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The 'Peanuts' gang sings and plays in Camarillo
The show opened offBroadway in 1967 with Gary Burghoff of "MASH" as Charlie Brown and Skip Hinnant of "The Electric Company" as Schroeder. CCT's version is an "updated" show which ran on Broadway in 1999, with two new songs and the character of Patty replaced by Sally Brown. Like a daily comic strip, the show doesn't have a developed story line. It's a series of short vignettes of the children at school and at play. There's an ongoing thread of sorts- Charlie Brown's crush on the unseen little redhaired girl- but otherwise we experience life as a child might: skipping from one event to another, enjoying each moment as it comes with little thought of tomorrow or memory of yesterday. Presenting Charles Schulz's icons has advantages and drawbacks. The upside is that we instantly know and love these characters. The downside is that the actors must recreate the characters as we've seen them in the comics and the animated shows. Of all the actors who have ever played Charlie Brown, Jeff Frohwein is the Charlie Brown-iest. The reactions mirrored in his vacant "failure face," as Lucy calls it, are priceless. Frohwein captures Charlie Brown's spirit brilliantly. Like a child who's still learning, he's frustrated at his shortcomings yet still hopeful. Even after all that happens, he ends the show with a cheerful observation that the day wasn't so bad, after all. Arryck Adams shines as Charlie Brown's faithful dog Snoopy. He walks on two legs and talks, yet uses enough dog mannerisms to convince us he's a pet. His singing voice is strong and expressive. Adams makes us believe that a beagle would sit atop his doghouse flying after the Red Baron. Erin Fagundes is the fussbudget Lucy Van Pelt. She's wondrously vain as she brags about how she plans to rule as queen someday, and her song "Little Known Facts," in which she bombards Linus with misinformation, is a delight. Shawn W. Lanz's best moment is "My Blanket and Me" as he dances an energetic tango with his security blanket. But his Linus misses the mark. Schulz's Linus is a patient, wise sage. Lanz plays the role like a smart aleck, and he screams at Lucy, which seems out of character. Krissy Cundiff looks perky as Sally in her blonde wig with the flip. However, at times Cundiff is so shrill that her Sally comes off as a spoiled brat. Ken Patton is fine as the piano prodigy Schroeder, and he has fun with "Beethoven Day," an homage to his favorite composer. Director Dave Newcomer made a good decision in creating the Joe Cool gang, four technicians dressed in black berets and sunglasses who interact with the cast as they move the set pieces and handle the props in full view. This eliminates blackouts and lets the show clip along rapidly. They're funny, too. A director's choice that doesn't work is updating the show with laptop computers, cellphones and video games. This is a jolt to us who grew up with the comic and adds nothing to the show. Linus would never play a video game, period. Part of the appeal of "Peanuts" lies in its simple, "frozen in time" setting. It's disconcerting to see the kids use computers then later sing about the thrill of "tying your shoe for the very first time." The short songs, with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, are bright and wonderful, from the children struggling with homework in "Book Report" to Snoopy's dance of joy in "Suppertime" to the heartwarming "Happiness." The dance numbers are energetic and well staged. The middle-aged cast does a good job of acting like kids. The audience can't help but catch the actors' enthusiasm. And don't be shy about laughing out loud at the many funny lines. The show continues weekends through March 16 at 330 Skyway Drive, Camarillo. For information or tickets, call (805) 388-5716 or visit www.camarillotheatre.org. |
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