Peanuts roll into Etobicoke
For those who aren't familiar with the Peanuts gang, Etobicoke theatre group Feast Of Fools Theatre (FOFT) is planning to stage the musical 'You're A Good Man Charlie Brown,' which can be a great introduction or a fun trip down memory lane.
"Charles Schulz has stood the test of time with the Peanuts strip," said Rob Gorican. "You'll find people your grandfather's age who'll know about Peanuts and kids nowadays even they know about it because it still runs in the comic strips."
Gorican, who is the artistic director of FOFT and also playing the role of Charlie Brown, said this show is the revised 1999 Broadway version of the production, but will nonetheless feature six of the Peanuts characters we know and love.
With book, music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and a revised book and new songs by Andrew Lippa, this show will feature 14 song and dance numbers and portray the familiar scenes we generally associate with the Peanuts gang.
Dubbed as a musical comedy for the whole family, Gorican said it's a fun, family-friendly show that follows the six characters Charlie, Lucy, Sally, Schroeder, Linus and of course Snoopy, though a typical day.
"You'll recognize things in the show from the specials and from the strips, like Charlie Brown flying his kite, Lucy at her psychiatric booth, Linus trying to break himself of the blanket habit, all the things you may remember," he said.
The show opens with the characters giving their opinion about Charlie Brown, and they all concede he is a good man, Gorican said. But the ever-doubtful guy he is, he explores it further in the opening song, 'You're A Good Man Charlie Brown.'
Rather than a fluid plotline, the show is more vignettes of typical circumstances in each character's life, like Charlie visiting Lucy at her booth, the infamous baseball game and of course, no Peanuts show would be complete without Snoopy.
"Snoopy is a scene stealer," Gorican said. "He's always having fun, he's mischievous and he never has a bad day unlike Charlie Brown."
Kirk Teeple is playing Snoopy, and having been the musical director in a previous production, Teeple said he's excited to be in the show and to be playing the beloved beagle.
"He's just a happy-go-lucky character with a vivid imagination that only the audience sees because he speaks to them but doesn't speak to the other characters on stage, they only see his actions," Teeple said.
Teeple's big numbers as Snoopy include an ode to his love of supper, and a whole song about his life as a dog. Of course, it wouldn't be complete without Snoopy being a World War One flying ace, taking on his arch enemy the Red Baron.
"It's fun and family friendly...kids will love it, the dancing and the musical numbers are great for anybody even if you don't know the comic because they're timeless characters," he said
You're A Good Man Charlie Brown runs Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10, 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 11, 2 p.m. at The Assembly Hall. Tickets are $24, $18 for seniors and students. Tickets can be purchased at the door, by calling 416-231-3131 or online at www.feastoffoolstheatre.com.
With the purchase of any regularly priced ticket for May 11 you get a free ticket to bring your mother to the show.
