Charles Schulz’ Peanuts gang has been part of the fabric of our society since it first appeared in newspapers in October 1950. The success of the comic strip led to a series of television specials in the 1960s, the first of which was the beloved A Charlie Brown Christmas. 

It became a tradition in my family that holiday celebrations included watching Snoopy and his friends. In fact, Peanuts was an anchor for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette comic strip page until just a few years ago. Everyone loves Snoopy, including the many dedicated students involved in bringing this show to life.

So, what better character than everyone’s favorite dog to be the star of his own musical and to do it with such showmanship?

Everybody Loves Snoopy 

Snoopy! The Musical has gone through several revisions over the years since it opened in San Francisco in 1975. Following a run at Off-Broadway’s Lamb’s Theatre, the London stage breathed new life into one of audience’s most beloved set of characters. 

The show opened on the West End in 1983, receiving critical acclaim, and was nominated for the Olivier Award (then called the Society of West End Theatre Awards) for Best Musical.

In 2017, the show was again revised and renamed The World According to Snoopy for a co-production between Texas State University and Theatre Under the Stars. This version features all new musical arrangements by Broadway composer Andrew Lippa (The Addams Family, The Wild Party) plus a new song for Sally written by Lippa and original composer Larry Grossman. 

Throughout the evolution of the show, the highlighting of these beloved characters has remained the mission of all involved.

New version, old friends 

We are excited to bring you this new version of stories about our old friends from the Peanuts gang. As a company of actors, musicians, designers, and technicians, our mantra for working on this production is simple: Love. Love for being able to create theater together, to sing, dance, act, and design for a live audience, and go present the humanity of these beloved characters. 

Our show “family,” which we affectionately refer to as the “Snoop Group,” is grateful to share this experience and welcome you back to live theater. 

After the struggles of the past months, life in a comic strip is a nice change!