Fun and familiar characters to grace the stage in ‘The World According to Snoopy’
The world of Charles M. Schulz’s “Peanuts” comic strip will come to life during an upcoming production of “The World According to Snoopy.”
“I am a huge fan of ‘Peanuts,’ and the two musicals created about them are delightful,” said choreographer and director Renata Marino with the Westmoreland Performing Arts (WPA). “We’ve never done a Snoopy version before, but this new edition, ‘The World According to Snoopy,’ is so much fun.”
The show is a new revision of “Snoopy!!! The Musical” that was adapted at Texas State University in 2017. It features a new song, “Husband Material,” with music by Larry Grossman and lyrics by Andrew Lippa.
In the show, Snoopy and the whole Peanuts gang sing, dance and celebrate their unique outlook on the world.
WPA’s Home and Cyber School Theatre is producing the show. Marino said the performance sparkles with wit and warmth, as it depicts life as seen through the eyes of Schulz’s familiar characters.
The WPA production features 17 homeschool students ages 9-16 from the Westmoreland County area. The students have been meeting once a week since January as part of WPA’s Homeschool/Cyber School class held Fridays at WPA’s studios in downtown Greensburg.
“It’s weird because ‘Peanuts’ was such a huge part of childhood for generations, but for a lot of the students these characters were brand new,” Marino said. “Watching them discover the humor and fun like we all did as kids has been a lot of fun. Plus, the music and script are fantastic.”
“The World According to Snoopy” will be performed Friday, May 12 and Saturday, 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, 951 Old Salem Road, Greensburg.
Tickets are $15 for adults, and $10 each for those 18 and under. They can be purchased at the WPA website at www.westmorelandperformingarts.com or by calling 724-672-3322.