You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999 Broadway Revival Cast)
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Free Music Notes for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999 Broadway Revival Cast)
Free Music Review: A really cute show
Hit: 4 Stars
This is a fantastic score, and though the original cast recording may be more authentic/true to the Peanuts cartoon, a clearer sound and a bigger orchestra does nothing but good for this CD. Anthony Rapp is a fantastic charlie brown and shows his distress perfectly. the song that was written for kristin chenoweth is laugh-out-loud funny and a great addition.
ilana lavine's voice is, i admit, little short of a screech, but it's only annoying because in the songs with the whole cast, you can tell she has a beautiful voice normally. for those who were complaining that her songs are unlistenable, it isn't that bad and it's part of lucy's character.
my favourite songs are 'you're a good man, charlie brown' and 'happiness'. they both have an underlying message that makes the CD worth listening to for adults as well as children. 'for happiness is anyone and anything at all that's loved by you...' how true is that? definitely buy either this or the off-broadway cast recording, but this CD has a more definite beat and rhythm and is wonderful to listen to.
Free Music Review: Great Broadway show for families
Hit: 5 Stars
As a long-time Broadway junkie, I've made it my mission to introduce my 2 young daughters to as many age-appropriate musicals as possible. Charlie Brown is fun with a basic, life-affirming message without being sugary and melodramatic. The multicultural casting on this version was a nice touch, and the cast vocals blend nicely as well as standing out on their own. It's no surprise that Kristin Chenoweth won the Tony for this performance-just listen to My New Philosophy and you'll see why. Great to hear Anthony Rapp apart from Rent, and BD Wong's My Blanket and Me is sweet and charming.
This is a good CD for anyone wishing to introduce their kids to Broadway. My girls and I sing to it in the car all the time! Due to the low overhead as far as sets and costumes are concerned, this show is performed frequently in community/regional theatres around the country. I highly recommend taking your kids to see it, and you'll enjoy it also.
Free Music Review: A Cute Show
Hit: 4 Stars
I recently directed a production of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. The show is really sweet, though it is hard to make sure that it is not overly "cutzy". I like the vocalist in this updated version, though some of the modernization of the songs are overdone.
Chenoweth is a great addition as Sally. She fits the part really well. "Happiness" is the sweetest song which really is the highlight of the show. Admittedly it may not be everyone's taste and Lucy's voice can be grading, but it is hard not to love this show.
Free Music Review: Disappointingly modern, misses the point
Hit: 3 Stars
This 1999 revival of the original 1967 musical misses the point totally. The charm and innocence that is PEANUTS, even today, is lost in a mish-mash of modern references and "post-chic" New Yoprk cynicism.
Clearly, the producers decided to "update" the PEANUTS characters and so created another gang with whom there seems to be little resonance with any loyal PEANUTS fan. There seems to be vague insinuations which are unnecessary and actually play against the tone of most of the songs. For instance, a guy who is piano-obssessed and ignores girls when they thrust themselves in front of him may today be considered slightly effeminite, but from the sound of the recording, they have attempted to make Schroder outwardly [...], which is just wrong: in the days of PEANUTS, [...] really did mean happy and carefree.
The actors sound as if they're trying too hard to imbue their characters with unitended nuance: contrast Ilana Levine's try-hard Lucy, with the bombastic and vivacious performance by Reve Rose in the 1967 production.
The instrumentation has also been overdone and occasionally threatens to overtake the performances: part of the charm of the original was the often "goofy" arrangments that underscored the characters so beautifully.
This should be of interest only to those who are really interested in how to screw up a great show by inappropriate "updating".
Free Music Review: great fun!
Hit: 4 Stars
This recording is a lot of fun! My students are enjoying it greatly!