As the end of rehearsals for the musical looms, those involved are working hard to provide the Barstow community with a memorable performance. The performers, teachers, and crew members have had to complete a significant amount of work in an extremely short amount of time.
Others in the Barstow community may see the tremendous effort their peers have put in by attending the musical from October 21 to the 23. “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” is sure to provide entertainment for all ages.
Dr. Markley, Music Director, states, “The musical is going amazingly, the kids are doing well. They seem to be starting to bring their characters to life, and it’s fun seeing them progress. They sound great, and their dancing numbers are sharp.”
In the midst of COVID-19, being able to put on a musical at school should not be taken for granted. COVID-19 has certainly imposed many challenges for those in the theater community. “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” offers hope that things will return to normal.
In the meantime, those involved in the musical at Barstow have learned to overcome challenges. “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” acts as a chance to allow everyone involved to show off all of their hard work.
The play takes portions from the classic cartoon and combines them to demonstrate the highlights of the story as a whole. The musical contains actors portraying the original characters everyone knows and loves while also incorporating new elements. “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” should provide people of all ages with an opportunity to see their favorite characters from the original cartoons come to life. The actors portraying the characters bring their whimsical nature to the stage. No matter who their favorite character is, the audience will experience the character in a unique way.
This year’s musical has a great cast and crew:
Cast
Gus Ketchell ’23 – Charlie Brown
Selena Spurrier ’22 – Lucy Van Pelt
Dylan Markley ’24 – Schroeder
Chetan Thomas ’24 – Linus
Mimi Wood ’26. – Sally Brown
Chad Luetje ’22 – Snoopy
Ensamble
Lauren Rothhaas ’25 – Freida
Gillian Knaebel ’22 – Violet
Isabel Wilson ’22 – Peppermint Patty
Alyssa Ledezma-Long ’26 – Marcie
Sanjeev Adma ’26 – Pig-Pen
Carlos Salazar ’26 – Shermy
Katalin Somogie ’25 – Patty
Olivia Taffe ’26 – Eudora
Mila Weng ’22 – Lydia
Simran Mohan ’26 – 3
Surriya Quddus ’26 – 4
Dawood Qadeer ’24 – 5
Crew
Elizabeth Boyce ’23
Ahna Chang ’23
Elliott Clement ’26
Jack Cuezze ’24
Yuitan “Britney” He ’22
Ethan Ledezma-Long ’24
Claire Redick ’22
Chase Rothhaas ’24
Zora Stack ’22
Maya Theobald ’24
Rosemary Warren ’22
Even though COVID-19 had a tremendous impact on theater, the community persisted and worked to put on a show for Barstow. After a great amount of effort, the musical will take place with COVID-19 restrictions. One of these restrictions includes the use of see-through masks so that the audience can still understand what they are saying.
Dr. Markley believes, “Having them express their emotions using only the top half of the face is a blessing in disguise, as it makes students bring characters to life on a more meaningful level.” Since no one can control what happens, those involved in the musical are making the most out of what they have.
With a short amount of time to prepare, much progress has been made in creating the musical quickly. Actors have worked tirelessly practicing, the crew creates sets and makes sure the musical runs smoothly, and teachers direct students involved and make the musical a reality. “The actors are good, the music is very good as well, and I’m excited to see it on opening night.” “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” could not be performed without the hard work of every person involved. The musical could not happen without the passion and determination of the entire theater community.
The Barstow community should expect lots of fun from the musical. The performances of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” will wrap up all of the hard work the theater community has put into creating the musical. Those involved in the musical deserve to have the support of the rest of Barstow, so get tickets to see “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” October 21-23. Tonight’s show has sold out, but you can still get your tickets for Saturday, October 23rd.
