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It Was A Decent Film

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 "Shakespeare In Hollywood" - which opens April 5 at Brookfield Theatre - is a love song to the golden age of Hollywood and to the works of Shakespeare. Written by Ken Ludwig, author of "Lend Me A Tenor" which was nominated for 7 Tony awards, "Shakespeare In Hollywood" is a hilarious farce that blends the magic of theatre and the magic of Hollywood with the magic of the fairy realm! The comedy centers around the Warner Brothers movie "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" directed by  famous European actor, director, and producer Max Reinhardt. Having recently arrived in California after fleeing the Nazi uprising, Reinhardt directed a successful stage production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with some of Hollywood's biggest names including Mickie Rooney and Olivia de Havilland. The success led to the Warner's Brothers film of the show - the only American film made by Reinhardt. (After the end of World War II, Reinhardt’s family home
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Know Thyself

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  ( Rob Bassett as Charlie Brown and Laura Majidian as Lucy in "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" at Brookfield Theatre - on stage Feb. 9 to 24, 2024 - photo by Stephen Cihanek Along with the signature song "Happiness" that recalls the simple things that bring joy each day, "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" and the Peanuts cartoons have messages that resonate with all people. Whether it is Schroeder advising Lucy to "know thyself" or Lucy advising Charlie Brown for self-awareness or Linus extolling the values in searching for personal happiness or Sally Brown advocating for herself, the positive messages are simple and straight forward, easily understood by old and young alike. " There are no big answers; there are only small answers in the now, such as the joys of food and friendship." This article from the BBC discusses the philosophy behind the cartoon and the characters: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20181112-good-gri
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"You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" (revised)

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Wow, it’s so exciting to be the title character in this super fun musical!  Hold on, it says "revised" - it's still about Charlie Brown, right?      It’s still about ALL the "Peanuts" gang. As a matter of fact, some people would say that Lucy is the main character of the show, certainly ONE of the main characters if the not THE main character,  at least, that’s what some people would say.     The show premiered in 1967, based on the comic strip "Peanuts" by Charles M. Schulz with book, music, and lyrics by Clark Gesner. It was much loved at the time and is still performed.  There was a 1999 revival of the show featuring new dialogue by Michael Mayer, who also directed,  and additional songs and orchestration written by Andrew Lippa. In this revival, the character of Patty was replaced with Sally Brown, inspired by the same change Schulz made in the animated TV adaptation. I like it!     Andrew Lippa is one of my favorite musical theatre composers. 
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The Pursuit of "Happiness"

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  "Happiness" is coming to Brookfield Theatre: "You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown" opens Feb. 9th! Based on The Comic Strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz Book, Music & Lyrics by Clark Gesner Additional Dialogue by Michael Mayer Additional Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa February 9–24, 2024 Directed by Sharon Suchecki Musical Director Sarah Fox Choreographer Faith Fernandes Free preview for seniors Thurs., Feb 8 at 8PM   Left to right: Laura Majidian (Lucy), Eliana Russotti (Linus), Amanda Friedman (Snoopy), Rob Bassett (Charlie Brown), Jami Valzania (Schroeder), and Bella Delgado (Sally) rehearse a scene from "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" at Brookfield Theatre (photo Anna Suchecki) "Charlie Brown" is the perfect show to start Brookfield's 2024 season with for so many reasons! Our first read through was on Beethoven's birthday (iykyk) and performances will occur around Valentine's Day. The show
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