Photos: First Look at A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS at First Stage

This holiday season brings the joyful return of First Stage's production of Charles M. Schulz's A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS to the Marcus Center's Todd Wehr Theater. Based on the television special by Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson, with stage adaptation by Eric Schaeffer, by special arrangement with Arthur Whitelaw and Ruby Persson, and directed by Artistic Director Jeff Frank, the play features an iconic score performed by Music Director/Pianist Paul Helm as well as 11 young performers in two different casts.

As the beloved story goes: It's Christmas time. Everyone in town is giddy with holiday cheer, but Charlie Brown has the Yuletide blues. He's depressed with the commercialization of the season. Will directing the Christmas play help him get in the spirit of the season? Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang as they learn the true meaning of Christmas. This is one holiday outing the entire family will treasure together! Sponsored by Associated Bank, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren. Performance runtime is approximately 60 minutes, with no intermission. Suggested for families with young people ages 4+.

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS runs November 20 - December 26, 2021 at the Marcus Center's Todd Wehr Theater, located at 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee. Tickets start at $24 and can be purchased in person at the Marcus Center Box Office at 929 N. Water Street, by phone at (414) 273-7206 or online at firststage.org.

"Charlie Brown is a study in perseverance and positivity," shared Artistic Director/Director Jeff Frank. "No matter how many times Lucy pulls that football away, he has faith that one day he will boot that football through the uprights. No matter how many losses his team suffers on the baseball field, he remains hopeful that a victory awaits. All of us can identify with Charlie's struggles. Life can be hard. We can lose our way and get discouraged. But this show reminds us that we are at our best when we come together, when we care for each other, when we take the time to really see each other. We all know it's been a hard year and a half, and a time for reflection on what is meaningful in our lives. What better time to come back to an old friend like A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS, whose message is as relevant now as when it was written over 50 years ago?"