Snoopy! The Musical (TV special)

Snoopy! The Musical
Genre Animated musical adaptation
Created by Charles M. Schulz
Based on
Snoopy! The Musical
by
  • Warren Lockhart
  • Arthur Whitelaw
  • Michael Grace
Written by Charles M. Schulz
Directed by Sam Jaimes
Voices of
Composers Larry Grossman
Desiree Goyette
Hal Hackady
Country of origin United States
Original language English
No. of episodes 1
Production
Executive producer Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates
Producers Bill Melendez
Lee Mendelson
Running time 50 minutes
Production companies Lee Mendelson Film Productions
Bill Melendez Productions
Original release
Network CBS
Release January 29, 1988
Related

Snoopy! The Musical is the 31st prime-time animated TV special, based on characters from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts. It is an animated adaptation of the musical of the same name, and originally aired on the CBS network on January 29, 1988.

This is one of the two musicals in the Peanuts franchise where Snoopy has a speaking voice which only viewers can hear.

Plot

A series of vignettes are strung together regarding the Peanuts gang. Each vignette has a song that involves various members of the gang (Consisting of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Sally, Peppermint Patty, Woodstock and Snoopy)

  • "Don't Be Anything Less Than Everything You Can Be" – Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty, Sally and Linus sing about being the best that you can be, as Snoopy observes.
  • "Snoopy's Song" – Snoopy decides to obey his owner more after Lucy almost convinces Charlie to trade him in for a cat.
  • "Woodstock's Theme" – short musical interlude plays as Woodstock wakes up and flies, with Snoopy commenting on his technique.
  • "Edgar Allan Poe" – Peppermint Patty, Lucy, Sally, Linus, Charlie Brown agonize over the teacher calling on them, figuring that no matter what, the teacher will ask them something having to do with Edgar Allan Poe.
  • "I Know Now" – Sally, Peppermint Patty and Lucy sing about what they have learned as they have grown up.
  • "The Vigil" – Linus once again holds vigil in the pumpkin patch on Halloween night, in hopes that the Great Pumpkin will appear. Snoopy accompanies him, but wears dark glasses so as to prevent anyone from recognizing him.
  • "Clouds" – The Peanuts gang lay about in a grassy meadow, talking about what they see in the clouds.
  • "The Great Writer" – Snoopy attempts to compose his written masterpiece: "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night".
  • "Poor Sweet Baby" – Peppermint Patty and Charlie Brown discuss understanding what love is.
  • "The Big Bow-Wow" – Snoopy is selected as Head Beagle, and celebrates by going out on the town, and performing at a stage show.
  • "Just One Person" – The Peanuts gang sing an ensemble piece about believing in yourself

Cast

Production notes

Having adapted the musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown three years prior, Charles Schulz once again opted to adapt the other musical with the Peanuts gang. Schulz had recently utilized many comic strips for The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show. Snoopy!!! The Musical marked the first time Snoopy was voiced by Cameron Clarke: Clarke would go on to voice Snoopy in This Is America, Charlie Brown and in the World of Snoopy storybooks.

The song "Poor Sweet Baby" was based on the comic strip on April 8, 1973, and the Broadway version song "Hurry up Face" was based on the comic strip on September 17, 1972.

The idea of Lucy mistaking a potato chip for a butterfly was borrowed from 1969's It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown.

Stock footage was used for several sequences:

Cameos

  • Rerun makes a brief cameo in the song "I Know Now" after Linus upsets him and is confronted by their parents.
  • The Cat Next Door appears on screen for the first time, resembling Brutus from the 1977 film Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown.
  • The Little Red-Haired Girl, again in the "Heather" version, appears comforting Charlie Brown in the "Poor, Sweet Baby" segment.