Greensburg Salem presents 'Charlie Brown' as livestream musical
Beloved cartoon characters come to life for Greensburg Salem High School’s spring musical, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
The production, streaming Friday through Sunday, follows a day in the life of the neighborhood gang from Charles Schulz’s long-running “Peanuts” comic strip.
“‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’ is a very positive and uplifting show about the importance of friendship,” said director/producer Sue Glowa.
The musical is staged as a series of vignettes that mimic the four-panel format of the original cartoon strip, with familiar tropes, including Lucy’s infatuation with Schroeder and tormenting of Charlie Brown, Linus and his blanket, Snoopy’s imagination and Charlie Brown’s unrequited love for the little redheaded girl.
Putting it together has been a whirlwind process, Glowa said.
“The cast came together as an ensemble to create this wonderful show in six weeks. We usually work at least six months planning and rehearsing our musical productions here at the high school,” she said. “This is our first experience in creating a film for streaming.”
While pandemic restrictions led to the decision not to have a live audience, she added, students are “excited to share their performance with family and friends from all over the country.”
Senior Leiana Vaughan, who plays Lucy Van Pelt, posed questions about the production to fellow cast members. Here are their responses:
Q: What do you think was the most valuable part of putting on this show together?
A: Kevin Burkhardt (Charlie Brown): I would say the camaraderie. Being able to work with my peers during a pandemic has been immensely valuable to me. It’s great to have this show be an element of normalcy in my life, and be able to do it safely, too.
Q: What is your favorite number in the show?
A: Elijah McBride (Snoopy): My favorite is definitely “Suppertime.” It is so high energy and fun, and I think the cast has a lot of fun with it, too. I’m always winded by the end, but I love it.
Q: What would you say changed the most working in a pandemic?
A: Connor Herrington (Linus): Definitely the asynchronicity of being filmed instead of being watched by a live audience. A lot of the pressure is lifted, which really helps, especially since we’re putting the show together so quickly.
Q: What character do you relate to the most?
A: Owen Johnson (Schroeder): I relate most to my character, Schroeder. Like Schroeder, I play the piano, and I definitely sympathize with his introvertedness. Playing Schroeder has been really fun because of that, and I love singing “Beethoven Day.”
Q: What obstacles have you experienced through the production process?
A: Marlie Dietz (Sally): It was intimidating working with older students with more experience at first, but I got to know everyone, I felt more comfortable and like I made a whole group of new friends. I feel very connected to the show’s message of friendship.
Vaughan also commented, “The message of kindness and friendship is especially poignant today, and I love that we get to share that message.”
The show will stream at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Fee is $20 per device per performance.
To purchase a streaming link, visit gsdrama.booktix.com.
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley by email at smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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