Surflight Theatre to Stage YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN, 9/4-8

Surflight Theatre presents the award-winning Peanuts musical You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown from September 4 through September 8.

Based on the comic strip created by Charles M. Schulz, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown is a day in the life of the popular 'Peanuts' character. Featuring book, music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, this version is a fresh approach to the all-time 1967 classic with new music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and additional dialogue by Michael Mayer. Sally Brown joins Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Schroeder and Snoopy in this version. Two new songs, "Beethoven Day" and "My New Philosophy" have been added to the twelve numbers of the original version, such as "My Blanket and Me", "The Kite", "The Baseball Game", "Little Known Facts", "Suppertime" and "Happiness".

Directed and choreographed by Norb Joerder, the production features the 2013 Surflight Theatre Acting Company: T.J. Larke as Charlie Brown, Mark Blowers as Linus, Amelia Millar as Lucy, Sarah Beling as Sally Brown, Matt Greenberg as Schroeder, Joseph DePietro as Snoopy, Chris Bratek and Amanda Fannon.

Henco Espag is music director. The production is designed by Stephen Cowles (Sets), Benjamin Weill (Lighting) and A&L Sound Partners (Sound). Liz Howell is production stage manager.

You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown opened on March 7, 1967 and played for 1,597 performances in New York at the theatre 80 St. Marks with Gary Burghoff (Radar on TVs M*A*S*H) in the title role. This version was revived briefly on Broadway in 1971 and played at the John Golden Theatre. A new revival version was presented on Broadway in 1999 and played at the Ambassador Theatre with award-winning performances by Roger Bart and Kristin Chenoweth as Snoopy and Sally.

You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown is one of several Broadway musicals based on popular comic book characters that include The Addams Family, Annie, Doonsebury, Li'l Abner, Snoopy, and It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman.

Surflight Theatre is located at 201 Engleside Avenue in historic Beach Haven, NJ. Performances of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown are Wednesday at 2pm and 8pm; Thursday at 2pm and 8pm; Friday at 2pm; Saturday at 8pm; and Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are $45, with Groups (15 or more) $35 dinner packages available. NEW: Surflight is offering military and veteran discounts: 50% off the full ticket price of all Surflight Theatre events for active military and veterans with ID. Call the Surflight Theatre Box Office at 609-492-9477 or purchase online at www.surflight.org.

Next on the Surflight Theatre stage: Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Our Town (September 25 - October 4) and Irving Berlin's White Christmas (November 29 - December 22).

Photo by: Chase Heilman