Happiness Is...Performing in a KHS Musical

I was in charge of this week’s sibling assignment. It goes like this: Is there one single thing you performed or achieved while attending Kellogg High School that stands out above the rest? Pick one and write about it. Inland Empire Girl's is here, and Raymond Pert's is here.

I grew up listening to Broadway musical soundtracks. From the time I could remember, I would sit upstairs in the “hall” and put the soundtracks to many popular musicals. I can still sing all the songs from “The Music Man” and “Oklahoma” and “The Sound of Music” by heart.

As I grew older, my dream was to be a performer on Broadway. I loved to sing, and I loved to act, and I loved to perform.

My last year in high school, I came close to fulfilling that dream. (Okay, so the stage at Kellogg High School is quite a ways from Broadway, but this is my dream we’re talking about, and I’ll take whatever I can get!!)

The achievement I am most proud of from attending Kellogg High School was being a part of the production “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown” my senior year. I got to play the part of Lucy Van Pelt, and it was one of the greatest experiences I had in high school, and definitely on my top ten list of performances I have given in my life.

There had not been a musical performed at KHS since “The Music Man” in 1974. (I think that is right). But two of my friends and I had performed in plays with the drama teacher Mrs. Faraca all through high school, and so I think she knew this may be a good year to attempt this production.

As I look back on this experience, it seemed like we performed it for weeks, but, as I look at my scrapbook, it was just two weekends in February of 1981. We did seven productions at KHS, but I also remember, because of how popular it was, I think we took the show on the road and performed it at KJHS, too.

One of the parts I performed was called “Queen Lucy”, and I still get people today, after 26 years, who still remember me performing that part today.

The cast was so fun, with Jim Boyd as Charlie Brown, Eric Benson as Linus, (I remember getting to punch him in the mouth every night), John Brower as Schroeder, and Lisa Ruff as Violet. The role of Snoopy was pretty demanding, and Mrs. Faraca didn’t feel like any students were up to the part, so she got Randy Brooks to play Snoopy. Randy had done some Community Theater, and was the program manager at KWAL, the valley’s local radio station.

Musical theater is a special art form for me, that tells a story in a way no other art form can.

I am proud to have been a part of this musical tradition at Kellogg High School, and hope to perform in many more musicals in my lifetime.