Happiness is Charlie Brown and Snoopy in Manila!

I've grown to love Snoopy because of J. I went all the way to Knott's Berry Farm in the US and Snoopy World in Hong Kong in the last few years. With the news of Charles M. Schulz' passing last 2000, I thought that would be the end of Peanuts. Apparently not. This time around, Snoopy, along with Charlie Brown and his friends, were brought to life in Manila through 9 Works Theatrical. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is an off-Broadway musical hit in America.

I believe this is the first time I really paid attention to the Peanut Gang characters and completely altered my image of just a lazy but cute dog that is Snoopy. 9 Works Theatrical brought together the best local theater artists for this musical. I thoroughly enjoyed the punch lines and the wide scope of topics as well as the solo highlights given to the six Peanuts characters - Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Sally, Lucy, Linus and Schroeder. 

One by one, the characters got stuck in my head: Charlie Brown (played by Robbie Guevara) with his Down Days and Kite-flying, Snoopy (played by Lorenz Martinez) with his moves and his "unflappable" attitude, Schroeder (played by Tonipet Gaba) with his Beethoven and his cute little piano. Lucy (played by Carla Guevara-Laforteza) with her crabbiness, 50-cent psychiatric booth and infatuation with Schroeder, the genius Linus (played by Franco Laurel) with his security blanket and my favorite Sally (played by Sweet Plantado-Tiongson of The Company) with her questions and philosophies. I never really knew anyone else before this except Snoopy and Charlie Brown. I refered to every other character collectively as "the kids" or "the gang". It was like seeing a live comic strip where you'll enjoy comedic bursts, so different from other musicals which have only one story.

My moments of note included Linus' my blanket and me, Lucy's desire to be queen and rich to buy herself a queendom plus her 5 fingers, Sally's getting mad at everything, speaking her mind and the coat hanger act, Charlie Brown's psychiatric session and him as singular, remarkable and unique, Schroeder's music, imagination and Beethoven Day, the gang's Peter Rabbit book report, Sally's life is brighter with a new philosophy and Snoopy's sup sup suppertime.

Finally, there's that simple and heartwarming song that goes like this: "Happiness is finding a pencil.. Pizza with sausage... Telling the time... la la la la la... For happiness is anyone and anything at all that's loved by you." "It's an outrageously funny and heartwarming musical..." for kids and adults. You'll soon collect other characters, not only Snoopy haha.

Catch You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown in Manila this February 18 (8 p.m.), 19 (3:30 p.m.), 25 (3:30 p.m. & 8 p.m.), 26 (3:30 p.m.), March 2 (8 p.m.) and 3 (3:30 p.m. & 8 p.m.) at the RCBC Plaza, Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium! For more info, go to http://www.9workstheatrical.com