by
Tony Annicone
Little Rhody Entertainment Writer
Mansfield Music & Arts Society's
current show is "Snoopy", a sequel to "You're a Good
Man, Charlie Brown". It is based on the comic strip
"Peanuts" by Charles Schulz. Originally written for
adults, this version is performed by 7 children from the
ages of eight to eleven years old. They portray the five
year old characters from the comic strip perfectly with
this show centered on Snoopy, the dog and his sidekick,
Woodstock. The show is a series of
effervescent vignettes, songs and dances which follow
will pull the audience into the entertaining world of
these five year olds and their furry friend. Veteran
director, Gary Poholek takes these energetic and
talented children and turns them into a polished and
well rehearsed theatre troupe who receive a standing
ovation at the close of this exciting fun filled show.
Gary's brilliant blocking of all the
scenes make the show flow effortlessly while recent high
school graduate Ariana Kampanelas choreographs some
upbeat dance numbers including a kick line. Gary also
designed the colorful set, doghouse and boxes while his
wife, Ellen made the comic strip costumes and Brockton
English teacher, Alice Springer was assistant director.
Greg Woodard, the music director will be a sophomore at
Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin where he is a
Jazz Piano Performance major. Greg also is the
accompanist for this show and taught all the wonderful
music to this young cast. The show opens with "The World
According to Snoopy" which shows how all the characters
react to this lovable beagle. It follows them from the
doghouse to the schoolroom through the vigil for the
Great Pumpkin to the Easter Beagle to watching clouds to
Snoopy, the writer and the Head Beagle to Christmas
time. Their adventures are hilarious and their talent
shines through in their lines and in their singing and
dancing abilities, too.
11 year old Adam Landry leads the
cast as Snoopy. He is a versatile and dynamic performer
who captures your heart from his first entrance with his
comic antics. Adam's strong voice is heard in several
songs including "Snoopy's Song" with the chorus where he
tells what everyone expects of him, in "Daisy Hill"
where he reminisces about where he came from and
promises to mend his ways, in "The Great Write" where he
writes his short story and his novel on a typewriter
while Woodstock played by 8 year old Kyle Burke dressed
in all yellow, he doesn't speak a word but mimes
everything perfectly, reminding you of a modern day
Harpo Marx) pantomimes the various characters in
these scenes and his biggest number of the show "The Big
Bow Wow" where he accepts the title of Head Beagle while
dancing around with his supper dish and ending it with a
hitch kicks. Cameron Connaughton plays Charlie Brown. He
may be small in stature but he possesses a powerhouse
singing voice that will knock your socks off. Cameron
voice soars in the choral numbers "Edgar Allan Poe"
where the teacher seems to call on you when you don't
know the answer to a question and in "Don't be Anything
Less", a rousing number which encourages us to attain
higher goals in life but his most poignant and heart
warming number in the show is his solo, "Where Did That
Little Dog Go?" where he muses about Snoopy's new found
independence. Cameron's moving rendition will leave you
in tears as it tugs at your heartstrings with its warmth
and sincerity.
11 year old Livvy Marcus plays
Peppermint Patty who calls Charlie Brown, Chuck. She has
many funny one liners and she makes each of them count,
whether she is shouting out the answers to a true and
false test or worrying about being called on in class.
Livvy also has a powerful voice, having played the title
role of Annie in 2003. In this show, she gets to show
off her pipes in "Poor Sweet Baby" where she sings a
belting up tempo song to please how Chuck wants his
future wife to talk to him. She and her real life
sister, 8 year old Addy Marcus who plays Sally Brown and
11 year old Natalie Cokely who plays Lucy get to sing a
catchy song and dance song called "I Know Now" where
Lucy exclaims wouldn't it be wonderful to live your life
all over again if you knew what we know now. Addy is a
hoot as she delivers her funny lines and sings and
dances up a storm as Sally. Her energy is limitless.
Natalie plays the bossy, Lucy wonderfully as she stomps
around the stage declaring this is her year and then
changing her mind a few seconds later. Lucy also gets a
chance to sort through Charlie Brown's problems in her
psychiatric booth by telling him that each of us can be
whatever she wants to be and to deal with Linus during
the frenzy of wash day. 8 year old Mickey White plays
the smart as a whip Linus who knows the important facts
of Poe's life in that song. But since Linus is a five
year old, he also believes in the Great Pumpkin who
comes every year to give presents and Mickey sings about
it in a song called "The Vigil" where he waits and waits
for him to show up. He also sings some group numbers
including "Don't be Anything Less" with Livvy, Addy and
Cameron. The show closes with a beautiful and moving
company song called "Just One Person" which tells how
everyone is important to one another. The entire show
fills everyone's heart with laughter and hope which is
just what current times call for. So for an excellent
evening of family entertainment with the familiar and
lovable Peanuts characters, be sure to catch this
topnotch version of "Snoopy".
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