Bel Air Musical ‘Springs’ into Action this April

The BADC will put on the show this April.

Aubrey Klarman, Editor and Supervisor, A&E/Editorials

The Spring musical “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” is well underway!! The show opens in less than a month and the cast and crew have got lots to say. 

“You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” follows Charlie Brown and his group of friends as they battle the highs and lows of elementary school. If you want to find out if Charlie Brown ever learns to fly his kite, what Sally’s new philosophy is, if Linus will ever abandon his trusty blanket, what Lucy’s little-known facts are, when Snoopy finally gets suppertime, or how Schroder celebrates Beethoven’s birthday, I suggest you come out and see the show! 

The musical will take place on April 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th in the Bel Air High School Auditorium at 7pm. Cast Snoopy will perform the Wednesday and Friday shows while Cast Woodstock will perform the Thursday and Saturday shows. You can get your tickets today at: https://search.seatyourself.biz/webstore/accounts/belairdrama/buy-tix  

Preparations for the show are well underway! The cast has been rehearsing every day after school, under the direction of director Mr. Nathan Jourdan, to learn the music, led by Mrs. Patti Bales, blocking and dances, taught by student choreographer Chloe Morris (10) and her mom Mrs. Jen Morris. Tech has also been working extremely hard to transform the BAHS stage into a comic book esc setting that truly brings the audience into the comic book life of the characters. When prompted with the question of what he thought the coolest technical aspects of the show were, Production Stage Manager Dan Morelli (11) said that “I think the coolest part of this show from a technical standpoint is the set. Most of the set is constructed from 2-foot cubes that can be moved around and positioned differently in order to make the set move around and change in a really dynamic way. Another cool element in the show is the backdrop. We have a huge backdrop that looks like a blue sky with grass underneath, and then giant foam clouds hanging above the stage. This really helps to convey the cartoon effect of Charlie Brown and provides a great base for the rest of the set.” 

Ethan Folmer (11) is playing the blanket-loving, Linus in Cast Woodstock. He disclosed that “it has been an absolute joy to be a part of the BADC’s production of ‘You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown’, the set looks absolutely amazing, and all the actors are absolutely hilarious. This is not a show you want to miss!” When asked about his favorite part of the show, Folmer added that “my favorite part … has been hanging out with my fellow actors! My favorite memory in particularly would be destroying my fellow cast member, Aubrey Klarman (11), in a thumb wrestle.” (Personally, I’d like to add that I beat Ethan twice before he beat me, but who’s counting!) 

Soon enough, Lindsay Serio (11) will be blowing audiences away as the iconic character of Lucy in Cast Snoopy. Serio described that her favorite part of the experience so far is “getting to play a character that I have always loved and also hanging out with the cast and crew during rehearsals.” As the shows are approaching, she is most looking forward to “everyone being able to see how amazing and uplifting the show is. Charlie Brown has characters everyone recognizes, and I am just so excited to bring them to life. I hope everyone enjoys the show.” 

Drew Opdyke (10) will be playing the starring role of the anxiety-ridden, Charlie Brown in Cast Woodstock and exclaimed that “I’m so excited to be playing Charlie Brown! Charlie Brown has always been a role I’ve wanted to play since I saw the show for the first time.” Opdyke then went on to explain that he’s always wanted to play the character because “I relate to him. We are both anxious and make a lot of mistakes, but no matter how anxious we are or how many mistakes we make, we are determined and continue to persist and persevere. I’m so grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to play this role and get to perform with all my friends! I’m so excited to put this show in front of an audience. I can’t wait for everyone to see the final product and what we’ve all worked for.”  

Adam Kindley (11) will be playing the classic character of Charlie Brown’s best pal, Snoopy, in Cast Snoopy. Kindley described his favorite part of the show as “being able to just have fun onstage. Snoopy is a character that just gets to enjoy himself and when I was a kid and would watch Charlie Brown, my family would always tell me I was like Snoopy. It’s very fun to bring that nostalgia into a performance like that and the joy that this cast brings to each one of their roles is a wonderful way to bring back memories and create the joy that stories of Charlie Brown bring to people.” 

Aubrey Klarman (11) is in Cast Woodstock portraying the role of Charlie Brown’s energetic little sister, Sally. She explained that “Sally is different from any role I’ve ever played before, I mean she is five after all, but her character is still something I relate to because she is the misunderstood little sister who likes to have a good time. I don’t think audiences expect a show like Charlie Brown to have such a powerful message, but I believe all people can learn from it. We’ve all felt at times that we just weren’t good enough, but in the end all people matter and are important. People should come see this show because it’s a show about togetherness and the importance of friendship.” 

Brett Conway (11) will be hitting the stage as the all-star pianist, Schroeder in Cast Snoopy. He expressed that the “best part of Charlie Brown for me has been the ability to try new things. Schroeder is a character that’s very different from any other role I’ve played before. I’ve found that I really get to experiment with this character because of this and it’s just been exciting and interesting to me. I’ve loved the new experience and I’ve had such a blast getting to do it with so many of my friends. Watching the show come to life with these people I’ve gotten so close with is just magical.” 

Tickets are selling quickly, so make sure to secure your seats to see these iconic characters on the stage before it’s too late! Check out the BADC social medias for tons of content as the show approaches: @belairdramacompany