YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN

Music & Lyrics by Clark Gesner. Book by John Gordon *
based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles Schulz
Theatre 80 St Marks - Off-Broadway - 7 March, 1967 (1597 perfs)

SYNOPSIS

The time of the action is an "average day in the life of Charlie Brown." It really is just that, a day made up of little moments picked from all the days of Charlie Brown, from Valentine's Day to the baseball season, from wild optimism to utter despair, all mixed up with the lives of his friends, (both human and non-human) and strung together on the string of a single day, from bright, uncertain morning to hopeful, starlit evening. 

All the well-known figures are present; Charlie, of course, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, and even the dog, Snoopy. The vignettes depicting them follow no real pattern, seeming almost as haphazard as their childish world. After an opening paean to Charlie, Lucy dreams of being a queen and bossing the world. Linus sings of his need for a security blanket, Snoopy plans to capture the Red Baron while a baseball game degenerates into a poll gauging Lucy's popularity. In the end the youngsters and the dog each give his or her idea of what true happiness is with Charlie Brown concluding "happiness is anything and anyone that's loved by you."

MUSICAL NUMBERS

1. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown - Entire Company
   
2. Schroeder - Lucy, Schroeder
   
3. Snoopy - Snoopy, Charlie Brown
   
4. My Blanket and Me - Linos
   
5. Kite - Charlie Brown
   
6. Dr. Lucy (The Doctor Is In) - Lucy, Charlie Brown
   
7. Book Report - Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linos, Schroeder
   
8. The Red Baron - Snoopy
   
9. T.E.A.M. (The Baseball Game) - Entire Company
   
10. Glee Club Rehearsal - Entire Company
    
11. Little Known Facts - Lucy, Linos, Charlie Brown
    
12. Suppertime - Snoopy
    
13. Happiness - Entire Company

Instrumentation:

The show is scored for a small combo consisting of:

Flute; Bass; Percussion & Piano (from vocal score)

¯ Listen to the Music (You will need to have Real Player installed and Java Script enabled - Real Player can be downloaded from here also)

* John Gordon is a pseudonym for the staff and cast of the show. Original cast comprising Bob Balaban, Gary Burghoff, Bill Hinnant, Skip Hinnant, Karen Johnson, Reva Rose