A Charlie Brown Christmas: From Orlando to the Nation

Courtesy of Orlando Family Stage

For sixty years, A Charlie Brown Christmas has been a holiday tradition. The 1965 television special, with its jazz score by Vince Guaraldi and its iconic message about finding joy and meaning in the season, has been part of living room rituals for generations. Parents who once sprawled on the carpet to watch Charlie Brown and the gang learn the true meaning of Christmas now pass that tradition along to their children, and in some cases, grandchildren.

Courtesy of Orlando Family Stage

That mix of nostalgia, simplicity, and sincerity is what has kept A Charlie Brown Christmas so beloved. In recent years, the story has found a new life beyond television– on the stage!  A theatrical adaptation has been delighting audiences around the country, transforming the animated classic into a live event where families gather, laugh, and sing along.

This year, as Orlando Family Stage celebrates its Centennial, that holiday magic comes home to Orlando in a very big way. The theater is marking 100 years of storytelling, and what better symbol of that milestone than producing a show that resonates across generations and reaches audiences both at home and across the nation.

Courtesy of Orlando Family Stage

In 2024, Orlando Family Stage partnered with Gershwin Entertainment to refresh A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live On Stage. Last year’s effort was ambitious, with two productions: one that stayed in Orlando, produced by Orlando Family Stage, and another that toured nationally to more than 30 cities, produced by Gershwin Entertainment Corp.

Matt Palm of the Orlando Sentinel noted that, “All Snoopy had to do was wriggle his butt and he had his young audience in the palm of his hand, er, paw.” He praised the production for finding the balance between frolic and warmth, ensuring that “there has to be heart — especially in this Christmas tale, where Charlie Brown, as always, is a stand-in for all of us: Hapless but hopeful, searching for meaning in a world that seems confounding at best and downright hostile at worst.”

The 2024 refresh also introduced new musical arrangements by Michael Andrew, the renowned Central Florida jazz singer and bandleader whose work has been heard on national stages and in local venues. Andrew added to Vince Guaraldi’s familiar score with a lively new arrangements of classic Christmas carols, including Andrews Sisters-style harmonies and playful orchestrations that deepened the nostalgia while making the music sparkle anew. His arrangements, along with a new “Deck The Halls” for 2025, will once again be featured in this year’s shows.

Courtesy of Orlando Family Stage

This year, Orlando Family Stage is taking a larger producing partner role. For the first time, both productions, the one in Orlando and the one on the road, will be produced fully in-house. The Orlando run will anchor the holiday season for local families, while the touring version will travel to another 30+ cities across the U.S. and Canada, bringing Central Florida artistry to stages from New York to Los Angeles to Vancouver.

That dual role is unprecedented for the company and represents a major moment for Orlando’s cultural community. In addition to presenting work for local families, Orlando Family Stage is now producing professional theatre that will be seen by hundreds of thousands of people across the country.

Courtesy of Orlando Family Stage

This year’s shows are directed by Jeff Revels, the company’s longtime Artistic Director, who brings not only a deep love of theatre for young audiences but also decades of large-scale entertainment experience.

Revels has directed many of Orlando Family Stage’s most memorable productions, from Diary of a Wimpy Kid to The Spongebob Musical. His career also extends far beyond Orlando. He has directed Florida tours, written and co-directed large-scale spectaculars in Brazil, crafted digital films for resorts in Asia, and written nationally syndicated productions for the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the National Memorial Day Parade, and more. He has even written for Dollywood and Dolly Parton herself.

For the actors, designers, and technicians who live and work in Central Florida, this opportunity is unparalleled. Producing a touring show of this scale means their artistry will be showcased in cities as diverse as Atlanta, Boston, and Denver. It is a point of pride not only for Orlando Family Stage, but for the entire Central Florida creative ecosystem.

The inclusion of Andrew’s musical arrangements ensures Orlando’s artistic signature is all over the show, no matter where it travels. As Palm noted in his review, the arrangements so effectively capture the nostalgia of watching the special on TV while still adding new energy.

Courtesy of Orlando Family Stage

For Orlando families, the good news is that you do not have to travel to experience the show. The local schedule includes weekend performances and special weekday shows during Thanksgiving week and Christmas break, making it easy for families to fit the production into their holiday schedules.

The show’s appeal cuts across generations. Grandparents who remember the 1965 broadcast will hum along to Guaraldi’s jazz score. Parents who grew up on yearly showings, VHS tapes, or streaming replays will recognize every line. Children experiencing the story for the first time will laugh at Snoopy’s antics, delight in the bright cartoonish set, and even bat at inflatable snowballs during the interactive segments.

“This is the perfect moment for intergenerational theatre,” Revels said. “You have a grandparent, a parent, and a child all leaning in at the same time, each taking something a little different from the story. Watching them share that experience together is a true joy, a connection made with each other and with the artists.”

Courtesy of Orlando Family Stage

The expansion of A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live On Stage into two Orlando Family Stage–produced companies working with Gershwin Entertainment Corp, one at home, one on tour, hits an extra special note this season. It is a high mark of the company’s Centennial. For 100 years, Orlando Family Stage has been telling stories for children and families, evolving along with the community it serves. Producing a beloved holiday classic locally while also sending it to stages across the country is a fitting way to celebrate that legacy, and at the same time continuing to build it.

Just as the tour leaves to spread cheer all corners of the nation, the show begins here in Orlando. Local audiences will be the first to see the artistry, the first to applaud their neighbors on stage, and the first to feel the joy of a tradition that now stretches across both generations and geography.

Courtesy of Orlando Family Stage

Like Charlie Brown’s little tree, the production begins with something simple: a boy, a beagle, and a search for meaning. But with care, artistry, and community, it grows into something much larger: a national celebration of hope, laughter, and togetherness, as befitting the 60th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas, the 75th anniversary of Peanuts, and the 100th anniversary of Orlando Family Stage.

A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live On Stage opens November 24 at Orlando Family Stage at 1001 East Princeton Street in Loch Haven Park. Learn more and save your seats at OrlandoFamilyStage.com or by calling (407) 896-7365.