Musical Review: YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN (Philippines)

I loved watching this. The cast was awesome. Click on the images to enlarge.

So people have been wondering how I knew this play was being shown here in the country. Here’s the truth: I didn’t. In fact, I did something a bit seedy and quite intrusive for me to know this little info but it was worth it. I simply needed to see this to prove something and I enjoyed it. It was actually my first time watching a play at the RCBC Plaza in Makati. I like the building and how it was a good place for a little time-wasting.

In a nutshell, I didn’t expect anything from this play at all. I barely knew the theatrical side of the Philippines and I barely had knowledge of the Snoopy-verse save for the character’s names. Heck, up until now, I even thought the whole “Peanuts” franchise was focused on Snoopy. Oh, how ignorant was I?

This review is written by someone who cannot be biased in any way due to the reasons mentioned above. For any objections, kindly write at the comment box and I’d gladly refute you…as a form of courtesy.

So what’s the play about? Well, I can’t spoil it for you. I mean, it’s a Wiki entry away anyway but to actually see it is something else. What I will tell you, however, is that the whole play, though it would seem childish and just for laughs, is actually akin to a deeper appreciation of one’s own tiny yet significant existence in this big world. Yes, the play is about significance.

I wanted to buy them but I didn't have the load capacity (small bag).

The play will tell you that life has lots of downs and barely any ups and how it can and will always seem too hard to live in. It will also tell you that you’re not alone in this world and that many people experience the same kind of face-frowning questions everyday and that these people, though they may seem different, are actually just the same as you are. And these people are called friends.

The play gives the valiant importance of friendship in all sorts of ways. It also explored the different kinds of problems a socially-awkward kid can encounter while growing up in a seemingly hard-to-please world. I also found it good that the story told of the different kinds of views children have that were much simpler and straightforward that we all seem to have lost as we grew up. It showed how much better the world could’ve been had children been given the chance to run it.

The flyer, the ticket I bought, and the free tickets to this food fair called "BEST FOOD FORWARD". Beneath them is the free (YES, FREE) planner I got from a sponsor (lol i forgot, the planner is by Slate, though). My seat was at L/12, Orchestra Center. Yeah, I bought the most expensive seat but who cares?!

Lastly, the play told its audience that one does not need to please everyone or be great at certain things to be actually significant. One only needs to love one’s self and appreciate one’s own personal greatness. A person also needs only to be loved by as much as only one other person and that will be enough. I particularly liked the part where Lucy (played by the really beautiful actress, which I really have a major crush on, Carla Guevara -Laforteza) sought an answer if she was somehow significant to this world and how she was crying about it. And her brother Linus, (where as siblings go, always annoyed her specially because he was a little too smart for his age) gave her a reason she least expects to hear:

LUCY:
NO decent person could be expected to keep her word with a rating over ninety.
Now, I add these two columns and that gives me my answer. There, it’s all done. Now, let’s see what we’ve got. It’s true. I’m a crabby person. I’m very crabby person and everybody knows it. I’ve been spreading crabbiness wherever I go. I’m a super crab. It’s a wonder anyone will still talk to me. It’s a wonder I have any friends at all… or even associates. I’ve done nothing but make life miserable for everyone. I’ve done nothing but breed unhappiness and resentment. Where did I go wrong? How could I be so selfish? How could…

LINUS
What’s wrong, Lucy?

LUCY:
Don’t talk to me, Linus. I don’t deserve to be spoken to. I don’t deserve to breathe the air I breathe. I’m no good, Linus. I’m no good.

LINUS:
That’s not true.

LUCY:
Yes it is. I’m no good, and there’s no reason at all why I should go on living on the face of this earth.

LINUS:
Yes there is.

LUCY:
Name one. Just tell me one single reason why I should still deserve to go on living on this planet.

LINUS:
Well, for one thing, you have a little brother who loves you. (Lucy is silent for a minute and then burst into tears)
Every now and then I say the right thing.

Now ain’t that just sweet. No doubt, that’s the best dialogue I heard from the play.

Credit goes to the owner

I have to particularly say the musical was written exceptionally well. The dialogues were witty and funny, enough to tickle your funny bones even if you don’t always smile. Every scene was just amusing. Not a dull moment. I’m not a fan of musicals but I really enjoyed the performance. I mean, it’s live and these guys are actual people who can make mistakes (although I did spot a few verbal errors but they’re just minor ones).

I specially love it when Lucy comes out on stage and belts her lines! I really have to say that it’s Lucy that demands the best kind of actress and Carla was the right choice, no doubt. I mean, Lucy was always so loud and tough and only a few women can keep that up for two hours without having roots growing on their throats. Exceptional. Clearly exceptional.

And because she’s my favorite character, she wins my favorite comedy scene:

LUCY:
Linus, do you know what I intend. I intend to be a queen. (Musical fanfare.) When I grow up I’m going to be the biggest queen there ever was. And I’ll live in a big palace with a big front lawn and have lots of beautiful dresses to wear. And, when I go out in my coach all the people…

LINUS: (interrupting her)
Lucy!

LUCY:
All the people will wave, and I will SHOUT at them. And…

LINUS:
Lucy, I believe queen is an inherited title. Yes, I am quite sure a person can only be queen by being born into a royal family of the correct lineage so that she can assume the throne after the death of the reining monarch. I can’t think of any possible way that you could ever become a queen. I’m sorry Lucy, but it’s true.

LUCY:
And in the summer time, I will go to my summer palace and I will wear my crown in swimming and everything. And all the people will cheer and I will SHOUT at them. (She pauses) WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN’T BE A QUEEN!!!!!!

LINUS:
It’s true.

LUCY:
There must be a loop hole… this kind of thing always has a loop hole. Nobody should be kept from being a queen if she wants to be one. It’s undemocratic.

LINUS:
Good grief!

LUCY:
It’s usually just a matter of knowing the right people. I bet a few pieces of well placed correspondence and I get to be queen in no time.

LINUS:
I think I’ll watch television.

LUCY:
I know what I’ll do. If I can’t be a queen, then I’ll be very rich. I’ll work and work until I’m very rich and then I will buy myself a queendom.

LINUS:
GOOD GRIEF!

LUCY:
Yes, I will buy myself a queendom and I’ll kick out the old queen and take over the whole operation myself. I will be head queen. NOW switch channels.

LINUS:
Are you kidding? I’m not one of your royal subjects. What makes you think you can just take over?

LUCY:
These five fingers. Individually they are nothing but when I curl them together into a single unit they become a fighting force terrible to behold. (balls them into a fist)

LINUS:
Yes, your majesty.

Gotta love Lucy

I’ll never forget this one, that’s for sure.

My rating?

10/10

I mean, the cast was just great and they carried the play very, very well from start to finish. It’s particularly hard to play a kid when you’re waaaay past that age. I want to watch this again. I’ll be looking for Carla in her future plays from now on too.

*(the complete script from this site)

**check this out for stage photos