Capital Region Performance Gallery

by Dick Frantzreb

It was Sierra College Theatre Arts’ first live performance since the pandemic shut down live theatre early in 2020. I had seen many of their excellent productions in Dietrich Theatre on the College’s Rocklin Campus over the years. So as I turned into the College grounds, I think I was almost as excited about this opening night as were the actors, director and everyone else connected with this show.

The first thing that caught my eye was an illuminated sign announcing that masks were required for entry into all College buildings. So I and all the other audience members were masked up as we entered the theatre to the sound of soft jazz. There was a smattering of children among us, and by showtime, the 443-seat theatre was about 1/4 full. We were greeted by Theatre Arts Professor and Director, Debra Hammond. You could see how excited she was to get live theatre underway with their first production after the pandemic, and her brief welcome ended with “We have a great show for you.”

Snoopy! The Musical is the 1975 sequel to You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, which premiered in 1967. Snoopy! features 7 characters, all familiar to fans of the comic strip: Charlie Brown, Sally Brown, Lucy Van Pelt, Linus Van Pelt, Peppermint Patty, and of course, Snoopy and Woodstock. Looking over the program, I noticed that nearly all of those performing these parts are current students at Sierra College.

(Click here to open the program in a new window.)

The show began with a lively overture consisting of highlights of many of the 20 songs to come. The overture was performed by a 10-piece band in the orchestra pit, led by Kimberly Osteen-Petreshock. Looking over the program in advance, I was surprised to note there were 3 drummers and a percussionist. That was a hint of the lively music to come, and part of that lively music was some great playing from the keyboardists.

When the curtain opened, we saw a stage with a man-sized red doghouse at the center. (It was never moved throughout the show.) Besides the doghouse (and dog dish, of course), there were few props, except colorful boxes on which the actors sat or stood ─ and carried on and off to change a scene. There were no set changes, but upstage was a scrim on which projections set the scene for various of the songs. The scrim was in turn framed by what seemed like dozens of colorful enlargements of real Peanuts cartoons ─ big enough that I could almost read the word bubbles from my seat half-way back in the theatre.

When the actors entered, it was interesting to see that Sierra College’s mask mandate applied to them, too. Each was wearing a face-covering, see-through shield ─ but not the kind with an open bottom that you see people wearing in public. Instead, the mask was closed in, probably to house the actor’s microphone. And I must say that whether speaking or singing, each person’s voice carried clearly throughout the room. Furthermore, the clear plastic of the masks allowed us to clearly see the expressions of the players. But still, the masks inevitably blocked some of expressiveness of each performer, and I’m sure we all ─ actors and audience alike ─ would have much preferred to see the masks gone.

The first song, “The World According to Snoopy,” had some ensemble singing ─ in parts, and the combined sound made me think that it was the hand of Kim Osteen-Petreshock at work.  Tonight, she not only directed the band, but must have coached the singers, since she was Sierra College’s choir director until the pandemic shut down choral activity (hopefully to resume soon). Individually, most of these actors had excellent, big voices ─ and there were many solo numbers where they could display their talent.

There was no plot to Snoopy! The Musical, except the demonstration of the familiar personalities of each character, as well as scenes that evoked one’s memories of Peanuts cartoons over the years. Instead of a plot, it was the songs that carried the show. I think it’s fair to say that none of them have been popularized.  But after hearing all of them, I can say that they are clever, musically appealing ─ and fun. So, relying on the songs to link disconnected scenes, Snoopy! The Musical felt to me like a series of 6-panel cartoons, brought to life with lively music, clever lyrics and a humorous (or inspiring or touching) hook to make a point.

Each actor was dressed like their cartoon predecessor. For example, there was Charlie Brown’s short-sleeve, yellow t-shirt with the zig-zag line. Snoopy’s costume was a head-to-toe white outfit ─ with ears and a tail, of course. And I thought Woodstock was charming, seemingly covered with yellow feathers. More than the outfits, each actor embodied the distinctive personality of their character. Carly Plageman as Lucy was edgy and irritable. Mia Andreatta as Peppermint Patty was brash. Isabella Vega as Sally was perky and guileless. Gianpiero Cavero Alacron as Charlie Brown was melancholy and unappreciated. Kameron Calloway as Snoopy was self-confident and imaginative. And Morgan Crenshaw as Snoopy’s wise and solicitous companion, Woodstock, was charmingly flighty, as she skipped on- and offstage. Then there was Fabian Tudor Caruncho as Linus. He played Linus’s thoughtfulness and insecurity well (with a slight English accent), despite being taller than the other characters. Actually, he was the focus of my favorite scene in the show where he suffered through the absence of his blanket while it was being run through the washer and dryer. During this period of agony, he came up with some great physical comedy.

Each of these characters had their moment to shine, and I can’t call out all of them, but I will say that Calloway as Snoopy hit the mark with “Mother’s Day” for which I wrote in my notes, “Great job of singing and selling the song.” Truthfully, though, I could have made that comment for nearly every solo.

I wonder if the children in the audience got all the references to the Peanuts cartoons (or TV shows). For example, I found the “Edgar Allan Poe” number especially delightful, with the offstage muted trombone(?) as the teacher’s voice. The song itself was delightful, and with the solos alternating from character to character, it felt like an operetta.

Most of the songs had some choreography, especially when two or more performers were involved. It was all supervised by experienced choreographer Amy Wolfley, whose singing, dancing (and choreography) I’ve admired over the years. Some of the best choreography tonight was in “I Know Now” (with good singing harmony, too) and in “Dime a Dozen” (which had Lucy and Snoopy doing a bit of tap dancing).

This was opening night, after all, and it seemed to me that the show grew more alive as it proceeded, especially in Act II. The execution of the staging and choreography became steadily more creative and interesting. I even began to find each of the characters endearing.

I had no knowledge of Snoopy! The Musical as I waited for the curtain to open. You, on the other hand, now know what to expect if you’re lucky enough to be reading this while the show is still running ─ November 5-21, 2021. You can get more information and a link to tickets at this link ─ and join in the celebration of the return of live theatrical performances at Sierra College, continuing a long tradition of excellent entertainment.