Schroeder can often be seen playing his toy piano, often producing multi-octave selections of music (he sometimes jokes that the black keys are just painted onto white ones!). He adores Beethoven more than any other composer.
Snoopy allows Lucy to lounge against his piano, yet does not reciprocate Lucy’s feelings in return. Instead, Snoopy often plays with music notes that fall off his piano.
Schroeder
Schroeder is an accomplished pianist and the catcher on Charlie Brown’s baseball team. Known for his prodigious skill at toy piano playing and classical music – especially Beethoven – Schroeder even keeps a bust of Beethoven on top of his piano which Lucy frequently destroys; nevertheless he doesn’t stop playing; insisting it’s about art not money!
Schroeder not only enjoys playing piano, but he is also embroiled in an unrequited romance with Lucy van Pelt – she often leans against his piano while he plays, flirting and declaring her feelings towards him. At first he rejects Lucy’s advances saying he wants to emulate Beethoven who lived a bachelor life but eventually realizes how integral she is in his life and can’t play without her presence.
Schroeder’s musical talents aside, Schroeder is also an outstanding friend. When Violet, Frieda, and Lucy gave Charlie Brown used Valentine cards (when none had been given at school), Schroeder quickly stood up for him when Violet presented him with an egg as part of his birthday present and helped when Charlie Brown found himself in trouble with the baseball league for not having one sponsor.
Mr. Lipton has played piano on both feature films Amadeus and The Piano Teacher, in addition to appearing as himself in numerous Peanuts specials and recording many soundtracks for TV episodes of their comic strip. Most recently he recorded most of the keyboard parts for The Peanuts Movie soundtrack during one day-long recording session at 20th Century Fox’s Newman Scoring Stage while providing cues and improvisations to help assist composer Steve Martin create music for this animated feature.
Linus
Linus stands out among his small peers by being the smartest member of the Peanuts gang, even despite his small stature. While possessing an advanced vocabulary and often sleepwalking, he still loves sucking his thumb and sleepwalking at times. Furthermore, he’s often caught hoarding blankets which Schroeder keeps trying to take from him. Yet still remains wise and serves as the show’s philosopher.
Vince Guaraldi first gained recognition when the Charlie Brown special premiered in 1965, where viewers were introduced to his piano music through A Charlie Brown Christmas and its subsequent specials. His compositions had an enormous influence on generations of children as well as musicians – as his contributions helped establish an annual tradition. Guaraldi himself was an esteemed jazz pianist in Northern California who regularly performed alongside some of the best combos during his time.
Schroeder and his classmates attempt to stage a school pageant about great American musicians in one segment of A Charlie Brown Christmas, only for it to be interrupted by Lucy and Snoopy’s antics. After some thought, both teams decide to combine their pageants into one event – giving the audience access to Snoopy’s thoughts for the first time!
Ben Folds, who composed music for the recent “Peanuts” special, recently made an appearance on Variety Artisans to discuss his experience stepping into Guaraldi’s shoes and trying to capture a childlike sense of wonder through his song written for the special. In the video he discusses what inspired his musical composition for it.
In 2016, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown was performed off-Broadway at the John Golden Theatre with Joshua Colley portraying Charlie Brown, Gregory Diaz playing Schroeder, Milly Shapiro as Lucy, Aidan Gemme as Snoopy and Jeremy T Villar as Linus. Directed by Joseph Hardy and choreographed by Patricia Birch; some songs written specifically for this version by Charlie Brown himself! It ran for 32 performances and 15 previews before closing on June 27.
Lucy
Lucy is an intelligent and assertive teenager with an avid interest in music. She falls for Schroeder but he seems disinterested, preferring instead his hobby of Beethoven playing instead. Lucy wants Schroeder to give her piano lessons but he refuses citing that she’s bullying him and preferring playing alone; Lucy then attempts to convince him otherwise by threatening to throw his piano into Kite-Eating Tree instead; yet nothing changes his mind.
Schroeder is an obsessive-compulsive perfectionist when it comes to his piano, demanding it is absolutely flawless. He constantly cleans it and insists upon this being so; additionally he practices scales religiously before often slamming keys in frustration – even teaching Snoopy the dog how to play by pressing down on keys while blowing air through his mouth!
Schroeder spends his free time not practicing the piano reading books about Ludwig van Beethoven and listening to classical radio stations. He is very knowledgeable of classical music, often being asked by others about Beethoven and able to recite his biography for them. Due to this passion for Beethoven and talent at playing piano, Schroeder has won him many admirers including Charlie Brown himself!
Peppermint Patty, Lucy’s older sister and Peppereder’s rival for Lucy’s affections, often organizes concerts and benefit events with rock bands as backing musicians – one time even convincing Schroeder reluctantly to perform in order to raise money he desperately needed for Lucy. When Peppermint Patty persuaded Schroeder to perform at one such benefit concert with backing music provided by said rock band for back up music at one such benefit concert by offering him money he desperately needed from it, Schroeder ultimately relented and agreed.
Australopithecus afarensis, commonly referred to as Lucy or “female hominid,” was discovered in 1974 in Ethiopia’s Afar Triangle region and caused great excitement due to it being the oldest and most complete prehistoric hominin ever discovered. Scientists used Lucy’s fossil remains to reconstruct what she might have looked like by comparing features between other early hominins such as chimpanzees and humans as well as learning that her apelike upper body allowed her to climb trees and avoid predators more effectively.
Snoopy
Snoopy, an anthropomorphic beagle who has played an iconic role in both Peanuts cartoon strip and movies, is an iconic character who stands out among his fellow doggies as a beloved character who frequently plays piano or makes mischief by pulling pranks on others. One of his main qualities in both cases has been loyalty and devotion towards Charlie Brown as an owner.
Schroeder played a tune based on Irving Berlin’s “Hooray for the USA”, mocking America’s reaction to Soviet Russia launching Laika into space. Later that same year, Schroeder also performed a piece based on Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony which parodied all of the hype surrounding Sputnik 2’s launch earlier that same year.
Schroeder disapproves of non-classical music such as polkas and waltzes. When Lucy leans against his piano to whisper that such is what her friends like listening to, he quickly responds by slapping her down; in another scene he mocks her belief that Beethoven is great because his name appears on a bubble gum card.
Though he does not enjoy non-classical music, Schroeder has an intense appreciation of Beethoven. He has read numerous biographies on him, learning every detail about his life. Schroeder enjoys an excellent relationship with Charlie Brown who respects his passion for Beethoven; they often allow Charlie Brown to rest against their piano when not playing, though Schroeder becomes annoyed when Charlie Brown comes near it or dances upon it!
Schroeder is an endearing loser who never gives up trying his hardest. Though he rarely wins baseball games or successfully flies kites, he persists nonetheless despite their defeat and often displays self-defeating stubbornness that proves too much for others to bear. But that never stops Schroeder from having fun dancing circles around everyone else! He boasts an engaging wisecracking personality as well.