You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Currently the musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown continues its run at Cascades Theatre. The oldest and youngest among us are likely to know about the trials and tribulations of these iconic characters: the adventurous Snoopy, the crabby Lucy, the ever-failing, ever-determined Charlie Brown. Performance December 3-13.

Is there a new theatre in town? Many people in Bend wonder when they see the bright red sign on Greenwood that is especially eye-catching when it is lit up at night. The new red awning beneath it adds to the effect. Cascades Theatre has in fact been entertaining and enlightening audiences at that same location since 1983 without missing a season.

Originally called Community Theatre of the Cascades, its name was later changed to Cascades Theatrical Company, thus allowing retention of the abbreviation, CTC. Though now the official name is Cascades Theatre, CTC remains as a nickname.

Charles Schulz wrote and illustrated 17,897 Peanuts comic strips, publishing one every day for 50 years. At its height, Peanuts ran in over 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries and 21 languages. Schulz’s work touched hundreds of millions of people and left a legacy that is, quite simply, remarkable.

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a fitting tribute to this remarkable legacy. At its heart, the show portrays Schulz’s characters and stories with a tender and faithful affection. But what makes the musical special is that it gives voice to unspoken dreams and fantasies in a way that was never possible in the comic strip. Shy, sarcastic Schroeder is a man of few words, but in his dreams, he gets to experience a show-stopping musical celebration of his favorite composer. Snoopy’s great adventures are usually limited to a handful of comic frames and some thought bubbles. But here, you’ll get to see these escapades come to life.

CTC’s production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown celebrates these hidden dreams of the Peanuts universe. You’ll still see Lucy being bossy and Sally being precocious. Linus still depends on his blanket and Charlie Brown is still in love with the little red-haired girl. You’ll see the familiar faces that Schulz created to share in the triumphs, the failures, and the strange brand of cynical optimism that Peanuts made a part of our daily lives for fifty years.

Performances December 3, Thursday, Friday, Saturday evenings at 7:30pm.
Two Sunday matinees December 6 & 13 at 2pm. The show closes Saturday December 19. Tickets $23 for adults, $19 for seniors and $16 for students.
Cascades Theatre is a non-profit community theatre located at 148 NW Greenwood Ave in Bend.
541-389-0803
www.cascadestheatrical.org

The Cascades Theatre venue routinely hosts non-CTC events as well. For December, Triage will bring its improvisational talents to the theatre on Sunday, December 20 at 2pm. Tickets are $5 at the door. The always popular Jazz at Joe’s, showcasing top regional and national jazz artists, fills the space with tunes on Saturday December 26 at 7pm. Joe’s info: 541-977-5637.

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