Review: A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS at DreamWrights

For decades, no Christmas season was complete without watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”  The animated TV version first aired on December 9, 1965 on CBS and earned an Emmy and Peabody award.  Charles M. Shultz partnered with Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez to create this annually enjoyed show based on his Peanuts comic strip.  In 2013, the cartoon was adapted into a stage version by Eric Shaeffer which included all of the music by Vince Guardaldi from the TV show.

Now exactly 58 years later, I had the pleasure watching these well-loved characters come to life on stage at DreamWrights under the direction of Andrea Stephenson.  This production has a teen/adult cast and a youth cast.  I saw the youth cast perform.  Ryelan Swartz did an excellent job as the depressed Charlie Brown searching for the true meaning of Christmas.  He sounded exactly like Charlie Brown.  Leah Miller was adorable as Snoopy, and Shanell Nelson was bossy, confident, and direct as Lucy.   Josiah Titus (Linus), Calvin Jones (Pig Pen), Elena Deguchi (Frieda), Nolan Portner (Schroeder), Lorelei Drinkut (Violet), Charlie Gausmann (Sally), Ava Luster (Patty), and Javan Miller (Shermy) complete the gang of Peanuts characters in the youth cast.

I enjoyed the added touch of using drawings from the community in the background scenery of the show.  It felt like an excellent way to pay homage to the original cartoon.  The actual drawings are on display in the lobby, where you can also enjoy shopping from local vendors. DreamWrights made it easy to pick up a few gifts and support local businesses.