The Edsel Ford Theatre Department just presented their spring musical, “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.” It tells the story of an average day in the life of the famous comic strip hero, Charlie Brown. The vignettes reflect moments from Valentine’s Day to baseball season, ranging emotionally from wild optimism to utter despair. The Edsel Ford production was full of highly talented actors. The show featured two casts over two weekends: April 11th and 12th, and April 19th and 20th.
As a senior, I loved being able to perform in my last musical at Edsel Ford. This show was my favorite by far. Everyone did a great job. I loved everyone in the cast and will forever cherish the memories and friends I have made being a part of this production. Being able to see everyone’s progress from our first rehearsal in January to the final production was wonderful. Personally, being up on stage singing and dancing makes me happy. I encourage everyone to be a part of a show like this because you’ll have so much fun and be able to make some wonderful friends. Thank you to everyone for being so amazing, and thank you to an amazing director for putting on such a wonderful family-friendly show.
Interview with the Mr. Kelm, the musical’s director
Cat: How do you think the show went?
Kelm: “I was incredibly proud of both of my casts. Like any production, things are not always going to go perfectly, but the most important thing is that the performers and actors had fun on stage. The show looked and sounded incredible, and all the audience attendees had a great time experiencing the show.”
Cat: Were there any surprises?
Kelm: “Yes, there was one very big surprise on closing night, but in theory, it is something I will laugh at in the future because it was something to remember for sure.”
Cat: What was your favorite part about being able to direct You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown?
Kelm: “For me, I think my favorite part was seeing the steps students were willing to take and getting to see students who wanted to take initiative and work hard at something they cared about.”
Cat: What was your favorite scene in the show? And why?
Kelm: “I love ‘Suppertime.’ It’s just a big, fun, flashy number by two great leads, but I think overall my absolute favorite number was ‘Happiness,’ where everything drops out and it’s an acapella scene, and it’s just the people on stage singing their hearts out.”
Cat: If you could describe the musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown in one word, what would it be and why?
Kelm: “Wholesome. I would say that because it’s just a flashback to maybe a simpler time when maybe the biggest woe that a student might have to worry about is whether or not they’re receiving a valentine’s day card or whether they can get a kite to stay in the air. It just goes back to a time when things were a lot less stressful and a little bit more carefree.”
Cat: For anyone interested in joining theater or tech, what would you tell them?
Kelm: “Contact Mr. Kelm at [email protected]. Come to my office, come to any of my after-school activities, come and just say hello, and we can get you involved in theater and pretty much any performing arts area.”
Interview with Senior Gioia Lerini, Who played Sally Brown
Cat: How did you like being able to perform as Sally Brown In the spring musical?
Gioia: “I loved playing Sally Brown. She was definitely such a fun, spunky part that I had the pleasure of playing.”
Cat: What was your favorite part about being performing as Sally Brown?
Gioia: “I really liked sharing the stage with such talent, as well as just playing a silly goofy 5 year old Sally Brown.”
Cat: What was your favorite part of the production?
Gioia: “My favorite part of the production was definitely the people; the students in this cast and crew have such lovely personalities.”
Cat: If you could describe the spring musical in one word what would it be and why?
Gioia: “An opportunity the show was a great opportunity to show leadership skills and for students to learn communication skills with one another.”
Cat: For anyone interested in joining theater or tech, what would you tell them?
Gioia: “It is such a fun opportunity to get out of your comfort zone!! But be prepared because this isn’t normal after school activity. Be ready to be creative as well as make friends.”
Interview with Sophomore Ryan Helka, Who Played Linus Van Pelt
Cat: How did you like being able to perform as Linus Van Pelt in the spring musical?
Ryan: “I thought it was great. It was my first lead role as a sophomore.”
Cat: What was your favorite part about performing as Linus Van Pelt?
Ryan: “I got to have the blanket and dance a bunch.”
Cat: Who was your favorite character in the musical and why?
Ryan: “Charlie Brown because he is very sad and deserves better.”
Cat: If you could describe the spring musical in one word, what would it be and why?
Ryan: “Happiness because you get to make so many amazing memories.”
Cat: For anyone interested in joining theater or tech, what would you tell them?
Ryan: “Go for it, but please be ready to get out of your comfort zone.”
Interview with Sophomore Callum Carscadden Who Played Charlie Brown
Cat: How did you like being able to perform as Charlie Brown in the spring musical
Callum: “It was a lot of fun, and it was cool to experience the character, but also difficult at the same time.”
Cat: What was your favorite part about performing as Charlie Brown?
Callum: “I really liked being in the costume.”
Cat: What was your favorite part of this production?
Callum: “Getting to spend time with the cast.”
Cat: If you could describe the spring musical in one word, what would it be and why?
Callum: “Fun. I had a lot of fun doing the musical.”
Cat: For anyone interested in joining theater or tech, what would you tell them?
Callum: “It’s not as easy as you think.”
Interview with Sophomore Steven Durant Who Played Schroder
Cat: How did you like being able to perform as Schroder in the spring musical?
Steven: “It was fun to do, but it got stressful at times.”
Cat: What was your favorite part about performing as Schroder?
Steven: “Being around my friends and making new ones.”
Cat: What was your favorite part of the production?
Steven: “Bonding with the cast.”
Cat: If you could describe the spring musical in one word, what would it be and why?
Steven: “Wholesome, because there’s no real plot to it and there’s no real antagonist, just a slice of Charlie Brown put on stage.”
Cat: For anyone interested in joining theater or tech, what would you tell them?
Steven: “Be willing to put aside a lot of time for it, and confidence is
Interview with Senior Margaret Carscadden Who Played Snoopy
Cat: How did you like being able to perform as Snoopy in the spring musical?
Margaret: “I loved it! Snoopy is one of my favorite characters ever, and I had a lot of fun getting to be him on stage.”
Cat: What was your favorite part about performing as Snoopy?
Margaret: “I really enjoyed getting to design my costume, and it was fun to be silly on stage.”
Cat: What was your favorite part of the production?
Margaret: “Definitely all the dancing.”
Cat: If you could describe the spring musical in one word, what would it be and why?
Margaret: “Fun, because it’s such a lighthearted show, and the characters are so silly and cute.”
Cat: For anyone interested in joining theater or tech, what would you tell them?
Margaret: “Definitely do it! Joining theater was one of the best choices I made in high school. I met so many amazing people and had so much fun.”
Interview with Junior Kennedy Hill Who Played Lucy
Cat: “How did you like being able to perform as Lucy in the spring musical?”
Kennedy: “It was a new experience and something that I genuinely enjoyed. It makes me want to extend this career further and become a better actor.”
Cat: “What was your favorite part about performing as Lucy?”
Kennedy: “The different and new things I’ve learned through the process of becoming this role.”
Cat: “What was your favorite part of the production?”
Kennedy: “The outcome and seeing how everything was coming along and forming into the musical it became; the dedication that people put into the show.”
Cat: “For anyone interested in joining theater or tech, what would you tell them?”
Kennedy: “Enjoy this new experience while this time lasts.”
