Episode 120– You can also listen on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google podcasts, and Amazon Music
About the Episode
In this episode of the “I Love New Mexico” podcast, Bunny Terry introduces the Santa Fe Playhouse, emphasizing its historical significance and current production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” The guest, Rachel Biggs, who plays Snoopy, shares her theater background and her journey to the role. They discuss the Playhouse’s history, the unique aspects of the musical, and the cast’s performances. Rachel highlights the collaborative spirit of the cast and the joy of performing. The episode encourages listeners to support local theater and experience the magic of live performances at the Santa Fe Playhouse.
Links:
Santa Fe Playhouse – https://santafeplayhouse.org/
Buy tickets – https://santafeplayhouse.org/events/youre-a-good-man-charlie-brown/
I Love New Mexico blog page
Bunny’s website
I Love New Mexico Instagram
I Love New Mexico Facebook
Original Music by: Kene Terry
About Rachel Biggs
RACHEL BIGGS (Snoopy) received her BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has performed around the country playing roles such as Maureen in “RENT” (Wallace Theater), Wendla in “Spring Awakening” (RoundTable Theatre Troupe), Jeanie in “HAIR” (UAB), Petra in “A Little Night Music” (UAB), Peter Pan in “Peter Pan” (Lubbock Moonlight Musicals), Blanche in “Bonnie and Clyde” (LCT) and many more. She has also understudied many major roles as well. Such as Jessica in the World Premiere of “America in One Room” (she went on 5 and a half times!), Annie in “The Play That Goes Wrong”, Lucy in “Jekyll and Hyde”, and more! Rachel has also been the stage manager in a few productions such as “Legally Blonde” (Wallace Theater), “Pueblo Revolt Workshop” (Santa Fe Playhouse), and more. She thanks all the friends and family who have supported her throughout the years of theatre!
Episode Transcript
Automatically Transcribed With Podsqueeze
Bunny 00:00:06 Welcome everyone to the I Love New Mexico podcast. You know, it’s always our goal here to, locate, you know, venues and, attractions that you might not have thought of if you’re thinking of coming to New Mexico anytime in the future. I know that the, venue we’re going to talk about today is something that I, as a native New Mexican, had never, ever been to until I moved to Santa Fe. And I think it’s worthwhile. I don’t think that the Playhouse comes up on people’s radars when they’re visiting, and yet it is not to be missed. I have a special guest today who is part of the cast that is doing your good man, Charlie Brown, for the next couple of weeks at the Playhouse. But I want you to know first, just a little bit of history about the Santa Fe Playhouse, because I think you’re going to be surprised to find that it’s a nonprofit, professional theater. But it’s, it was founded in 1919 by Mary Hunter Austin, who is an American novelist and essayist and poet there.
Bunny 00:01:25 if you’re not a follower of Mary Austin, then, you’re going to want to spend some time getting to know her work. It was incorporated in 1922, and it is known as the oldest continuously running theater west of the Mississippi. And in 1962, the theater found a permanent home on 142 East de Vargas Street. It is in an iconic location. It is an iconic building, and I you’re definitely going to want to go, to the Santa Fe Playhouse website, and there is a link in our show notes. but it it this I mean, in the beginning, the Santa Fe players were they held their first performance in 1919 and they performed in all sorts of venues around Santa Fe. They were in tents at the rodeo grounds, and they were in shelters on the plaza. a lot of early melodramas, which is still an annual tradition, were presented in an outdoor market that’s now a hotel parking lot on Old Santa Fe Trail. And so this this group, this non-profit, non-profit, professional theater group has a long history of entertaining and presenting in Santa Fe that I know you might not have ever considered in the past.
Bunny 00:02:52 So today we have Rachel Biggs, who plays a very important part in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Rachel, introduce yourself. Tell our folks who you are and what you’re doing.
Rachel 00:03:03 Hi. My name is Rachel Biggs and I am part of your good man, Charlie Brown. And the role I play is Snoopy, which couldn’t be a greater joy.
Bunny 00:03:17 Well, for one thing, the costuming is great, but Snoopy also is to me, I think even more than Charlie Brown, the most iconic figure in those stories.
Rachel 00:03:29 Yeah, it’s been kind of crazy because I always thought that, you know, Charlie Brown is, you know, the most popular one. But we’ve had kids coming to the show with their Snoopy hats on, and they’re like Snoopy shirts. And I’m always like, oh my goodness. Well, okay.
Bunny 00:03:46 That is so cool. Talk about the production. Is it? I’m sure you’ve been in rehearsals for months. How how?
Rachel 00:03:55 Well, for me actually, originally with this production, I was the female swing.
Rachel 00:04:01 and we had a different Snoopy originally. and she had to drop out, due to personal reasons. And so I actually had to learn the role of Snoopy. and about a week and a half. What? So. Yeah. So so it was definitely a quick turnaround for me, but I had already had the script, you know, prepping for, those three roles, which originally I was covering Sally, Lucy and Snoopy. and so, you know, I got the news and they were like, can you be here? and I was like, yeah, I’ll get there and we’ll we’ll get it done. And so, yeah, it’s been so much fun getting to step up and, join, like fully join the cast and get integrated into them. And, and, it’s been a blast and a crazy ride.
Bunny 00:04:50 So you are I mean, right now we’re at the Tuesday before Christmas, but you are performing through the 29th. Tell folks what time your performances are. I mean, you may be sold out, but who knows, they can check, right?
Rachel 00:05:07 Yes of course yes, please check, because sometimes we also have rush tickets.
Rachel 00:05:12 Sometimes people you know can’t show up and we’re able to like, get somebody a seat last minute if even if we are sold out. so we perform every, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. and those times are on Thursday at 730. Friday at 730. Saturday we have two shows. we have a 2 p.m. show and a 730 show. And then on Sunday we have just matinees, which are 230. and also those Saturday and Sunday matinees are really special because we get to come out to the lobby after the show in costume and greet and meet the kids and meet anybody else that wants to get Snoopy or Charlie Brown’s or Lucy’s or whoever’s signature. And so it’s it’s it’s really fun. It’s great.
Bunny 00:06:03 I, I want to tell folks who because this is audio and not video for most folks. And I wish you could see Rachel. She’s so expressive.
Rachel 00:06:13 She’s she’s,
Bunny 00:06:15 It’s not just her face. She’s using her hands. She’s moving around. She’s you’re you’re obviously a theater person. Rachel.
Bunny 00:06:22 Right.
Rachel 00:06:23 Yeah. It’s definitely the actress in me for sure. That just is very expressive and and emotive.
Bunny 00:06:31 Well tell what so what is your background in theater.
Rachel 00:06:34 Yeah. So I, I grew up doing theater. I fell in love with singing and dancing at a really young age. And then was in my first production in seventh grade, you know, like most, theater people. And I fell in love with it. Got bit by the bug, as they would say. And, just kept doing it for years and years and years. And then, it came time to go to college, and I knew it’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. and so I went to, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, actually, and got my degree in musical theater, my Bachelor of performing or Bachelor of Fine Arts. it was a four year program, graduated in 2020, which was a wild time. Yeah. So I sadly didn’t get to, like, have, like, a formal graduation.
Rachel 00:07:23 It was just like a simple, like, presentation on zoom. and then after that, you know, had a little tiny break due to Covid, but I’ve done a lot of different, gigs kind of around the country. worked in a amusement park in New Hampshire called Santa’s Village as a elf. It was really fun and got to interact with kids there. I was an acting apprentice at Florida Studio Theater in Sarasota. I’ve worked in Lubbock, Texas, which is my original home. gone back and done productions there just to continue working with the people that, like, fostered, my original love for theatre. And then I’ve also done things here at the Playhouse, so and I kind of do a mix of things. I’m not only an actress, but I kind of do a little bit of stage management, a little bit of, like house management. So being up front at the box office and as well as, I’ve directed, production recently. So it’s been a.
Bunny 00:08:27 Yeah. And what was.
Rachel 00:08:29 That? It was so it actually it was a new work. It was a staged reading, in Lubbock that my friend had approached me about. And I was like, yeah, of course. and it was a staged reading called man of the People The Trials of Huey Long. So it’s about Senator Huey Long from Louisiana, and is he a bad guy as a good guy? And it was such a joy. So it was really cool to get to expand, you know, my creative vision and get to, take a seat in the directing chair for a little bit. So that’s so cool.
Bunny 00:08:58 Okay. So tell us about your a good man Charlie Brown. how I, I mean, I’m just drawing a blank when I think about it. I mean, obviously I’ve seen the cartoon on TV, but talk about how what how that goes, how it goes in terms of course, is a musical because that’s different, right?
Rachel 00:09:18 Yes, yes. It’s so it’s so interesting how they chose to write it.
Rachel 00:09:23 so the book music and lyrics are by, Clark Gesner and it was originally, I think, done in the late, late 60s. was the original, writing. But then, they added more dialogue and more music with it later down the line for a Broadway revival that had Christian Chenoweth in it. all of these, you know, big names. right. And they had, original dialogue by, Michael, Mayer and Andrew Lippa. And it’s such an interesting musical because it’s not linear. It’s not like, you know how like the movie in 2015, that was, Charlie Brown, that was kind of like about, you know, his little journey. This is more like you’re watching comic strips almost, because it’s like you have one moment that’s like Snoopy’s going, I’m a dog. Tomorrow I’ll be a dog. Oh, no. There’s just so little hope of advancement. Like, you know, these little, like, skit bits. And then there’s songs that are like little skits. So it’s just kind of almost like a little, like you’re watching a comic strip, like an hour and a half of comic strips.
Rachel 00:10:36 And so it’s kind of fun because you don’t have to, like, be like, oh, no, what is Charlie Brown going to do in this scene? It’s more like you’re just there with the characters in those like, like 2 to 5 minute bits. And so it’s really fun.
Bunny 00:10:52 Is there a football and Lucy pulling the football or. No.
Rachel 00:10:55 Sadly, no. That is the one thing that I wish they had. We have talked about it so many times. We’ve had the actor and the actress that play, Charlie Brown, Dakota Lopez and and, Lucy, Kate Ferguson, and they’ve talked about how they’re like during intermission one day we’re just going to come out and bring a football, and we’re just going to the football scene, because that’s the one thing they forget because you have like the iconic Snoopy’s Red Baron, you have all of like the charm of Sally, and you get Linus and he has a whole song with his blanket, you know, because he loves his love. Linus.
Rachel 00:11:30 Yes. And then you have Schroeder with his piano and and you get, like, all of the iconic moments except for that one, so. Well.
Bunny 00:11:39 I mean, you don’t want Charlie Brown to slip and fall, obviously, but that’s the whole point. I mean, he’s he’s, I mean, Charlie Brown is sort of who all of us were at one time as children. Well, and as adults, too gullible but lovable and, fallible. That’s a lot of bolts. But, I mean, how do you see it?
Rachel 00:12:03 I think it’s such a beautiful story because you get I think there’s so many stories about kids that are like these kids that are like, we we’re always happy. And Charlie Brown struggles like Charlie Brown struggles being a little bit sad. Being a little bit like like, oh man, I just can’t get that redheaded girl to like me. And it’s like, oh, you you empathize with him because, you know, we some kids aren’t like the happy go lucky kids.
Rachel 00:12:33 They’re kind of more of the shy, like nervous, anxious kids. And I think that that is so important for kids to see that it doesn’t make them wrong, that they’re, you know, a little bit more sad than like other kids that are always like jumping and going and playing. So I think that that’s so important.
Bunny 00:12:52 Well, and I think it’s, you know, like we’re we’re in a society now where, social media, gives us an idea of how we’re all supposed to be perfect and present well, and have, only, only positive emotions, that, that are shared with the public. So I think it’s, I mean, we’re all a little Charlie Brown ish.
Rachel 00:13:18 We are. We are 100%.
Bunny 00:13:22 Well, talk about your castmates. I want to know who we’re going to see. Oh my.
Rachel 00:13:26 Goodness.
Bunny 00:13:26 And they are.
Rachel 00:13:29 Phenomenal. They are truly like I I’ve I’ve talked with them being like y’all I don’t get emotional after shows in. But I’m going to get emotional on this show because they are just truly an amazing cast.
Rachel 00:13:41 you have, Charlie Brown, played by Dakota Lopez. He just brings so much love to Charlie Brown. I and he it’s just adorable how much like inner life he brings into Charlie Brown. How much, you want to root for him? Because sometimes, like Charlie Brown truly is the hardest character in the show to play. Not because, you know, he has the highest notes or or dances, the craziest dances, but because he has the subtle job of being, you know, being having that, you know, sadness, that anxiousness, but also being lovable to the audience. So you have to be able to do that. And Dakota does it so perfect where you just want to root for him. The whole show. And also his vocals are beautiful and he’s a wonderful human being in general as well. and then you have, Sally Brown, who is played by Ricky Carroll, who is a comedy genius, truly. Like, she is just so funny. Every night I watch her, I find something new and something to just giggle backstage about.
Rachel 00:14:50 And and she’s also just a joy of a person. she trains horses as well as being an actress. And so she’s a fascinating human in general. And she’s married, to, this man named Weston who just won an award for bartending. So they’re so fascinating and amazing. and then you have, Schroeder, who is played by, Malcolm Morgan Petty. And he is so funny, but also so athletic as Schroeder. And you wouldn’t expect that because there’s a song at the end of act one called The Book Report, and it’s all they’re all writing about Peter Rabbit while Sally and Snoopy are chasing around, rabbits. They’re writing about Peter Rabbit, and Malcolm is running around that stage, jumping from block to block to over Lucy at one point. Like there’s an amazing picture of him where he is like, it looks like he’s ten feet up in the air just over this. It’s it’s amazing. Truly. and he is also such a sweetheart and just amazing vocalist. Oh my gosh, his song Beethoven Day, he sings and you’re just like, like breathtaking.
Rachel 00:16:03 It’s so amazing. and then you have, Lucy Van Pelt, played by Kate Bergeron. And she’s such a great actress. She has been in so many different films, voice acting. I think Darker Ones is one of her more known productions. like film wise. and she is such an amazing actress. Like it. It’s amazing watching her because she has these eyes that just like Pierce, like it’s she’s one of those subtle where I’m, like, so expressive and big. She is one of those subtle actresses that just like the slight movement of her eyes, you can read everything. And she also adds these amazing voices to Lucy that are just dynamic and like, she makes Lucy unabashedly just Crappy as they would say in the show. Yes, yes. The whole issue of am I a crappy person? Because Schroeder finally confronts her and it’s like, I hate to tell you this, Lucy, you’re crappy. And she’s like, And she goes on this whole, like, survey journey that won’t point.
Rachel 00:17:08 It’s so funny. and she just brings so much life to the character. Just iconic. And then lastly, but not least, we have, Linus Van Pelt, played by Jeffrey, Barba. And he is also another just comedic genius. He he is so in the character that it’s almost like, you can’t you can’t you can’t separate the two. And it’s. Yeah, he it’s just truly the second he stepped on stage, there’s just there’s no more Jeff. It’s always it’s always Linus. And he it’s funny, he has like a little like red mark on his thumb from how much he has to like, like, bite it as Linus and everything. And it’s so he’s so dedicated and he’s so fun to watch. Truly. Every night. He’s another one that I just like, find little bits that I’m just like giggling backstage, trying not to be loud because it’s like, oh, that’s so funny. That’s so brilliant. It’s so clever. And he’s also a just phenomenal human. I think during the day he’s actually a therapist.
Rachel 00:18:12 So, it’s interesting how, you know, some of these actors have like normal day jobs and then they come at night and they do these amazing performances. So that’s kind of an overview of the cast. And they’re just truly the best humans I could I could know.
Bunny 00:18:28 And, and and obviously everybody sings, right.
Rachel 00:18:33 Yes, yes. We all sing. We all dance.
Bunny 00:18:35 So wow. That’s I mean, that’s an undertaking. I mean, to be able to act and then do the singing and dancing. I don’t want to oversimplify it, but it’s so, to me, the acting is tricky enough. Yes, but then Did you throw in the singing and dancing?
Rachel 00:18:55 It gets tricky for sure. There’s the one of the last big numbers is suppertime, which is Snoopy’s biggest number. and it’s such a fun number because Snoopy’s at the beginning of it complaining the fact that Charlie Brown hasn’t brought him his supper time yet and how life’s going to end because he’s a minute late. It’s so overdramatic, so funny.
Rachel 00:19:16 And the number is like this jazzy, like Al Jolson kind of Fred Astaire number, where it’s like, dooby doo doo, like you’re like, like scatting throughout it, which is super fun. But then there’s these, this dance break where the cast comes out with, like, dog bowls on their head, like, you know, dancing all around. And we all talk about how much, how exhausting that number is. Like, we’re just like, okay, gotta get through suppertime because it’s like it’s a marathon almost because you’re not only like expressing yourself as an actress, but you’re an actor, but you’re singing this like, you know, belting song and also dancing like these, like, like I make a joke at one point because I’m like, fake tap dancing, like, you know, it’s so it’s a whole thing where it really is. Like, I think people don’t realize how much like acting. Sometimes you have to, like, be in shape, like Malcolm.
Bunny 00:20:08 Very physical.
Rachel 00:20:09 Right? Yes.
Rachel 00:20:10 It is so physical. There’s, Malcolm is so in shape. And like, Dakota also is so in shape because they’re like, we have to stay in shape to be, you know, actors to be able to do this, to be able to run around the stage and not be out of breath and be able to sing and, yeah. So it’s it’s crazy.
Bunny 00:20:31 Well, so I just I want to be sure that people know that your good man Charlie Brown is playing through December 29th. So it will be Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday of this weekend coming up and the place where you can go and check it out and get tickets. Is it Santa Fe playhouse.org. because I’m going there, I’m going to go there right now and see if there’s a seat left in the house, because just seems like an amazing thing to do, not just with my grandsons, but also with my adult kids who are coming to visit.
Rachel 00:21:10 Yes, it really is meant for all ages, like it is something that I, I had some family members come, opening preview or second preview, and I had my, 85 year old grandma all the way to my three year old, cousin.
Rachel 00:21:27 So like, wow.
Bunny 00:21:29 Yeah, everybody loved it.
Rachel 00:21:31 They loved it. They enjoyed it. Like, I saw my three year old cousin yesterday and he was like. He was like, you did good playing Snoopy. Like he was just so he was so happy and like, they were all just joyous. Truly, it’s a it’s completely family friendly and it’s so much so exciting.
Bunny 00:21:48 Now, does your grandma live here or in Lubbock.
Rachel 00:21:51 She lives she actually lives in Fritch, Texas, which is up by Amarillo. Yeah, I know Fritch.
Bunny 00:21:56 Yes.
Rachel 00:21:57 Yeah.
Bunny 00:21:58 I’m from eastern New Mexico, so I know where Fritch is.
Rachel 00:22:00 Yeah. Gotcha.
Bunny 00:22:02 That’s so cool that she came to see you play.
Rachel 00:22:04 It is.
Bunny 00:22:05 Yeah. This part. Nice, nice. Well, Rachel, this is so cool. And you’ve inspired me to. The first time I went to the playhouse was when I first moved here in 2012. And I went to the Fiesta melodrama, which was so much fun, which and and I and I know now what’s next for you.
Bunny 00:22:27 Are you in another performance?
Speaker 3 00:22:29 So right now we’re kind of in the.
Rachel 00:22:32 Flux of like doing callbacks and stuff for the season of 2025. which has so many things. You can go check it out at the Playhouse, website because there’s so many shows coming up. They’ve expanded their season, which is so exciting. So right now I’m in the in the midst of, like, auditioning for callbacks and seeing what’s next. But so right now I’m just enjoying life, being Snoopy.
Bunny 00:22:57 Well, that’s very cool. I do want folks to know that that the 2025 season is already up on the website and, there’s a, seems like every brilliant thing is the next thing, in March. But, there are performances all year long, so don’t miss it. And, put this on your list. Whether you live in Santa Fe or New Mexico or whether you’re just going to be visiting some time, check out Santa Fe playhouse.org. And if you’re in town this week, go see Rachel. I’m going to do it.
Bunny 00:23:34 I’m going to see if I can’t score some tickets.
Rachel 00:23:36 Yes please. I would love to get to see you and I’ll come greet you for the show. Nice, nice.
Bunny 00:23:42 Thank you, Rachel, so much for coming on and for so well representing the Playhouse.
Rachel 00:23:49 Thank you so much. It’s obviously.
Bunny 00:23:51 Obvious you love.
Rachel 00:23:52 It. Yes. So much.
Bunny 00:23:57 Thanks to all of you for taking the time to listen to the I Love New Mexico podcast. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please feel free to share it with your friends on social media, or by texting or messaging or emailing them a copy of the podcast. If you have a New Mexico story that you’d like to share with us, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our email address is I Love New Mexico blog at gmail.com and we are always, always looking for interesting stories about New Mexico. Subscribe, share and write a review so that we can continue to bring you these stories about the Land of Enchantment. Thank you so much.