Burke County High thespians to Charlie Brown musical

Jessica VanderZouwen, Cannon McClain and Courtney Westman will play characters from the beloved comic strip Peanuts in their presentations next week. Tickets go on sale today (Wednesday) for the musical, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, which will be presented to the community next week by the Burke County High School Thespian Society.

The production, based on Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts comic strip, will star Burke County students and follow the same episodic style as Schulz's comic strips, offering a collection of moments in time from the lives of the characters.

Director and BCHS drama teacher Victoria Price said she is excited about the production.

"We have had the most fun becoming children again as we worked on this show," she said. "The kids have done most of the choreography and every day in rehearsal they come up with ways of making the show more delightful. We hope our audiences will have the same sense of fun when they see it performed."

In keeping with the comic strip theme, the costumes and set have been designed to portray a cartoon like appearance. Many of the props are even oversized to make the teenage actors look more like small children.

The play is revised from the original 1998 Broadway show and will include several new songs such as My New Philosophy and Beethoven Day. The audience will still enjoy familiar numbers including Little Known Facts, The Baseball Game and Snoopy's show-stopping Suppertime.

The cast includes several students who graced the stage in last spring's performance of Grease. Cannon McClain, who played Danny in Grease, will appear as Charlie Brown. Also from Grease, Harley Miller as Lucy, Courtney Westman as Snoopy, Bradley Sowell as Schroeder, Stephanie Farmer as Sally, Jessica VanderZouwen as Woodstock and Jacolby Carpenter as Franklin. Newcomers include Tyler Wise as Linus, Lauren VanderZouwen as Patty and Jonatan Guerrero as Pig Pen. Music teacher and pianist Jean Barefield will supply the accompaniment.

Seating will be limited to 300 per performance to create a more intimate experience for the audience. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased in the front office of the high school. The community has three opportunities to see the play, including a Sunday matinee to give families a more convenient time to attend.

For more information, contact the high school office at 706- 554-6691.

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

PERFORMANCE TIMES
7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19
7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21
2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 22