John Hall - Musical Theater and Opera Archive

History

About "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown"

For over fifty years the world has watched the problems of everyday life reflected in a comic strip created by Charles Schulz. His characters Snoopy, Lucy, Schroeder, Linus, Sally and Charlie Brown have mirrored the good, the bad, the sad and happy realities of what it means to be human. We have all been crabby like Lucy or wishy-washy like Charlie Brown. We have all had artistic dreams like Schroeder and fantasies like Snoopy. We know Charlie Brown and his friends because they are us. The best part of us...the part that keeps on trying and doesn't let adversity conquer the spirit we have for life. Even after the death of Charles Schulz, we can't let go of that gang of kids that struggles through that daily grind facing set-backs and struggles but finding those little triumphs that give our lives shape. Peanuts lives on in re-runs of the original comic strip and in the revised version of a musical first heard over thirty years ago.

In 1967 Clark Gesner brought the Peanuts characters to the musical stage. In a modest revue format, he gave a series of little sketches a musical voice. His show was never designed to compete with big musicals found on Broadway that year (Cabaret, Hello, Dolly! Funny Girl) but from its off-Broadway home, the show had over 1,500 performances, then moved to include four different national companies, international productions and since has become one of the most-produced musicals by amateur and professional companies ever.

To help celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Peanuts characters, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown," Charlie Brown was revised and produced on Broadway in 1999-2000. New songs and arangements by Andrew Lippa were added with additional dialogue by Michael Mayer. All with the support and encouragement of Charles Schultz. The new incarnation of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown," Charlie Brown was a success winning a Tony Award for Kristin Chenoweth (Sally), and it is this new version that you will see at UCLA. These performances are offered to celebrate the life and work of Charles Schultz.

This production of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" is made possible by the continued generosity of the Maxwell H. Gluck Foundation, and we thank them.

Cast Biographies

Carlos Avilas
Carlos Avilas (Charlie Brown) truly thinks he is Charlie Brown (his name translated into English is Charles and his mother's maiden name is Brown). When not performing at UCLA he can be seen bringing other famous cartoon characters to life at Disneyland. He is thrilled to have the opportunity to improve his performance skills in the Music Theater Workshop.

Todd Caleca
Todd Caleca (Schroeder) is a sophomore vocal performance/music education major. Some past roles include: the Timan (Wizard of Oz), Reuben (Joseph), Cain/Japheth (Children of Eden), John the Baptist (Godspell), and Valentine LaMar (Babes in Arms). Todd is thrilled to return to his second production in the Musical Theater Workshop. In the Spring Quarter, he will be performing the role of Paquillo in Opera UCLA's production of La Périchole.

Minglie Chen
Minglie Chen (Sally) is a mass communications major. Her favorite roles include Kim (Miss Saigon-Germany) and Mulan (Mulan - Disneyland). She has also performed swing in Bare (Los Angeles). At UCLA she has appeared in Into the Woods, The Sondheim Revue, Make Mine, Mr. Styne. Go, Kung Fu Sally!!

Kendra Doyle
Kendra Doyle (Sally) is a second year music theater major who hails from Sacramento, CA. Some of her stage credits include Esther (Meet Me in St. Louis), Dorothy (The Wiz), and Rosie (Bye, Bye Birdie). She is happy to be working with John Hall and the Music Theater Workshop for her second year and looks forward to continuing her studies here at UCLA.

Amber East
Amber East (Sally) This production marks Amber's third production with the Music Theater Workshop. Her first production was Once Upon A Mattress, directed by Carol Burnett. Amber would like to thank John Hall, Gary Busby and Susannah Hall for this experience, as well as friends and family for their love and support.

Marc Fellner
Marc Fellner (Charlie Brown) is a third year theater major from Chico, California. He has most recently finished co-directing Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. He would like to thank his parents, his wonderful friends, and most especially the "cutest little red-haired girl" in the world: Kathi. Thank you for teaching me what hapiness is!

Elizabeth Guilliams
Elizabeth Guilliams (Snoopy) is stoked to play Snoopy for you! Ms. Guilliams holds the national record for the longest handstand ever: 45 hours, 23 minutes, 17.2 seconds. She is featured in the videos "I Got Nothin' But Love for You" and "YourHomework.Com." Thanks to all my loved ones!

Ben Hall
Ben Hall (Linus) is a junior molecular, cell and developmental biology major (with a focus in musical theater!). For three years he has been a member of UCLA's famed Awaken A Cappella group, with whom he has performed extensively in the greater Los Angeles area. This is Ben's first production with the Music Theater Workshop.

Abigail Hencmann
Abigail Hencmann (Lucy) is a 2000-2001 Regents Scholar and a second year theater major here at UCLA. She is thrilled to be playing Lucy this year and had the pleasure of performing in last year's Music Theater Worksop production, Babes in Arms. Abby hopes to continue her studies this summer in Paris, France and would like to thank her family for their continuing support.

Don Kalar
Don Kalar (Linus) feels very fortunate to be able to take time out of his studies in Computer Science to play Linus for you. His past credits include Seymour (Little Shop of Horros), and the Jester (Once Upon a Mattress). Don would like to thank his family and friends for traveling to support him and his fellow cast members for reminding him that "happiness doesn't have to be a fleeting thing, after all!"

Jamie Martin-Chamberlin
Jamie Martin-Chamberlin (Lucy) is a junior vocal performance major. Some of her favorite past roles include the Witch (Into the Woods), the Narrator (Joseph), and Kate (Kiss Me, Kate). Ms. Martin-Chamberlin will be performing in the Spring Quarter production of La Périchole and would like to invite each of you to her junior voice recital on April 27th at 8pm in Popper Theater.

Jeff Parker
Jeff Parker (Snoopy) is overjoyed to portray Snoopy in this, his second shot at You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, which he directed in 1998. He would like to thank his sister, Johanna, his mother and his very own "little red-haired girl." In case you are interested, Jeff is a Pisces; his birthday is next week.

Grant Tyler Peterson
Grant Tyler Peterson (Linus) is an alumnus of the Orange County High School for the Performing Arts. Grant is a third year theater major who last played Linus in Snoopy at the Roxy on Sunset Boulevard, in West Hollywood. Local audiences have seen Mr. Peterson in such venues as the Laguna Beach Playhouse, the Glendale Center Theater, the La Mirada Performing Arts Center, as well as Falcon Studios and the Hudson Theater.

Joshua Silberman
Joshua Silberman (Charlie Brown) is graduating from the School of Engineering with a major in computer science this spring. He bids a fond farewell to John Hall and the Music Theater Workshop, of which he has been a member for the last four years, portraying such theater archetypes like Pinkie (Babes in Arms, '00) and the Page (Into the Woods, '98). Josh looks forward to the next phase of life's journey, though he is generally clueless as to where that might be.

Leah Sprecher
Leah Sprecher (Lucy) is currently a sophomore musical theater major and is glad to return for her second production with the Music Theater Workshop. Some favorite roles include Delores (Babes in Arms) and Cassie (A Chorus Line). This summer, Ms Sprecher returns to her native land of Big Bear, California to work on the musical The Fantasticks.

Jeff Wiesen
Jeff Wiesen (Schroeder) is glad to be portraying his favorite pianist. For those who know Jeff, acting like an eight-year-old is not a "stretch for him to do that part!" Jeff would like to thank his fellow cast members for the good times, Charles Schultz for the great characters, him mom, and Willow, his little Chinchilla.