining lesson of being yourself and staying true to who you are.
by Travis Payne of Los Alamitos
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The gang’s all here! The Peanuts gang in fact! Each member shined in Costa Mesa High School’s production of You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, a musical based on the works of Charles M. Schultz. As the familiar characters are introduced such as Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Linus, one can’t help but remember all of the great Peanuts memories and that silly “blockhead”.
This production portrays the lives of the Peanuts characters like Charlie Brown, (Joey Dinh) who always seems to be troubled by the things around him, or Snoopy (Ethan Simonoff) a carefree dog, who just needs to POUNCE sometimes. Also, Lucy, Linus, and Sally each interact with the other cast members (some more bolder than others) and together create a solid production.
Joey Dinh played Charlie Brown, the leading man of the show. His solemn mood and frowning face brought a fine contrast to the rest of the up beat cast. Dinh’s character was truly exposed during his lunchtime monologue. His back and forth action and comedic timing of the paper bag head was one of the most memorable moments throughout the show. His companion Snoopy, played by Ethan Simonoff was a stand out during his song of “Suppertime” as his big movements and strong voice carried throughout the entire number.
With fierce attitude and egotistical manner, Sam Strodel captured the essence of Lucy quite superbly. The moments when Strodel went from sweet and calm to dramatically yelling and screaming were a great addition to the show. In her song “Schroeder”, this technique was used many times, adding a comedic edge to her character.
Other characters that were great additions to the show were Monica Dimson as the role of Sally, whose innocent and cute nature was perfectly portrayed, and quickly changed as that darn jump rope refused to work…Smaller roles like the Rabbit (Karli Bauermeister) and Pig Pen (Zach Lowe) also brought signs strong character development.
Overall, Costa Mesa High School had a very strong ensemble whose nice harmonies and fun dancing complimented their cast quite nicely.
By the end of this performance, Costa Mesa High School had revealed a concrete production and brought much “Happiness” to the entire audience.
by Grace Roberts of Newport Harbor
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Costa Mesa High School’s production of “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” is an enthusiastic and heart-warming musical that takes you back to your years of innocence and adolescence in a playful and exciting environment. The original show has a cast of only 6 characters, but Costa Mesa has increased their cast to 28 by adding characters and scenes from the original comic strip. This show is a day in the life of Charlie Brown, a young boy trying to overcome the obstacles of a child to reach his everyday goals such as flying a kite, writing a book report, and talking to a girl.
The morose nature of Charlie Brown, being presented by Joey Dinh, is a great contrast to the rest of the energetic and joyful characters. Joey shows great commitment to his character and captures your heart with his honesty. Another character that stands among the cast is Lucy, being played by Sam Strodel. Her strong and powerful voice added to her dominant and commanding character. Monica Dimson, playing Sally, does an outstanding job in this role. Monica seems almost born to play the enthusiastic and determined Sally Brown. She uses phenomenal body language and tone in every line, and it is absolutely hilarious.
Not only are the actors entertaining and phenomenal, the live orchestra also brings excitement and exposition the setting. When Schroeder plays his piano, his fingers match up perfectly with the music being played it is hard to decipher whether he is actually playing it or not. During various scenes, the band adds to the comedy with the classic trumpet noise of the talking adults. The lighting and sound, although simple, proves strong and effective. The set as well as the props are also simple, yet well designed. Overall, this production is a great joy to watch and you will want to see it time and time again.
by Alissa Wilsey of SOCSA Dana Hills
When it comes to blankets, baseball, and suppertime, all you can do is be cheerful! Especially during Costa Mesa High School’s production of You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown. The cast and crew put on a bright, warm-hearted show, and bring the audience back into the chaotic, yet delightful world of a child.
Joey Dinh is a perfect fit for Charlie Brown. He starts off the show clearly illustrating his character’s lovable, pathetic attitude through his body language and vocal tone, making the audience feel compassion towards his sad, gloomy life.
Sam Strodel does an outstanding job at playing the hilarious, bratty, know-it-all character, Lucy. Through her line-interpretation, Strodel really captures the humor of the character, making the audience burst into laughter in many of her comical scenes.
Linus, the sophisticated, blanket-loving little boy is played by Elliot Sneen, who gives an adorable and extremely convincing performance. He superbly shows the contrast in his character and has a great presence on stage.
And who could ever forget the crazy, rambunctious dog Snoopy, played by Ethan Simonoff? Ethan gives so much energy and charisma to his performance, reacting brilliantly to the people on stage with him. He quite-frankly, does an excellent job at playing a dog!
But the most captivating performance of the night was that of Monica Dimson, who plays Sally Brown. Everything from Dimson’s physicality to her facial expressions fit the sweet innocence of her character perfectly. She gives an unforgettable performance, and shows incredible commitment to her character and her fellow cast members on stage.
One great addition to the show is the school’s live orchestra. Hitting every beat and cue, they make the audience feel completely in the moment of the events taking place.
Costa Mesa High School does a commendable job of putting on an outstanding show full of extreme enthusiasm, and can’t help but leave a little sense of happiness to every person in the room!
by Erika Peterson of SOCSA Dana Hills
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Between baseball, book reports and bullies, life is hard for Charlie Brown. Brown's plight is brought to life by the colorful cast of characters in Costa Mesa High School portrayal of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.
You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown is a musical adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip, which follows the every day mishaps of the precociously glum five-year-old Charlie Brown. The play is, in essence, a conglomeration of comic strip story lines, which though seemingly incoherent and irrelevant, flow together nicely to deliver a light and heartfelt comedy.
Though often week with musicality, the cast delivers a strong acting performance as a whole, with each member devoted to embodying their unique and eccentric characters.
Joey Dinh portrays Charlie Brown as somewhat lethargic, allowing his woebegone character to be exaggerated. Compared to the high energy of his cast members, he garners sympathy for the social misfit and make the character all the more relatable and lovable. The over-the-top and out spoken Lucy is played by Sam Strodel. Strodel commits to the role at a level somewhat unparalleled, often shouting at the top of her lungs, incorporating exaggerated physicality and even belting out songs with the added effect of being intentionally out of tune. The role of Snoopy is delivered by Ethan Simonoff who plays with the character of the smooth and complacent dog often adding wildly over dramatic hand gestures and maintaining a high level of energy. However, the stand out performance of the play is given by Monica Dimson who plays Sally, Charlie Brown’s younger sister. Apart from having the strongest singing voice in the play, Dimson embodies the the role of the toddler through her manner of walking with a slight skip and her eager dramatization of every day occurrences. She truly commits to the role and invariably steals the stage.
The technical aspects of the play are fluid for the most part. The Costa Mesa High School Orchestra offers the rare pleasure of having live instrumental music at a high school performance. Also, the stage crew, managed by Allie Hatch, is timely and unobtrusive, as all stage crews should be.
Costa Mesa High School’s performance of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown is a blithe and whimsical experience.
by Grace Martin of SOCSA Dana Hills
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“You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” not only provided the audience with a night of entertainment and laughs, but also told a story of a young boy on a mission to find confidence and eventually accept himself.
The cast of “Charlie Brown” was comprised of a very strong group of leads, complemented with an equally strong ensemble. Joey Dinh played title character Charlie Brown, and effectively captured the somber nature of the character we all know and love. Brother and sister Linus and Lucy, played by Elliott Sneen and Sam Strodel respectively, made a remarkable contrast of a pair as siblings. Sam Strodel made some strong character choices in her portrayal of Lucy and possessed stage presence and focus throughout the show. The lovable dog Snoopy was characterized by Ethan Simonoff, who maintained a very impressive physical balance of dog with human qualities. He also stole the stage in big company numbers such as “Rabbit Chasing” and “Suppertime.” However, the true standout performer of the night was in Monica Dimson, who played Charlie’s pesky little sister, Sally. Her excellent comedic timing (demonstrated in a monologue she has about a bad grade she received) and strong commitment to the character of Sally overall was nothing short of professional.
The ensemble cast of “Charlie Brown” exhibited exuberant energy. Karli Bauermeister, who played the silent yet physical role of the rabbit in “Rabbit Chasing,” seemed like she was straight from an old cartoon, running across the stage to avoid capture by Snoopy and the gang. Sami Hagerman as Frieda, an avid rabbit chaser herself, took the audience by storm anytime she was onstage. She had an overwhelmingly amount of energy, and most importantly, consistency, in her comic portrayal of Frieda.
Organizing such specific timing in entrances and set movement was done flawlessly by stage manager Allie Hatch. Although the cast mostly moved their set, Hatch oversaw a performance with virtually no technical mistakes. The cartoon-ish lighting was effective, and most impressive was the talented live orchestra which was never off in their music or sound effects and corresponded perfectly to the cast.
Anyone familiar with Charles Schultz and the Peanuts Gang would find that “Charlie Brown” allowed audience members of all ages to go back and remember the simplicity of life in their younger years.
by Juliet Kaufman of SOCSA Dana Hills
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Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang have for a long while have been seen in comic strips, T.V. cartoons even holiday special movies, but on February 28th these characters came to life on Costa Mesa High Schools stage. In You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Using various scenarios presented in the comic strips the musical is nostalgically crafted to keep the audience members aging from five to ninety-five entertained. The school made a bold choice in taking the typical cast of 6 and adding an ensemble to make it a cast of twenty-eight.
The bright colors of the costumes and set were complimented by the colorful characterizations of the ensemble members. The ensemble members all had their own personal characters while maintaining a blend vocally to present a unified sound. Some of the stand out characters of the ensemble were the physically humorous Bunny (Karli Bauermeister), comedic bunny chaser Frieda (Sami Hagerman), the bossy yet lovable Peppermint Patty (Tracey Wagner) and the unforgettable Pig-pen (Zach Lowe). The ensemble members vocalization as well as characterization created a perfect balance that made everyone get seen while not stealing focus away from important points in the plot, which is difficult to do in a high energy ensemble piece such as this.
With the strength of the ensemble to back them, the original six characters made bold choices in characterization that progressed the quality of the show. The comedic and vocal strength of both Lucy (Sam Strodel) and Sally (Monica Dimson) gave the audience a new outlook on the characters while being true to the original characters. Schroeder (Victor Tran) not only a pianist in this performance but also a dancer as he hit all lines and steps in the song “New Philosophy.” The comedy was really set when Linus (Elliott Sneen) began a Gene Kelley ode to his blanket in the all male number, “My Blanket and Me.” Snoopy (Ethan Simonoff) was one of the boldest performers of the show as he made choices in not only his acting, and movement but also carried through with his choices in his singing. The energetic choices of the other twenty-seven characters were the perfect contrast to the morose nature of Charlie Brown (Joey Dinh). Dinh played the character very true to the cartoons and had a very sincere performance all around.
The CMHS Pit Orchestra had a beautiful chemistry with the cast making a good portion of the sound cues. Though a few times when the orchestra drowned out soloist they were right on with the gestures of Schroeder, and provided a great laugh when making the voice of the teacher.
When it came to this production there was minimal cause for Charlie Brown to say, “oh good grief.”
by Ryan Healy of SOCSA Dana Hills
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