Albany Civic Theater lets its inner child sing in ‘You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown’

By Jake TenPas
The Entertainer

Nobody can say Brad Townsend isn’t brave. Or versatile, for that matter. In Albany Civic Theater’s 2005 production of ‘The Rocky Horror Show,’ the Oregon State University band director donned fishnet stockings, high heels and a feather boa to play Dr. Frank-N-Furter with lascivious abandon.

Now, in ACT’s latest musical tour de force, he plays a similarly misunderstood and persecuted individual: Charlie Brown.

Townsend’s “boy with the round face” takes on tones of Will Ferrell in “Elf,” pushing “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” into realms both genuinely comedic and sweetly poignant. Part likeable schlep, part blustering underdog, Townsend anchors Charlie Brown at the heart of yet another air-tight cast under the direction of local mistress of the musical Christi Sears.

Surrounding Chuck in his signature yellow shirt with the jagged black stripe is the original cast of writer Charles M. Schulz’s classic American comic “Peanuts”: his precocious sister Sally (Meghan Matthes), security blanket-toting Linus (Dow Yeh), overbearing Lucy (Anya Corbitt), pained artist Schroeder (Mat Genuser) and, of course, everybody’s favorite beagle that looks nothing like a Beagle, Snoopy (Heidi Kravitz).

Flitting about the periphery of the stage is newcomer Allison Jackson, who’s so cute in her yellow-feathered get-up that ACT should hang a warning plaque in the lobby reading: “Caution. If you are prone to attacks of extreme cuteness, consult your doctor before seeing this musical. Please silence all cell phones, beepers and the irresistible desire to say ‘Awwww.’ ”

The story follows Charlie and the gang through the course of a single day, which includes school, a baseball game, supper and even some late-night astrological action, but really, “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” isn’t about story. It’s about being a kid, even when you’re an adult, about the challenges we all face and about the way friendship helps us get through them.

Few comic strips have so saturated our culture or helped to define the American experience for so many as “Peanuts.” Like Norman Rockwell’s innocent tableaus, Don McClean’s “American Pie,” or Garrison Keillor’s “Prairie Home Companion,” “Peanuts” deals in stereotypes, and as with most stereotypes, it’s firmly rooted in reality.

Not only did everybody know somebody like Charlie Brown, but everybody was somebody like Charlie Brown. Everybody knows what it’s like to try and fail, to wonder if that little red-headed girl ever thinks about you and to seek solace in your friends only to find them seemingly just as unsympathetic as the rest of the world.

Everyone has a touch of Linus’ insecurity and awkward intelligence, Schroeder’s pretentiousness and desire to create, Lucy’s bossy, know-it-all worldview. We all had little siblings who were constantly in our business or knew someone who wanted to change his name to “Flash.” For some, they were the same person.

Shifting such American icons and archetypes to the stage, however, can be a tricky proposition, because without precise, vivid characterizations, the stereotypes become just that: two-dimensional caricatures.

Fortunately, Sears has put together a cast that offers the best collection of performances seen on any area stage since “Rocky Horror.”

Matthes, who shone as Cinderella in “Into the Woods,” portrays another woman without a filter in Sally, Charlie Brown’s rebellious little sis. As always, her octave-jumping vocal range is in fine form, but it’s her comedic timing and ability to channel her inner child that makes her just right for the role. On “My New Philosophy,” she leaps from mantra to mantra, a child trying on different worldviews while she still has the freedom to do so. Bouncing from “That’s what you think” to “Why are you telling me?” to the succinct “No,” she finally arrives at the ultimate motto, “Some philosophies aren’t for all people.”

Joining her in the song is Mat Genuser, who played The Baker in “Into the Woods.” Here, his full, rich voice knocks out the statement of youthful idealism that is “Beethoven Day” with aplomb. He also makes the perfect mouse to Lucy’s romantically aggressive cat, as he affects just the right body language while wheeling his lowrider piano about the stage.

Corbitt’s Lucy is a thing to behold, every bit as forceful as the cartoon version, and perhaps even more endearingly dreamy — and delusional — than the character sometimes came across. With her blue skirt, psychiatric help booth and utter obliviousness to how she is perceived by others, Corbitt brings Lucy brilliantly to life.

Then there’s Linus, everybody’s favorite thumb-sucker, here played to perfection by Dow Yeh. With his ubiquitous blue blanket and wise-beyond-his-experience observations about the world, Linus is perhaps the biggest dork of the bunch and all the more charming for it.

Early on in the production, his older sister, Lucy, tries to take his blanket from him, resulting in a dramatically humorous, strobe-lit chase sequence that illustrates exactly why Sears is such a good director. On a meager budget, she makes you feel like you’re part of something much bigger than community theater. She offers a depth of audience experience that up to this point is singular in the local scene.

Afterward, Linus segues into a dance routine involving his blanket. He saunters over to the side of the stage, and as he shuffles back toward the center, he’s followed by the rest of the characters all toting their own blankets. It’s not only a neat visual surprise that turns into a great bit of simple choreography, but a key visual summation of the theme of the play. Everybody’s alone together.

But of course, without a viable Charlie and Snoopy, even the best of supporting casts would fall flat. In this case, the two keystones of the musical turn in performances pitch-perfect to their characters. Townsend is almost manic as the flailing, humorously doomed protagonist. His voice isn’t quite as flawless as Genuser's or Matthes’, but that actually works to his advantage, making him more of the everyman we all know and love. As Snoopy, Heidi Kravitz is all animal charm, accomplishing more with a smile and a bark than some actors do with Shakespeare. Her “Suppertime” and “Red Baron” routines are both great showcases for her physical grace, not to mention the range of the live band that soundtracks the whole production.

Whether you’re a kid, or an adult who needs to recapture the wonder of being a kid, “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” entertains like a Pixar film, with something for people of all ages to enjoy, and lessons to be learned even for the Lucys of the world.

The crew includes: Leah Burgy, assistant director; Jim Guynn, vocal director; Mirinda Keeling, choreographer; Meghan Matthes, choreographer; Mike Dicianna, stage manager; Ross Jackson, set designer; Lara Van Hoff, costume designer; Jonathan Kowash, light designer; and David Leigh, sound designer.

Check it out

Albany Civic Theater presents ‘You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown,’ based on the cartoon ‘Peanuts’ by Charles M. Schulz and written by Clark Gesner. It runs at 8 p.m. March 30 and 31 and April 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20; and at 2:30 p.m. April 8 and 15. Tickets are $12 general admission and $9 for people older than 60 and younger than 18 years of age. For more information, go to http://albanycivic.org.