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Players Guild offers entertainment
(by Margie Druss Fodor - February 29, 2008)
If “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” is an indication of the quality of the remaining 88th season at the Play-rs Guild of Leonia, then audiences are in for an entertaining, enjoyable time.
This musical comedy, based on the comic strip “Peanuts” by Charles M. Schulz, delighted many audience members recently at the theater’s Civil War Drill Hall Theatre, 130 Grand Ave., Leonia. Director Carol Fisher-Gertner, Musical Director Cheryl Woertz and the cast of half dozen engaging actors told the story of the perennially awkward Charlie Brown, and sweet Sally, bossy Lucy, thumb-sucking Linus, piano-playing Schroeder and the lovable dog Snoopy.
Staci Beth Block, of Hackensack, captured Lucy’s strong personality, while also giving her character vulnerability. Her “Doctor is In” musical number with Christopher Milone, as Charlie Brown, brought this and others in the audience back to their childhoods reading Schulz’s comic strips.
Milone painted the picture beautifully of a little boy looking for acceptance; Julia Heaney as Sally was appealing with a powerhouse voice, especially in the song “My New Philosophy.” Mark Montalbano portrayed the Beethoven-addicted Schroeder with charm and passion. Brad Forenza, endearing as Linus, helped us understand why he’s not quite ready to give up his best friend, his worn blanket. Paul Stabile nailed the characterization of Snoopy, giving him almost human qualities.
The musical numbers throughout the show (book, music and lyrics by Clark M. Gesner; with additional music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa) were strong and playful. The set had a comic strip touch, with simple, child friendly designs and colors.
The closing song, “Happiness,” seemed to encompass the show’s overall message – happiness is appreciating the simple things in life, such as finding a pencil and tying your shoe for the very first time, or as the cast sang: “Happiness is coming home again.”
“We have all in fact embodied these characters at one point or another,” Director Fisher-Gertner wrote in the program’s Director’s Note. “And of course childhood, although difficult, is an innocent time that we all look back at with a smile, where the stakes are not that high, we can hopefully heal quickly, and move on to the next adventure.”
Next up at the Players Guild is a “Coffeehouse Cabaret” scheduled for Saturday, March 1 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 2 at 3 p.m. There, audiences may see some familiar faces from the community theater circuit.
The Coffeehouse is organized by Players Guild member John Kiely, who appeared on stage in October and November in “Lend Me a Tenor” with the Bergen County Players in Oradell. Besides Kiely, of Allendale, performing in the Coffeehouse will be his son Sean Kiely, of Brooklyn; Robert Daria, of Leonia; Lisa Dahlborg, of Leonia; Madelaine Warren, of Leonia; Eva Vita, of Emerson; Vito Mazza, of Leonia; Joanne Guarnaccia, of Englewood; Betsy Kerner, of Leonia; Jan and Jeff Kurz, of Leonia; and Ray Yucis, of Paterson.
The show is designed to recreate the coffeehouses of the 1960s, with a lineup of writers, poets and musicians of various ages featured, with food and beverages available. The event is designed as a fundraiser for the theater, with admission at $25 per person. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 201-947-9606.
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