The cast of the Wasson High School production of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown"

I always enjoy seeing what our local high schools are up to. Unfortunately, high school plays usually coincide with the busiest times in the professional theatre season, so I’m not able to make it to as many high school shows as I’d like.

But I was happy to find an opening in my schedule last weekend so I could catch up on the going-ons at Wasson High School, the arts magnet for School District 11. They were performing that perennial favorite, “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown”.

Comedy, it’s been said, is hard, but these students made it look easy, performing the humorous songs and fast-paced comedy bits with a confidence beyond their years.

My favorite performer was Alex Nedd, who stopped the show with his exuberant, Vegas-worthy turn as Snoopy in “Suppertime”.

I also liked Aimee Drury a lot. Her performance of “My New Philosophy” sparkled with energy and sass.

Cody Odden captured the innocent charm of Charlie Brown and showed good comic timing. Stephen Walker had one of the stongest voices in the cast as Linus. And Elise Yenne pulled off perhaps the most difficult feat of all, making Lucy appropriately bossy but completely lovable.

Kudos to the sound people as well. The Wasson auditorium is a cavern, one of the biggest in town, I’d bet. But the sound people managed the multiple mikes like experts. It was never hard to hear any of the voices or music, and that’s worth a lot.

Sadly, drama department director Nancy Vogel will be retiring at the end of the year after 20 years at the school. I believe she was the first to mount a full-scale production of “The Laramie Project” in the Springs last year (the Upstart Performing Ensemble did a reader’s theater version at the Smokebrush Foundation in 2007).

And, as “Charlie Brown” proved, she’s not afraid to have a little fun as well. I could tell the kids have received some great instruction over the years.

Best of luck to you, Nancy.

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