A Review of the Judson Play
By Savanna Powers
“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” was directed by Melissa Hoegh and was an excellent production by Judson Theatre. The story was a nostalgic, comforting throwback that I believe blessed every audience member, especially the college students who are feeling daunted by adulthood. The cast may have been small, but they produced incredible emotion, humor, and excitement throughout the performance.
As many know, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” is a classic American cartoon that has infiltrated many aspects of our culture because of the endearing characters and humor. The Judson Theatre group captured the childlike wonder and attitude of the play while maintaining skill and discipline.
My initial thought on the opening performance was how amazing the detailed set was, so a huge thank you to Harvest Christian Academy. My favorite characteristic was the hand drawn comics lining the walls of the theatre, a wonderful touch that gave credit to the original story and effectively immersed the audience in the Charlie Brown experience. Another detail that I adored about this play was the costumes, and the characters rocked their canonically accurate outfits. I also fell in love with the actresses’ dresses and hair—after all, I am just a girl.
However, the set and costumes would have been nothing without the talent, beauty, and intrigue that the performers brought to the stage. The actors captured the essence of the Charlie Brown characters so well that the audience was surprised when the characters began singing and were reminded that they were not really the children from the comic, but rather highly talented vocalists.
Cameron Foote was the perfect choice for Charlie Brown, and everything from his vocals to his down-on-himself attitude was perfect for the part. Lucy, Victoria Strissel, and Sally, Hana Cunningham, stole the show with their girlish laughter, attitudes, and stunning vocals. Schroeder, John Francis, was every bit the intelligent musician, and his obsession with Beethoven was so genuine that it inspired me to listen to some symphonies. Linus, played by Aren Dawson, has always been one of my favorite characters, and Dawson captured Linus’ childlike loyalty and joy extremely well. Snoopy, Johnny Branscom, was energetic and funny, and it was clear he enjoyed playing the iconic role. Though Pig Penny, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Little Red-Haired Girl, and Frieda (Hannah Ezzy, Katie Garee, Karyssa Dale, Rayna Eaton, and Colleen Wallace, respectively) did not have many lines, they lit up the stage with their vocals, dancing, comical reactions, and bright smiles.
Before the play was ten minutes in, the audience was fully entranced by the performance. One of my favorite scenes was when Woodstock and Rabbit, played by siblings Campbell and Colbie Hoegh, came running across the stage as the audience erupted in applause and laughter. “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” has always been a light-hearted, nostalgic story, and every single performer on stage captured that perfectly.
John Francis shared with me that this is his fourteenth year participating in musical theatre, which was quite evident from his portrayal of Schroeder. He said, “I had always loved singing and dancing and telling my own dumb and made-up stories when I was a kid, and musical theatre is just a perfect blend of those three attributes!” It was clear on stage that Francis and the rest of the cast truly loved what they were doing and enjoyed each other’s performances as well.
My favorite scene from the Charlie Brown comics has always been the piano scene where Lucy sings to Schroeder and tries to ensnare him into commitment, and Victoria Strissel and John Francis perfectly captured the humor and creativity of the scene. From Strissel’s impressive vocal range to Francis’ grumpy Schroeder attitude, the scene became my favorite. Another favorite scene for me, and a crowd favorite as well, was the lunch scene in the beginning of the play, where Foote captured Charlie Brown’s bashfulness and social awkwardness to a tee.
Musicals and plays are magical experiences for everyone from the behind the scenes set workers to the Judson alumni in the audience. As the lights went down and we left the theatre, I heard the young children in the audience quoting Snoopy, singing the music, and admiring the hand drawn comics on the wall.
Hana Cunningham, the amazing actress and vocalist who played Sally, gave an excellent perspective on the experience of musical theatre, “I think that theater has allowed me to learn more about myself through the journeys of other characters and embrace being silly and childlike to an extent as that’s something that can be diminished as you grow older.” Ultimately, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” truly wrapped the audience with warmth and nostalgia, making us laugh over the simple but genius humor, aweing us with talent, and causing us to root tirelessly for each of the characters.
The Judson Mosaic 