ORLANDO — Charlie Brown may be the ultimate sad sack, but he’s about the only downbeat one in the Orlando Family Stage production A Charlie Brown Christmas Live On Stage, which revives the classic TV special for local audiences. Very much a musical as well as a retelling of the 1965 animated TV program, it’s a joyous holiday fare.
With a cast of 11 talented singers, actors and dancers, A Christmas Brown Christmas truly does come alive on stage. In order to expand the 25 minute TV special, the cast has an opportunity to sing their versions of some holiday favorites such as “Jingle Bells” and “O Holy Night.” With some glorious harmonies on display, this show is a family-friendly treat sure to get kids and adults alike eager for the big day on Dec, 25.
What is A Charlies Brown Christmas?
The play closely follows the original that initially aired on Dec. 9 1965 and has become a holiday favorite ever since. We know how it begins: glum Charlie Brown admits to liking some things about Christmas, while acknowledging that he still feels depressed at this time of year. The fact that his mailbox is consistently empty and nobody sends him Christmas cards doesn’t help.
Eager for solutions, Charlie Brown visits arch-rival Lucy’s psychiatric booth and explains his problem. For once, Lucy is more than helpful: she suggests he direct’s their annual Christmas play. Charlie Brown accepts, and even though he finds an uncooperative cast and Lucy eager to hog the stage as the “Christmas Queen,” Charlie Brown starts to enjoy being the show’s creative visionary.
One of the most amusing aspects of the show is Charlie Brown’s frustration at how commercialized the Christmas season has become: Lucy wishes she could get real estate rather than toys for Christmas, Snoopy decorates his doghouse with garish lights and Charlie Brown’s younger sister Sally asks him to draft a surprisingly greedy letter to Santa.
Sixty years after the TV special first aired, some things never change, right?
As we know, Charlie Brown is tasked with finding a tree for the play, and boy does he pick the wrong one, but a happy ending awaits all.
How is the Orlando Family Stage Production?
Casting is a key to a show like this, and Orlando Family Stage has found some charming talent for this production. Blake Rushing Mitchell captures the always dour nature of Charlies Brown, and his enthusiasm once he throws himself into directing the play. Addison Ward makes for a delightfully perky Lucy, and Chelsea Talmadge has some of the funniest moments as precocious Sally.
Brandon Boruch proves to be a skilled comedic actors in the silent role of Snoopy, demonstrating how far some energetic pantomime can go.
The renditions of those familiar Christmas classics are beautifully performed by these luminous singers, and one of the show’s highlights is a snowball fight that involves the audience, courtesy of light inflatable balls that get tossed into the audience and bounced around by some very excited little ones.
If there’s anyone in your house saying “Bah humbug” about now, this is the perfect show to get them into the holiday spirit.
Where Can I See A Charlie Brown Christmas Live On Stage?
A Charlie Brown Christmas Live On Stage is being performed at Orlando Family Stage, 1001 E. Princeton St. in Loch Haven Park. Call the box office at (407) 896-7365 for tickets or more information.
The show is being performed now through Dec. 29. The production is 75 minutes long with a 15 minute intermission.
The production will have two Special Performances: an Audio Descriptive Show (AD) on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. and an American Sign Language Interpreted Show (ASL) on Saturday, Dec. 14, also at 2 p.m.
Michael Freeman is an Orlando journalist, playwright, and author of the book A Christmas Eve Story. Contact him at Freelineorlando@gmail.com.
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