S75 - The World According to Snoopy by Hal Hackady, Andrew Lippa - 3m, 3w, 1 flexible
Snoopy and the whole Peanuts gang sing, dance and celebrate their unique outlook on the world in this brand new revision of Snoopy!!! The Musical. Based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. Original Book by Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw and Michael L. Grace. Revised Book by Kaitlin Hopkins, Adam Cates, Larry Grossman. Musical Direction and Orchestrations by Greg Bolin.
Video samples can be found at https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/65889/the-world-according-to-snoopy and on YouTube.
posted by Jim Vogel at 11:14 AM
6 Comments:
I was the one that recommended this. I looked at the videos on the website. I have concerns that the theatricality of it would be hard in the round, but I really like the energy love and thought put into the revision.
I watched as many youtube videos as I could find of this and I think the music is overall a little more complex and more interesting than YAGMCB. Both shows seem to really just have plots from various comics loosely hung together but I think this one has more fun than the original. I didn't see anything that wouldn't be doable in the arena in the videos I watched. But you will need an actual choreographer for this one.
As with YAGMCB, this has a strong Minnesota connection and would make a good choice for the family slot. I watched a number of the music number videos as well as a video of YAGMCB and found these music numbers to be more energetic and fun. They were more choreographed, and I suspect would be fresher and more enjoyable for audiences.
I agree with Julie, an actual choreographer would be needed for this or YAGMCB. I think either would be successful in the family spot. As a side by side comparison, I'd take Snoopy's song "Suppertime" from YAGMCB over Snoopy's "The Great Writer" in WATS any day but I fully admit that may be a nostalgic bias
I think it's a great choice to end the season.
I guess I'll be the outlier here. While this one has some charm, I was not impressed. Understandably, since "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown" is the version of my youth, and I have been singing those songs for decades and they really resonate. The songs in that version sound far more like what kids would sing about and the lyrics are far more action oriented. The contemporary "Husband Material" and "Poor Sweet Baby" can't compete with "Schroeder" (sung to the music of Moonlight Sonata), or "My New Philosophy," sung by Sally in the 1999 revival. I didn't find any of the songs in this version to be as clever as the originals, or even memorable or hummable, for that matter. For example, "Edgar Allen Poe" can't even begin to compete with the cleverness of "Book Report" in terms of featuring the unique personalities of each of the kids. And "The Big Bow Wow" And "The Writer" (which, God forbid, includes lyrics about a gun shot with Woodstock miming a gun in one of the videos) are pale by comparison to either "Suppertime" or "The Red Baron." So, while I would certainly support a Charlie Brown musical, I urge the committee to seriously reconsider the original, which has been on our list for a number of years.
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