Joy, optimism make Redhouse’s ‘Charlie Brown’ an unassuming holiday treat (review)

A show doesn’t have to be holiday-themed to embody the holiday spirit. It also doesn’t have to wrap itself in Christmas red, Hanukkah blue, or Kwanzaa red/black/green to promote peace, hope, and unity. Experience the sunshiny world of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” the musical onstage at the Redhouse, and you’ll see the title character’s iconic shirt design — a black zigzag against yellow — in a new light. It’s visual Morse code for optimism in the form of a shy, bald, kind-hearted kid who never gives up.

If you’re open to a different outlook on joy — if you’re able to get past the commercial insistence that snow, flickering candles, shining lights, and decorated greenery define the holiday spirit — you will find that the two-hour runtime of “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” will coax forth more smiles per minute than any other theatrical performance this season. It’s sweetly endearing, marvelously cast, warming as a cup of hot cocoa, and — with its G-rated story — a near-perfect family show for all ages.