Charlie Brown comes to Saddleback
Chris Fine who plays Charlie Brown performs in a scene with Pierce Livingston who plays Snoopy at the McKinney Theatre. (Courtesy of Saddleback arts)
Gather the family and head down to Saddleback Community College to celebrate the holidays Charlie Brown style. Saddleback’s very own preforming arts and theatre crew will be preforming “A Charlie Brown Christmas” musical to celebrate the series 50th year anniversary.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” is based on the comic strip, “Peanuts” by Charles M. Schulz. Although “Peanuts” has been a comic strip since 1950, it wasn’t until 1965 that it was televised. The first of the many seasonal “Peanuts” comics to be aired started off with the wildly famous “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
It originally aired on CBS on December 9, 1965. Since then, the Charlie Brown Christmas special has been running every year during the holiday season. The series became so popular that it has one a series of awards.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” has won an Emmy award and the “Peanuts” series winning a total of four Emmy awards. In fact, “Peanuts” was declared second in a list of the greatest comics of the 20th century, commissioned by The Comics Journal in 1999. This is Saddleback’s second year preforming “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.
There’s no wonder why the holiday classic is back two years in a row by popular demand, however, it wont be like last year. With completely new staging and a new cast, Olivia Trevino has spun “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in a totally new direction.
The show is being directed by Trevino, and will be held at Saddleback’s Studio Theatre. In addition, the musical will be preformed by some of Saddleback’s very own preforming arts students, so come by and show your support.
“Olivia Trevino’s creative vision will bring an entirely new twist on the holiday classic,” said Lex Leigh, Saddleback’s Music director for “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” is popular among Saddleback students, considering that opening night of the show is already sold out.
“I went with my whole family last year and they all seemed to love it,” said Brett Richardson, a Saddleback liberal arts student. “It’s a good way to get the whole family in the mood for the holiday season.”
Not only is “A Charlie Brown Christmas” popular worldwide, but many at Saddleback College love it too.
“I saw the play last December and absolutely loved it,” said Diana Cook, a communications student at Saddleback College. “I’m going again this year and dragging my boyfriend along with me.”
Watch Charlie Brown come to terms with the over-commercialization of Christmas and his inability to grasp what Christmas is all about. Don’t be a blockhead and miss out on the holiday classic, where we will discover the true meaning of Christmas and sing along to this spirit lifting musical, after all, “Christmas Time Is Here.”
Show times begin Friday Dec. 4 through Sunday Dec.13 at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices will be $15 general; $12 seniors; $10 students; $8 children 12 and under.
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