Happiness is a warm puppy, two kinds of ice cream ... or reliving the sweet innocence of youth with Charlie Brown and Snoopy. As part of its second season of summer musicals, Hathaway Brown Theatre Institute will treat audiences to the celebrated characters of Charles Schultz's comic strip in the classic musical comedy You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown for six fantastic performances, July 18-27 in The Ahuja Auditorium.
Presented in the Tony Award-winning 1999 Broadway revival version that helped make Kristin Chenoweth a star, the musical offers snapshots of the “Peanuts” gang at their best: Schroeder and Lucy at the piano, Charlie Brown and Lucy at the psychiatry booth, Linus with his blanket, Snoopy with his supper dish, and the whole gang at the baseball game. Hilarious comic sequences are animated by high-energy song-and-dance routines, creating nonstop entertainment for adults and children alike.
Performances of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown will be Friday and Saturday, July 18, 19, 25 and 26 at 7:30 
p.m.; and Sunday July 20 and 27 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $11-15 and may be purchased online at www.hb.edu/tickets, by calling 216.320.8796 ext. 7270, or at the door (if available) the day of the performance.
The production features a cast of 24 students, ages 8-13, including Kevin LaMonica as Charlie Brown, Ryan Kacmar as Lucy, Chester Hill as Schroeder, Ella Murray as Sally, Ryan Vincent as Linus, and Hannah Schmidt as Snoopy. All are students of HBTI who hail from cities throughout Northeast Ohio.
Directed by Michael Dempsey, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown features a book, music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, with additional material and songs by Andrew Lippa. The creative team includes Miki Saito as music director, Katie Zarecki as choreographer, Inda Blatch-Geib as costume designer, and Zachariah Durr as set designer.
"Don’t let the age of the cast fool you,” Dempsey says. “Their talent and polish is amazing. They are bringing these beloved characters to life in a way I didn’t think possible for such young performers. The hilarious comedy, the touching moments, the great singing and dancing—it’s all there.”