TADA! It’s Charlie Brown!

“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” was both the name of this season’s annual TADA show and the opening number to this charming musical. Throughout the show, which ran for two weekends last month, Charlie Brown and his friends encountered some everyday struggles, but in the end, Charlie Brown was still a good man.

Starring Mr. Buell as Charlie Brown, Ms. Markel as Sally Brown, Ms. Rahmig as Lucy, Mr. Wang as Linus, former Pres teacher Mr. Cozort as Snoopy, and other Pres parents and alumni, this show clearly featured a star studded cast.

Mr. Buell performed an animated Charlie Brown who had a crush on a red-headed girl at school, but was too nervous to talk to her. This is only one of the problems Charlie Brown encountered. Mr. Buell portrayed the character as an average kid who just wants to fit in. The audience found themselves both rooting for Charlie Brown to succeed and feeling sorry for his failures. Buell relayed a very relatable character that both children and adult audience members could associate themselves with.

Ms. Markel brought consistent energy to the stage performing the character of Sally. Her high pitched voice, bright pink dress and enthusiasm perfectly translated to the classic Sally character we all know and love.

An audience favorite was a song titled “My Blanket and Me,” performed by Mr. Wang as Linus. In this number, Linus explained how his blanket was his best friend, even dancing with it as if it were a person. It was both humorous and exciting when four walking blankets entered the stage and danced throughout the number with Linus.

Although we are used to seeing Ms. Rahmig around campus as a blond, she easily pulled off the black wig necessary for playing Lucy. Rahmig was both classic and sassy, hitting the high notes with impressive ease.

Mr. Cozort didn’t need face-painted spots or headband ears to be recognized as the lovable dog Snoopy. Cozort was exactly in character as he ran around the stage chasing rabbits and howling on his dog house in anticipation for suppertime.

The sets were very convenient with no need for any set changes. A wonderful bright colored platform stayed on the stage throughout the entire show. Both Snoopy’s house and Schroeder’s piano were pulled right out of the block and used when needed. The set was simple, but perfect for portraying the simple lives of regular kids.

All the songs were very catchy and entertaining. Charlie Brown and his peers sure encountered some interesting scenarios during their quest for a happy childhood. Through it all, both the characters and the audience learn that, “happiness is anyone and anything at all, that’s loved by you.”

Stay tuned for the next TADA! production that will run from April 20-29. Alumna Kathy Gutto will be directing “Rodgers and Hart: A Celebration,” which is a collection of songs from the forties. As always, it will feature talented teachers, alumnae, parents and friends of Pres, so don’t miss out!

Simply SnipITS

The curtains of the Valenzuela Theater opened upon two angels dressed in white shirts, black pants, halos and wings who were plotting over the lives of the humans they were about to create.

“So, women get to have the offspring.”

“The males will be really jealous.”

“So there has to be some kind of trade-off…like make it really painful…”

So began Simply SnipITS, a collection of scenes performed and directed by students. The International Thespian Society, or ITS, performs SnipITS each year with different themes.

This year had the distinction of a performance of an original scene written by Presentation seniors Jennifer Greenfield, Jacquelyn Pass and Kaitlyn Jensen. “The Greatest Play. Ever” centered around three American girls stuck with French actors who mistakenly believe that they must finish writing a play by morning, with hilarious results. “We started by brainstorming about the weirdest things that had ever happened to us,” explained Greenfield. “We figured that people always say, ‘Write about what you know.’ We know about weird and wacky stuff, and it just sort of evolved from there.”

Other scenes included Barbie and Ken, Semi-Superheroes and much more. Though the show was directed on only by students, they put together an entertaining night for viewers. “Directing a scene myself was challenging because it was just me, but I was able to get lots of input from the actors, which made the scene that much better,” said ITS officer and senior Nicki Affonso-McMorrow.

ITS will be performing many shows throughout the year; the ITS concert will be taking place at 7:30 in the Valenzuela Theater on October 1. Be sure to come and watch the talent of the Presentation actresses!