No need to frown, it's Charlie Brown!

For more than 50 years, Charlie Brown has been identified with his role as the doormat of the Peanuts gang — everyone in that crew, at some point, and in some way, has trampled on Charlie Brown. On top of that, he’s never won a baseball game, can’t get a kite to fly, has a dog that gives him major attitude, and can never seem to get the courage to approach that lil’ red-haired girl. Charlie Brown is just one big bag of depression.

Or is he?

The popular, Tony Award-winning, comedy musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown illustrates a typical day in the life of Charlie Brown. Based on recognizable vignettes from Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strips, You’re a Good Man depicts how down Charlie Brown can get; and this is, in fact, quite low. But not all is despair and dejection. You’re a Good Man is a display of optimism. It shows how happiness, albeit on a simpler, less metaphysical level, is more than attainable. The show is a reminder that little things — like “five different crayons,” “knowing a secret,” or “climbing a tree” — have the power to make us happy.

The quirkiest thing about Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang is that they are kids who talk like adults and look at the world with grown-up eyes. That Schulz decided to present his creation as a comic strip was pure genius. It was light enough for children to digest, even with the mature themes. And for the older set it served as an ode to more trouble-free times, when simple joys were abundant.

This coming February, 9 Works Theatrical stages You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, with Robbie Guevara as Charlie Brown, Carla Guevara-Laforteza as Lucy, Franco Laurel as Linus, Tonipet Gaba as Schroeder, Sweet Plantado-Tiongson as Sally, and Lorenz Martinez as Snoopy, all eager to remind audiences that happiness is what you make of it.

This stellar cast, definitely not greenhorns in the realm of theater, is led by an equally able artistic team composed of director Michael Williams, assistant director and STAR columnist Toff de Venecia, musical director for instrumentation Joseph Tolentino, musical director for vocals Sweet Plantado, choreographer Deana Aquino, scenographer Mio Infante, lighting designer Martin Esteva, sound designer Chuck Ledesma, costume designers Mio Infante and Twinkle Zamora, photographer Richard Lazaro, and graphic designer Larry Palma.

“I know that I don’t only speak for myself — in fact most, if not all, who are involved in this production will agree with me — but doing a local version of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown has always been one of my dreams,” says executive producer Santi Sta.Maria. “It’s just one of those things that I’ve always wanted to do, my little contribution to the local theater scene.”

Sta. Maria is right on the button as each member of the cast enthusiastically shares that they have all, at one point, thought about playing a role in this musical. The discussion becomes more interesting as each cast member describes a similarity he or she shares with the character being played.

Robbie, as Charlie Brown, says that it’s his “unending want to please people around me”; Carla, as Lucy, shares that she, like her character, has her moments of crabbiness (she rates herself a 6 out of 10 on the Crabbiness Scale) but is also “vulnerable when it comes to love.” Franco, who plays Linus, is a self-confessed information geek, just like his character — “I love learning stuff and doing a lot of research. I have a knack for remembering things so well.” He also loved a blanket when he was a kid. Tonipet, like his character Schroeder, confesses to be “obsessive compulsive”; Sweet says that she and Sally are “both neurotic in a funny way”; and lastly, Lorenz simply says that both he and Snoopy are “Dawgs.”

They all answered jovially, with wide smiles on their faces. Just like a bunch of kids.

For the cast and for the 9 Works Theatrical family, staging You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is more than just acting. It’s a recognition of true happiness.

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You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown will be shown from Feb. 11 to March 3 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza Makati. Friday shows at 8 p.m,, Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

A limited number of performances are now available for fundraising and block-buying. For tickets and other inquiries, call 557-5860, 586-7105 or 0917-5545560 or email info@9workstheatrical.com for inquiries.

E-mail me at enricomiguelsubido@gmail.com.