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Decent Quality Since 1847

Just One Song

6/18/2013

2 Comments

 
The musical, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, was a big hit and even had a reasonably successful revival (which introduced a young Kristin Chenoweth as Charlie Brown's sister, Sally, winning her a Tony Award).  Less known is the sequel, Snoopy!!!, which didn't have a successful run at all, though it's had a respectable life post-off-Broadway, in community theater and schools.  And they even made a TV movie of it.  So, ultimately, it did succeed in other ways.
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Its post-life is well-deserved because the score is very good.  However, it's not written by the same composer, Clark Gesner, who did You're a Good Man..., but rather a new team, Hal Hackady and Larry Grossman.  They've written quite a few shows, none, alas, successful, but many had good scores, too.  In fact, they did Minnie's Boys, which I've written about here and here (and which even had a semi-hit song, "Mama, A Rainbow"), and the songs are wonderful.

In many ways, the biggest challenge for Snoopy!!! may have not writing the whole thing, but rather coming up with a closing song.  That's because You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown had a song that ended the show which not only was so wonderful and took on a life of its own, but put the entire production in a full perspective, the song, "Happiness."  So, how in the world do you top that -- or even come close?

What's impressive is that Hackady and Grossman met the challenge.  In fact, the song they wrote might even have a better-known life than "Happiness" (which is remarkable).  Oddly enough, though, as terrific as the song is -- it's not known for Snoopy!!! at all.  Most people probably think it's a Muppet song, since they've done it so often that it's become identified with them.  The song is "Just One Person."  But it's not a Muppet song, it's from Snoopy!! and ends the show. 

I thought it would be proper to give the song its full due.  Here's the recording from the original cast recording.  I was going to embed the video of the Peanuts cartoon version, but not only do I like the cast album version, but I just figured that the original people deserved the full credit.  And when I say "original," I mean it -- this is the original "original cast."  Seven full years before making it to off-Broadway, the show was first staged in San Francisco, and this is the recording of that.

So, here singing on the original cast album are Don Potter as 'Snoopy,' James Gleason as 'Charlie Brown,' Carla Manning as 'Lucy,' Pamela Myers as 'Peppermint Patty' and all the rest. 

(UPDATE:  Five years after writing this, I have discovered that 43 years after the production and recording...Carla Manning is my realtor!  And a lovely person -- not an ounce of 'Lucy' in her, and has never even once tried to pull a football away from me.)
2 Comments
Carolyn
6/19/2013 09:46:34 am

I had never heard it by the "Snoopy" cast, only the Bernadette Peters version from The Muppet Show, and the version done at Jim Henson's Memorial service (which makes me choke up every time I watch it.) Thanks for the opportunity to hear the original.

Reply
Robert J Elisberg
9/17/2018 09:35:44 am

Oddly, when I left this note five years ago, it got posted under the name of "Carolyn," who I was replying to -- and I only just noticed that now. So, I'm reposting it now, but correctly. So, if you're looking at the date, no, it doesn't generally take me five years to respond. Here's what I originally wrote back then --

Thanks. I agree, it's really nice to hear the original. And just so you know, I actually have that heart-wrenching memorial service video that I am planning to post. Perhaps even today, but soon.

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    Robert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. 

    Elisberg is a two-time recipient of the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. He's written for film, TV, the stage, and two best-selling novels, is a regular columnist for the Writers Guild of America and was for
    the Huffington Post.  Among his other writing, he has a long-time column on technology (which he sometimes understands), and co-wrote a book on world travel.  As a lyricist, he is a member of ASCAP, and has contributed to numerous publications.

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