You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown

“With the exception of Milly Shapiro, who is a spot-on delight as Sally, all of the actors seemed to need a lot more directing from Michael Unger, whose task here is formidable...Pulling off this show requires knowing that...these characters are both naïvely young and preternaturally adult. Little of that was in evidence at the performance I saw...There is a fair amount of complexity in these seemingly simple characters, which is why 'Charlie Brown' is best when performed by adults.”

“It's the revised version that the York has mounted with a charming and talented cast of kid actors...Naturally, there are some inherent problems with the concept. There are cases where the songs don't sound completely comfortable in developing voices and much of the humor is lost because the young actors don't always seem to know what their lines mean, often racing through the clever material. That's not to say that director Michael Unger's sunny and sweet production isn't enjoyable.”

“It must have seemed like an inspired idea to employ real children...but it's inimical to the original material...The reason 'Charlie Brown' always worked is that the show grasps something essential about the 'Peanuts' world: Schulz's characters are really angst-ridden adults in miniature, more Kierkegaard than kindergarten...A cast of children, no matter how technically skilled, are hopelessly overmatched...In trying to literalize Schulz's world, Unger and company have killed the joke.”

“Happiness is 'You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown'...This time around the play is being done by actual kids–extremely talented Broadway kids...All of the actors are top-notch singers, dancers, actors–triple threats all the way...The songs are everything about being a child. Hilarious, clever, hand-clapping good...You will find yourself smiling from ear to ear when you leave.”

““As is the case with most of the very young cast, a great deal of the irony and comment in the writing is rushed through and lost. It takes experience and training to be able to play animals and small children with knowing humor...The current production has its heart in the right place, but I think the original idea was a better one - to cast older actors as the little kids who certainly tell us a lot about the secret concerns and unbridled joys of their very questioning minds.””

“The seven young performers in 'Charlie Brown'...have more impressive resumes than most adult actors...The staging isn’t much better or worse than any of the thousands of other amateur productions of 'Charlie Brown.' The kids are all very talented but they have trouble handling the vocal arrangements and virtually all of the comedy and psychological insight has gotten lost. That said, I was delighted to see so many kids in the audience of an off-Broadway show.”

“This entertaining revival has the novelty of being performed by a cast of lively professional child performers...Director Michael Unger and choreographer Jennifer Paulson-Lee have staged the historic comic strip with small-scale flair. The performances and dancing are of high caliber and the scenes swiftly and effectively shift onward...The show ends with the resonant ode to childhood innocence, 'Happiness.' Hearing actual children sing it is a moving conclusion to this special incarnation.”

“The clarity of kids’ speaking/singing voices can be high pitched and screaming, at times, to an adult ear so listen up with care. Be that as it may, these kids are all A+ talent…The most endearing of them all is Charlie’s adorable and loving dog Snoopy (Aidan Gemme)…This 'Charlie Brown' should have great appeal to the small set who will discover or rediscover simple life lessons and the wonders of Peanuts characters. The nostalgia aspect for the grown-ups is a definite feel-good.”

“The show was not written for children to perform...What is so appealing about this show when performed by adults is that they become cartoon characters because they are not age appropriate but they have the knowledge, experience and vocal range to sustain the script...It might have been an enjoyable afternoon but the show did not live up to its potential....There is something missing – the charm perhaps – when children find the adult in themselves.”

“The endearing young performers providing oomph are irresistible. Children and adults alike can gain fresh pleasure from this production...Despite their youth, the performers come with considerable experience, and it shows. The production generally moves smoothly...The tone of the show mixes naïveté with worldliness, as it should, for the combination gives the show its basic charm. The cast seems to understand this and enjoyably communicates that outlook.”

“Unger's production loses the gleeful winks that gave the original productions their humor. When presented earnestly, the show doesn't quite work...It feels like a more disturbing look at a desperately unhappy youth and his awful pals. But the kids give it their all, especially Colley, who in the title role is thoroughly heartbreaking while still finding sweet, affable humor in Charlie...Overall, this iteration feels like a production at an arts-based middle school, which isn't a bad thing.”

“Adults make more convincing children than adolescent actors do...This is one issue with this entertaining but rocky new revival...The songs convey a warm and winning, yet clear-eyed, youthfulness in line with Schulz's worldview…But the actors, through no fault of their own, are just not up to this…As fine as the show is, and as game as the still-developing cast members clearly are, this particular production cannot quite overcome the fact that it's at once too young and not young enough.”

“The conceit of using talented kids doesn't go very far. Capable as they are, none is especially outstanding, although Gemme’s Snoopy has a delightful Hamish Linklater vibe, Villas displays impressive dance chops, and Colley sings sweetly. The big, big problem is that they’re too young to provide the kind of ironic insights that we’d look for in mature actors playing such preternaturally precocious youngsters; instead, we get just the general appeal of their prepubescent presences.”

“Since the tiny characters are usually grappling with their own version of grownup crises, adults always play the parts. But having kids do it makes it fresh, appealing, and endlessly cute (but not cutesy). The show is basically a series of vignettes and songs, like a comic strip come to life...As directed by Michael Unger, they do a lovely job...Shapiro projects a wonderful wisdom of the ages in her face, making her a priceless character actress even now.”

“This latest version of this appealing if slight musical has the six young characters actually played by young actors--many with Broadway credits. It makes a difference, especially if you’re planning to bring your own youngsters along, to see kids playing kids for a change. Leading Michael Unger’s spirited production in the title role is the remarkable Joshua Colley, who also possesses an often booming voice...You’ll be charmed, I’m sure, if you go see this show.”