Now the original cast recording is out on CD (check Amazon). And my report is that my first review was dead-on. This clean, sweet, heartfelt performance (and excellent CD transfer, by the way) is what a true tribute should be. The singing of the original cast is more leisurely, more confident, and more emotionally expressive song by song than those of THIS revival cast.

Lest my own bias be the basis of my feelings, I tried an experiment. My wife is familiar was familiar with neither. I asked her to sit and listen to each performance of single tracks of each, randomly choosing which CD went first.

On every song, she chose the original cast. Sometimes she could explain her choice: The singing was cleaner, the mood was more expressive. Other times, she was unable to articulate it: "I don't know why; I just like it better."

Songs on the revival (this recording) that sound merely interesting suddenly make sense when heard on the original. Book Report will make you laugh out loud, will remind you of your schooldays. Schroeder is a gem, touching and funny. Little Known Facts has Lucy down to a delightful T.

The revival treats the characters only as cartoons, and much simpler than Charles Schulz made them. The revival Lucy is whiny and shrill. Period. The original Lucy is prissy, aware, selfish, mannered, arrogant -- a world of character. Sad to say, one can see why the revival failed on Broadway.

If only one recording were available, I would say get the revival because everyone should know this delightful and simple musical. But given a choice, there is no choice: Get the real thing.


Wonderful   November 26, 2004
C. A Baker (Petaluma, CA United States)
9 out of 12 found this review helpful

This is a very funny CD, I have never seen a production of this show and bought this mostly for Kristen Chenowith but then discovered that Roger Bart and BD Wong are also in the cast and it is quite delightful. Suppertime, My New Philosophy and Book Report on Peter Rabbit are real highlights. Not very keen on the owman playing Lucy, I know Lucy is supposed to be annoying bt her voice was reeeeaaaaly hard on the ears.


Fun and Classic   February 24, 2005
Kat (California)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

When I originally bought this CD, I got it just for Kristin Chenoweth. I'd heard her sing "My New Philosophy," and hoped she would have more songs of her own. I was disappointed to find out that she only had small parts in other songs, and quickly cast the album away. But recently, I heard the local community theatre will be doing the show, so I got the CD out again and gave it another try... and was delighted!

The music is fun and classic, at the same time. Many have chosen the original, off-Broadway version because it brought back memories, or the way the characters are portrayed are more similar to the comic versions, but I disagree. As a younger fan of Broadway showtunes, I've grown up listening to the more pop and fun music of shows, like Thoroughly Modern Millie and Wicked. I've never listened to the older shows, prefering the newer CDs. So for me, this is a perfect choice. The songs are upbeat and fun, and the portrayals of the characters are right on the button.

Anthony Rapp is a perfect Charlie Brown. He's lonely, simple, and yet somewhat desperate for friendship and love. His joy in finding a friend in "The Doctor is In," or finding a pencil in the classic "Happiness" is contagious. Roger Bart is a hysterical Snoopy. He's fun and full of energy, especially in "Suppertime." Kristin Chenoweth, mentioned before, is an amazing Sally. She's fun and silly, and definately has an amazing voice. The CD is worth the cost just for her "My New Philosophy"! And Stanley Mathis is amazing. His energy and georgous voice is shown in "Beethoven Day" is just too fun! The only two problems are Ilana Levine, the unbelievably screechy Lucy, and B.D. Wong, whose lisp just gets in the way. But luckily, Ilana Levine gets better after a try or two, and B.D. Wong is only annoying in "My Blanket and Me."

The revival has two new songs- "My New Philosphy" and "Beethoven Day," both are super-fun and definate highlights. But all the other songs are fun too. "The Kite" is pure fun and energy, with a secret need to get the kite in the air. The opening is a classic tune and the ultimate in fun. "Glee Club Rehearsal" is just funny, and the classic "Happiness" has been made better then ever before.

"You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" has been a classic for ages, but it's even more of a classic now.


Disappointingly modern, misses the point   March 30, 2006
Adam Milgate (North Parramatta, NSW Australia)
7 out of 18 found this review helpful

This 1999 revival of the original 1967 musical misses the point totally. The charm and innocence that is PEANUTS, even today, is lost in a mish-mash of modern references and "post-chic" New Yoprk cynicism.

Clearly, the producers decided to "update" the PEANUTS characters and so created another gang with whom there seems to be little resonance with any loyal PEANUTS fan. There seems to be vague insinuations which are unnecessary and actually play against the tone of most of the songs. For instance, a guy who is piano-obssessed and ignores girls when they thrust themselves in front of him may today be considered slightly effeminite, but from the sound of the recording, they have attempted to make Schroder outwardly [...], which is just wrong: in the days of PEANUTS, [...] really did mean happy and carefree.

The actors sound as if they're trying too hard to imbue their characters with unitended nuance: contrast Ilana Levine's try-hard Lucy, with the bombastic and vivacious performance by Reve Rose in the 1967 production.

The instrumentation has also been overdone and occasionally threatens to overtake the performances: part of the charm of the original was the often "goofy" arrangments that underscored the characters so beautifully.

This should be of interest only to those who are really interested in how to screw up a great show by inappropriate "updating".


A good man, a great show!   March 20, 1999
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I played charlie brown in a junior high production of this musical-- I wish I'd had these great arrangments to sing along to! This revival has been updated and reorchestrated to include a small ensemble orchestra as opposed to the previous recording's (now out of print) single pianist. Anthony Rapp proves his talent and versatility as he comes direct from the london company of Rent to this fantastic revival. He makes a fantastic Charlie. Fans of the original show will have a great time listening for new lyrics and musical arrangments, as well as the two new songs, "Beethoven Day" and "My New Philosophy". But happily, all the old favorites still remain, from "Snoopy" to "Happiness". A jazzed-up version of "Suppertime" brings down the house, and the title song has been redone to include a new segment for Charlie, "When do the good things start?" It fits well into the themes of the show, and brings this timeless musical into the new millenium. If you know this musical, you'll love this recording. If you don't know anything about this show, you don't know what you're missing.