A Charlie Brown Christmas

A TAMS-WITMARK TITLE

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Short Musical, Dramatic Comedy  /  5w, 5m, 1any gender (adult) plus ensemble

By Charles M. Schulz
Based on the television special by Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson
Stage Adaptation by Eric Schaeffer
By Special Arrangement with Arthur Whitelaw and Ruby Persson

A 30-minute stage adaptation of the classic animated TV special featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus and the gang discovering the true meaning of Christmas.

Image: ©PNTS

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w, 5m, 1any gender (adult) plus ensemble
  • Duration
    Duration
    30 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Christmas/Holiday
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences, Young Children (Age 2-5), Children (Age 6-10)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! 1966 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program
    Winner! 1966 Peabody Award

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Details

Summary

Updated in 2022 to include more of Vince Guaraldi's celebrated music from the 1965 TV special!

The classic animated television special A Charlie Brown Christmas comes to life in this faithful stage adaptation in which Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang discover the true meaning of Christmas.

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History
A Charlie Brown Christmas was first shown as an animated television special in 1965 and has been part of the holiday tradition ever since. The stage adaptation was completed in 2013.
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Setting The colorful, playful world of Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features No Intermission
  • Duration 30 minutes
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

“The perfect holiday treat, especially for young children and adults young at heart.” – Broadway World

“A sweetly existential reminder that there’s meaning beyond endless merchandising, and even in the depths of despair, life really does go on.” – Lauren Emily Whalen, Chicago Theater Beat

“In this screen-dominated world, the short musical is an antidote for iPhone ennui — or obsession. Eric Schaeffer’s stage adaptation of the TV special inspired by Charles Schulz... could make even the the crankiest Scrooge nostalgic.” – Jan Sidebotham, The Cape Cod Chronicle

Videos

  • "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!" youtube thumbnail

    "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!"

  • Animated Special - Opening youtube thumbnail

    Animated Special - Opening

  • Charlie Brown Bonus! youtube thumbnail

    Charlie Brown Bonus!

  • Charlie Brown Christmas Promo youtube thumbnail

    Charlie Brown Christmas Promo

Photos

  • A Charlie Brown Christmas

    Image: 2018 US National Tour Production (Dan Norman)

  • A Charlie Brown Christmas

    Image: 2018 US National Tour Production (Dan Norman)

Music

  • Musical Style Jazz
  • Dance Requirements Easy
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Orchestra Size Small/Combo
  • Chorus Size No Chorus

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.
    Performance rights for this title are currently withdrawn in the UK and Ireland. To be informed as soon as it becomes available in the future, please submit a license application.

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Authors

Charles M. Schulz

Charles M. Schulz

Charles M. Schulz was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 26, 1922. His Peanuts comic strip debuted in 1950 in just seven newspapers and launched a cultural legacy. When Schulz announced his retirement in December 1999, Peanuts was syndicated in over 2,600 newspapers ...

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Bill Melendez

Bill Melendez

Jose Cuauhtémoc (Bill) Melendez was educated in Arizona and then later at the Chouinard Art Institute, known now as CalArts. Hired by Walt Disney in 1938, Bill contributed his talents to such projects as Fantasia, Dumbo, Pinnocchio and Bambi. Bill was one of the prime movers ...

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Lee Mendelson

Lee Mendelson

Lee Mendelson is a third-generation San Franciscan, born March 24, 1933. He graduated from Stanford University in 1954 and served as a navigator in the United States Air Force from 1955 to 1957. He was a writer-producer-director at KPIX-TV in San Francisco from 1961 to 1963, ...

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Eric Schaeffer

Eric Schaeffer

Eric Schaeffer co-founded Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, in 1989 and was its artistic director for three decades. The theatre received the 2009 Regional Theatre Tony Award and became home to the American Musical Voices Project (AMVP) – the largest musical commission prog ...
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