Nashville Children's Theatre Selects Project Linus For Holiday Charity 2012

Nashville Children's Theatre this season-during the run of  You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown-has understandably selected Project Linus as its annual holiday season charity, inviting audiences to become involved in the process.

The theatre kicked off the Project Linus campaign during Grand Day on November 17, when NCT staff and cast members from You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown helped children make a number of fleece blankets to be donated. Project Linus collects homemade, washable blankets to distribute to ill children. Blankets should be made in child-friendly colors and prints. They can be quilts, afghans or fleece blankets. Additional information about blanket specifications can be found on the Project Linus website at www.projectlinus.org.

Blanket made for Project Linus can be dropped off at NCT during weekday office hours (8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.) or on Saturday or Sunday when families come to attend our 2 p.m. performances of You're A Good  Man, Charlie Brown.

Project Linus' mission is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth, and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers," as well as to provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities, for the benefit of children.

Based on the immensely popular and beloved comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown runs through December 23 and unites audiences with the most well-known gang of kids in the world. Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Sally, Schroder and irresistible Snoopy present their familiar scenarios and foibles for Middle Tennessee families.

Comprised of some of the strongest musical theatre performers in town, the cast is led by Shawn Knight as the long-suffering Charlie Brown, with sister Sally played by Martha Wilkinson, a nine-time First Night Award winner for musical theatre. Bobby Wyckoff and Rona Carter play the other brother-and-sister pair, faithful Linus and strong-willed Lucy. Frequent leading man Patrick Waller plays Beethoven-loving Schroeder, who must endure the constant unwanted affections of Lucy. This leaves the role of Snoopy to Jeff Boyet.

Based on the comic strip "Peanuts" by Charles M. Schulz; book, music and lyrics are by Clark Gesner. Additional dialogue is by Michael Mayer with additional music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. Original direction for this version of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown was by Michael Mayer, and the show was originally produced in New York by Arthur Whitelaw and Gene Persson. NCT's You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown is sponsored by Bass, Berry Sims, Delek US and Genesco.

For more information or tickets, visit www.nashvillechildrenstheatre.org or call (615) 254-9103.

Pictured: Bobby Wyckoff

Jeffrey Ellis is a Nashville-based writer, editor and critic, who's been covering the performing arts in Tennessee for more than 25 years. He is the recipient of the Tennessee Theatre Association's Distinguished Service Award for his coverage of theatre in the Volunteer State and was the founding editor/publisher of Stages, the Tennessee Onstage Monthly. He is a past fellow of the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center and is the founder/executive producer of The First Night Honors, held during Labor Day Weekend, which honor oustanding theater artists in Tennessee in recognition of their lifetime achievements and includes The First Night Star Awards and the Most Promising Actors. Midwinter's First Night, held the first Sunday in January after New Year's Day, honors outstanding productions and performances throughout the state. Further, Ellis directed the Nashville premiere of La Cage Aux Folles, The Last Night of Ballyhoo and An American Daughter, as well as award-winning productions of Damn Yankees, Company, Gypsy and The Rocky Horror Show, with Ellis honored by The Tennessean as best director of a musical for both Company and Rocky Horror.

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