"Setting: the Sunday Comics" at Masquerade Theatre
by Alex Davis
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a sweet musical, written by Clark Gesner with additions by Michael Mayer and Andrew Lippa. Friday’s performance by Masquerade Theatre’s troupe of regulars gave audiences exactly what was expected, and then some - a cute, funny, often heartfelt, sometimes heartbreaking depiction of the Peanuts gang. Directed by Megan Knowlton Balne, music directed by Jennifer Weir, and choreographed by Kenneth Fisher, the ensemble works seamlessly together, along with the excellently crafted technical elements.
“Setting: the Sunday comics”. Walking into the theater space, you truly feel that. The lobby area is set up on one side with a couch and a tv playing Peanuts cartoons, giving off a cozy-living-room vibe. As you enter the theater proper, you are greeted by larger-than-life Peanuts comics along the walls, and set pieces designed to look straight out of a cartoon (kudos to set builder, Scott Reynolds and scenic artist, Georgia DeFrank, on their excellent and thoroughly immersive work). The lights go down, and as they come back up, the ceiling bubbles with beautifully colored bulbs, bouncing along until the actors pop to life (another technical shout-out to Tommy Balne for the outstanding lighting design throughout). The show itself has no longform plot or story - it is exactly what it says it is: “the Sunday comics” - giving audiences smaller vignettes of the different Peanuts characters, rather than one story throughout.
As soon as the actors hit the playing space, you know which iconic character they are playing - not only based on the outstanding costume design by Rebecca Sisley, but through the actors’ physicality. The biggest takeaway for me is the way the actors work as an incredibly cohesive ensemble - they all shine in their own unique ways, but the way they move and interact as a team is really remarkable.
Jake Hufner as Charlie Brown is so lovely and so sad. He brings a positivity to Charlie Brown that isn’t often seen, making it all the more heartbreaking when his hopes are dashed away. His staccato physicality brings a really great cartoonish quality to his performance, while his acting and vocals allow the audience to feel for and with him as his mood rises and falls. Alec Robin does an excellent job of playing Linus, and really nails the “Linus as the Intellectual” part of the role. Before his number, “My Blanket and Me”, he reasons with Lucy about his blanket - a great juxtaposition between Linus, the Intellectual, and Linus, the Sweet Little Boy. He then goes into a sweet, beautifully choreographed and executed soft shoe with his blanket. Courtney Bundens is a fantastic Sally - they bring what feels like a very cartoon-accurate take to the role, and their voice shines throughout the production, but particularly during “My New Philosophy”. Tommy Balne’s nonverbal acting as Shroeder works so well in this production - from his full-body piano-playing to his facial expressions of disgust at Lucy’s professions of love. His vocals also get a chance to shine in “Beethoven Day”. Beatrice Alonna brings “Joe Cool” vibes to her performance as Snoopy, which really delivers. As she “pilots a plane” while chasing and fighting the Red Baron, her physicality is unmatched. Amanda Pasquini is both frightening and endearing as Lucy, which is exactly what that character calls for. She brings the gruff, tough energy of Lucy to life, while allowing moments of vulnerability throughout, endearing audiences to her.
Masquerade’s production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is cohesive from top to bottom. Ensemble-type shows like these, especially ones based on iconic characters, can be so easily fumbled if the team doesn’t play well together. It’s clear that there is a unified vision for this show, and every piece of the puzzle fits in just the right place to successfully achieve that vision. This is a wonderfully timed show for the holiday season, and great for families. Don’t miss your opportunity! Shows run through December 21st, and tickets can be purchased online at https://masqueradetheatre.simpletix.com/.
