Awesome
by I am Charlie Brown on 11/26/24DeVos Performance Hall - Grand RapidsRating: 5 out of 5Great show, great music!!!! You don't have to be a kid to enjoy this show, just a kid at heart!

Children's Music
Venue
The Novo by Microsoft
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Venue
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A Charlie Brown Christmas on Tour
Christmas comes but once a year, and so does A Charlie Brown Christmas, the Charlie Brown-iest of seasonal theatrical spectacles. Based on the Emmy- and Peabody-winning 1965 animated television special inspired by artist Charles M. Schulz's classic Peanuts comic strip, which ran from 1950 to 2000, A Charlie Brown Christmas has been an evergreen holiday event since 2013.
Set amid the wintry delights of Schulz's Minnesota childhood, A Charlie Brown Christmas finds the Peanuts gang working out the true meaning of Christmas for themselves in a world devoid of adult supervision. And if, like the musical's title character, you suffer from unfulfilled seasonal expectations, you'll find a natural palliative in composer Vince Guaraldi's jazzy score, which has sold more than four million copies since its initial release thanks to the irrepressible swing of songs like "Linus and Lucy," "Skating" and "Christmas Time Is Here."
About A Charlie Brown Christmas
Commissioned by the Coca-Cola company, A Charlie Brown Christmas was pitched, written and produced on a tiny budget for television in a flash in 1965. It became an unexpected hit and a holiday perennial on the strength of its delightful translation of the comic strip's iconic child cast to the small screen. The stage adaptation, authorized by the Schulz family and producer Lee Mendelson, retains everything delightful about the TV special, which was written by veteran TV director Bill Melendez.
As his friends skate and cavort in their winter wonderland, a depressed Charlie Brown gets out of his seasonal funk with the help of Lucy, who suggests he direct a Christmas play. Against all obstacles, a truly Charlie Brown Christmas tree — puny and bereft of glitz and glory — inspires a moving message about the true meaning of Christmas. Jazz composer Vince Guaraldi's lively songs alternate with classic Christmas carols, and productions often conclude with an audience sing-along.
Great show, great music!!!! You don't have to be a kid to enjoy this show, just a kid at heart!
This play was not with the actual characters. People “dressed” in costume with their faces showing made this awkward and definitely not what people paid for. My 5.5 year old daughter kept asking where Charlie Brown was because the actor definitely wasn’t Charlie Brown nor did he resemble him at all. Snoopy looked like his costume was bought from the Halloween store. For a tour company and the price, this play was mediocre at best. This could have been done so much better!
This show may be better suited to little ones, but as adults, it was definitely lack-luster. We appreciate the hard work by the actors, however the show as a whole was just ok. I would rate it as the bottom of all shows we have seen out. It was more like a high school play. Saw adults leaving at intermission.
I thought it was cute. They all did a good job. I will be honest and say I think Snoopy killed it! The person that played Snoopy was Awesome!!!!
Very true to the original, the only "add,"was some awesome hymns! Very well done. I was SO happy!!
Charlie Brown Christmas: Live was filled with action and fun. The energy was amazing. They incorporated awareness of speaking to the kid audience to grab their attention yet was entertaining to adults. Really enjoyed singing along with Christmas carols. A great story about the real meaning of Christmas!
Slow start. Microphone issues. Nice Christmas carols. Family enjoyed.
I had a vibe this was going to be more small-kid oriented show than I’d originally hoped, which is fine. But the producers should know that these types of shows do better when they both entertain kids and amuse adults. This was over the top and childish. But what was more troubling was how poor the production was. Sally’s mic and others continually cut out. The staging and blocking were confusing and uncreative. And how did they manage to make Snoopy and Charlie Brown unlikeable?! Even Linus wasn’t very sympathetic. One qualifier; this review is based on the first half of the show. We were so bored and annoyed sitting there we left at intermission. As we were walking toward the exit, a kind usher exclaimed, “This is only intermission!“ One of us replied, “We’re quite aware of that!” I hope the State Theater won’t book such amateurish shows like this in the future. I’d be really angry if I’d paid to have my kids go to this. The kids in the audience seemed bored too. I’ll end on a positive note; the pit orchestra, especially the pianist, were terrific! They definitely added some professionalism to the show.
Fantastic show. Loved how they kept it very close to the original TV show. Kept bith my 2 year old and 8 year old grandchildren engaged the entire show.
Nobody knew any of the characters. No Woodstock. Lack of content
This show was great from start to finish. Wonderfully talented performers, a classic story, opportunities for audience participation…all of us, from my young kids to my 70+ year old parents loved it. Entertainment for the whole family, and the show was the perfect length to keep the kids attention. It was a great experience and worth every penny we paid for the tickets!
I thoroughly enjoyed this performance! The musicality was outstanding! Loved the little extra fun they threw in here and there. What I loved the most was how they stayed true to the original show. No white washing of the religious aspects. 10/10!
We wondered how they were going to stretch the run time past the cartoon's 22 minute length. We were pleasantly surprised with all the holiday songs. The acting and singing were great. The cast was super talented. The actress that played Lucy was the star of the show. She seemed to really enjoy herself. We strongly recommend the show.
I thought it was a great fun show! Loved Snoopy! Good fun for all ages.
The charlie brown christmas play was better than I could have imagined. It was definitely well done and brought giant smiles to my face. Only down side I had was it was chilly in the lacrosse center.
Left at intermission. It was a lot of dancing and running around. Not much else. Still trying to figure out if it was a play or musical, or neither.
Identifying the characters sooner would have made it easier for most. The first half didn't stick to the story all that well.... but the 2nd half was FANTASTIC!!!
This show was one to take your kiddos too! Very family oriented and kid friendly. My little guys is still talking about this… We loved it!! Hopefully we can see it in 2024!!
A Charlie Brown Christmas was an excellent way for a grandparent to connect with their grandkids. We all enjoyed the show and the actors did an amazing job of portraying the characters in this beloved story.
The show was wonderful. The performances were amazing but Snoopy clearly stole the show. I loved it