Who Let The Dogs Out?

It's time to finish that "book report" on "Edgar Allan Poe" as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 1971's You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and 1982's Snoopy! The Musical on episode seventeen of My Favorite Flop.

 

ABOUT YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN

Based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown shares the story of a day in the life of everybody's favorite blockhead, Charlie Brown. The musical features music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and a book by John Gordon.

Following an unprecedented run of 1,597 performances off-Broadway, the musical finally opened to mixed reviews on The Great White Way on June 1, 1971 and closed 32 performances later. Many critics had felt that much of its original charm had evaporated during the transfer. Despite that, the musical became a popular staple in the amateur theater market and is known as one of the most beloved musicals of all time.

In 1998, a significantly revised version of the musical set out on a national tour before opening on Broadway the following year. It featured new dialogue by Michael Mayer, who also directed, and additional songs and orchestration written by composer Andrew Lippa. The character of Patty was replaced with Sally Brown, inspired by the same change Schulz made in the animated TV adaptation in the 1980s. The cast featured Anthony Rapp as Charlie Brown, B.D. Wong as Linus, Ilana Levine as Lucy, and Stanley Wayne Mathis as Schroeder. Also featured were Kristin Chenoweth and Roger Bart as Sally and Snoopy, with each winning the Tony award in the respective category. Despite its Tony wins, the musical failed to gain an audience and closed after just 149 performances.

 

Original Broadway Cast

• Dean Stolber as Charlie Brown
• Liz O'Neal as Lucy
• Stephen Fenning as Linus
• Carter Cole as Schroeder
• Lee Wilson as Patty
• Grant Cowan as Snoopy

ABOUT SNOOPY! THE MUSICAL

An official sequel to You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Snoopy! The Musical shares the story of a day in the life of everybody's favorite beagle, Snoopy. The musical features music by Larry Grossman, lyrics by Hal Hackady, and a book by Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw, and Michael Grace.

Despite You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown's Broadway failure in 1971, it had already become a worldwide sensation, and producer Arthur Whitelaw felt that it needed a follow-up. This time, however, he would both write and direct the piece. Snoopy! The Musical premiered on December 9, 1975 at the Little Fox Theatre in San Francisco, California and, despite mixed reviews, ran for 7 months.

The musical was then produced Off-Broadway at the Lamb's Theatre in 1982 starring David Garrison as Snoopy. The show performed 152 performances until it closed on May 1, 1983. The Off-Broadway production received similar reviews to the San Francisco production. Later, when Lorna Luft replaced Peppermint Patty, a new song was written for her, entitled "Hurry Up, Face". This song was used in later productions, including the West End later that year. The 1983 West End production was a critically acclaimed success and ran for 479 performances.

A revised version of Snoopy! The Musical opened Texas State University in 2017 with a new song co-written by Andrew Lippa and restored material that had been cut from previous versions of the show. This version, now called The World According To Snoopy, is available to license alongside the original.

 

Original Off-Broadway Cast

• David Garrison as Snoopy
• Terry Kirwin as Charlie Brown
• Vicki Lewis as Peppermint Patty
• Kay Cole as Lucy
• Stephen Fenning as Linus
• Deborah Graham as Sally Brown
• Cathy Cahn as Woodstock