Review: 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!' at Tibbits Summer Opera Theater

There are few comic strip characters more iconic than Charlie Brown. The sad sack boy, his dog, his sister and his friends populated the childhoods of more than one generation. Through comic strips, holiday movie specials and lots of merchandizing, nearly everyone—young or old—knows who Charlie Brown is.

It’s why musicals such as “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” has remained a perennial favorite since its first inception in 1967. It is a crowd-pleaser and at Tibbits Summer Opera Theater’s opening night of the show, there were very young children—including one attending her first live theatrical show—and senior citizens—including a couple celebrating their 59th wedding anniversary.

Directed by Matthew C. Scott, Tibbits presented the 1999 revision of the musical which features Charlie Brown’s sister Sally rather than Peppermint Patty. There is a cast of six, many of whom have made appearances in the other two shows of Tibbits’ summer season. Three—the actors playing Charlie Brown, Schroeder and Sally--are just coming off major performances in “The Fantasticks.”

Michael Motkowski’s Charlie Brown is very much the down-in-the-dumps boy from the Peanuts comic strip who made his first appearance in that strip in 1950 (he was also shown in 1948 in Charles Schulz’ lesser-known comic strip “Lil’ Folks”), but he also shows great perseverance and is able to find the good in things. Schulz once said of the character that he “must be the one who suffers because he is a caricature of the average person. Most of us are much more acquainted with losing than winning.”

Motkowski ensures that Charlie Brown is always relatable, that the audience can see themselves in his struggles. While Charlie Brown occupies the role of poster child for depression, Motkowski never lets his depression fall into absolute despair.

Brooke Jackson’s Sally is an absolute delight as she storms and scowls her way through disagreements with her teachers and declarations of her philosophies. Jackson commands attention and does a superior job of portraying a child who is loud, demanding and energetic.

Nile Birch is Jackson’s opposite: His Schroeder is lofty and calm, committed to art and music. He’s aware of the motivation of others, especially Lucy’s crush on him, but Birch surrounds Schroeder with a je ne sais quoi aura that makes him immune to the chaos of the others around him. He is focused on his goals and no one is going to waylay him.

Liz Davis makes Lucy more sympathetic than she often appeared in the comics where she was a constant bully. In “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” she is described as “crabby,” and Davis stops just short of making her the classic mean girl.

The child-like intellectual Linus is infused with innocence and gullibility by Stephen Vaught. There is nothing shy about Vaught’s portrayal, his Linus is perfectly assertive about his thumb sucking and blanket holding. Vaught plays him with courage and confidence even when faced with the threat of his sister’s displeasure and violence.

Wrapping up the cast with a character who is somewhat aloof from the others but very much at the heart of this musical: Jack Hopewell plays Snoopy, Charlie Brown’s dog who loves to sleep, to eat and to fly in battle against the Red Baron. He captures mutt-like movements while galumphing and dancing on two feet.

Wayman Ezell did a wonderful job as music director, perfectly timing every special effect with the movements of the actors on stage. Percussionist Scott Pauley had a whole string of sound effects that he pulled off with great aplomb, constant aural smiles throughout the musical.

One of the challenges singers had was walking the line between portraying the vocal qualities of children while still producing music that was melodic and pleasing to the audience. Sometimes the challenge was met with charming moments that included Hopewell howling in key or ensemble members singing to Beethoven. There were other moments where some voices got a bit screechy and seemed harsh on the singers’ throats.

Scott’s direction captured the feel of the comic strips with each vignette getting its distinct play-through. “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” started its life as a concept album without a book and Scott is true to that feel, even as he keeps each piece moving so there is no pause between the mini-stories that capture iconic moments from the strips such as the kite-eating tree, the baseball team, or Lucy’s psychiatry booth.

Vaught doubles as Linus and the choreographer and he painted stage pictures with lots of outstretched arms and large coordinated dance steps that drew everyone in as an ensemble.

Together, Scenic Designer Scott, Costumer Dusti Donbrock, and Lighting Designer Catie Blencowe dabbled in primary colors with the occasional pop of pinks and purples that recreated the feel of a Sunday comic. Donbrock strayed from absolutely faithful replicas of the costumes, opting instead to provide allusions to the iconic looks of each character.

Scott Pauley created oversized props that helped paint the visual story of this musical. They were in harmony with the comic strip feel and added spice to the show’s humor.

“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” was written in 1967 and there are moments when the age was showing. Perhaps the worst was the sexism inherent in Lucy’s line when she said it was a woman’s prerogative to change her mind. That line got one loud laugh from an older man at the back of the theater, but others were shifting uncomfortably at the stereotype that society is trying to get away from—that a woman never says what she means and you shouldn’t believe her.

Overall, it was an evening of charming nostalgia, something Tibbits specializes in. It brought back memories for the adults in the audience and for the children introduced them to all the elements that has made Charlie Brown a constant in the lives of generations of readers and tv viewers.