Taproot Theatre Company presents “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” a sweet, inventive adaptation of Charles M. Schulz’s 1965 animated television special. Running through December 28, this intimate production will surely delight audiences of all ages, from those who have watched the short film every holiday season to those who have yet to experience the charm of the Peanuts Gang.
Synopsis
Playing in the Isaac Studio Theatre, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is a very close rendering of the iconic 25-minute film that follows the various members of the Peanuts Gang as they prepare for a holiday performance. Charlie Brown (Rolando Cardona), the principal character of the group and one of the most iconic “lovable loser” archetypes ever created in American media, is having a mini-crisis, a conflicting feeling he admits to best friend Linus (Rhys Daly). Despite the yuletide cheer and tidings of joy during the Christmas season, he is still depressed. His friends can’t sympathize with his plight, and resident bully Lucy (Karin Terry), who charges five cents for her psychiatric advice, recommends he step into the director’s chair of their upcoming production.
Mirroring Schulz’s concern that the true meaning of Christmas was being lost to commercialism, Charlie Brown is even more discouraged by his family and friends’ reactions to the impending holiday. Lucy wants real estate. Snoopy (Tessa “Cricket” James) decks out his doghouse to win a neighborhood competition. His sister Sally (Caitlin Sarwono) has Charlie Brown transcribe her outrageously greedy wish list for Santa.
As the rehearsal is underway, it becomes quickly clear to Charlie Brown that he will have no handle on his cast, who, despite his attempts to corral and focus them onto a more cohesive production, are more interested in freestyle dancing to the jazzy melody that Schroeder (Justin Tran) and Pig Pen (Jeremy Steckler) create. Frustrated, Charlie Brown decides adding a Christmas tree will set a more proper mood. He chooses the only real tree there at the Christmas tree lot: a small, weak sapling.
Despite ridicule by his friends, Charlie Brown sees its potential and takes it home to decorate it. After Linus reminds everyone of the true reason for the season with a heartfelt monologue about the first Christmas, the gang returns to Charlie Brown’s tree. It makes it a glorious sight, a wonderful spot to sing carols and enjoy, not presents or the commercialism of a modern Christmas, but each other’s presence.
A lot with a little
What I found most admirable about this production was that, despite a tiny stage, it felt like a much bigger and deeper world in which these characters could reside. There aren’t major backdrop changes, but the production still retains the feel of its source material, thanks in large part to small but effective design choices. The actors come ice skating in thanks to their Heelys shoes. Schroeder actually plays the piano live from the side of the stage, and his character flits to and from the keys as required by the script.
The costume design is simple, matching the color chromatic outfits for which the series is known, but it still feels full and vibrant. Lucy retains her periwinkle blue dress. Charlie Brown dons in his yellow shirt with a lightning stripe struck through its center. Sally in a pink polka dot full-skirted dress. Frieda (Chloe Michele) is in green. Tessa “Cricket” James has the more challenging role of Snoopy, who has no dialogue (but who has much to say), which they manage with “yips,” facial expressions, and impeccable timing. Their lighthearted, light-on-their-feet brand of physical comedy encapsulates the Snoopy character, even if the costume is a simple set of add-on ears and an all-white shirt and pants.
There are some magical, albeit simple, moments when the production uses projections and lights to imply snow. A snow fight in the beginning had both tiny viewers with me mesmerized by the sudden appearance of “snowballs”. Snoopy’s house, which rolled onto the stage, was quickly and handily decked out with decorations, and the effect had everyone oohing and ahhing.
Christmastime is here!
I brought my 4-year-old and 6-year-old to this show, and both really enjoyed the production. The theater allows drinks with a lid inside and grabbing a hot chocolate at the concession stand before the show was the perfect choice to really get in the holiday spirit. My kids hadn’t seen “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, the animated short film, in a few years, and it was great fun to go home and follow up the theater production with the film. (It’s currently available to stream on Apple TV+ [https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/a-charlie-brown-christmas/umc.cmc.mbxalimrwrtq72wj4h601pyf].)
Many families with toddlers and even smaller babies were in attendance. They were happy to bounce on laps and take in the colorful production and the classic story filled with entertaining characters. It could not scare young viewers much, and Snoopy was a particularly effective form of comic relief.
When asked, however, about their favorite part of the entire production, both of my girls said that Charlie Brown was the highlight. They found him funny. His dreary brand of depressed but hopeful comedy stuck out to them, and they delighted in his futile plight attempts to corral his friends in the play and again to convey his vision for his pathetic little tree. His story was compelling to them, something I wasn’t expecting given the many other loud and boisterous characters, like bossy Lucy or even dusty-faced Pig Pen.
More than anything, this production was a wonderful trip for me, as the parent, to fill up with the joy and cheer that this time of year always brings. There are only so many years that my kids will want to attend these outings with me, and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” may have just become an annual tradition.
Know before you go
• The show runs through December 28, with a variety of showtimes spanning the afternoon and evening.
• Runtime is approximately 40 minutes without an intermission.
• Book your tickets soon as several of the dates have sold out.
• Taproot Theatre is located at 212 N 85th St, Seattle 98103.
• The theater suggests allowing for at least 30 minutes of extra time to park. Their website has a list of paid parking lots should street parking prove to be too difficult.
Read more
Watch Mary Poppins at the 5th Ave Theatre
