is her honesty. She's one
of the first feminist char-
acters, not waiting for
people to say what she
can and cannot do.
"Lucy was not written
as a Jewish character; she
was written as a bossy
character. I think she may
have a sense of entitle-
ment that is parodied in
Jewish humor. She doesn't
understand why everyone
else doesn't see it, too."
Levine's first profes-
sional role, for an HBO
series about a fictional
presidential candidate,
brought her to Detroit
for the first time. The
series included a segment
with SOSAD (Save Our
Sons and Daughters)
members.
The actress went on to
do the soap "All My
Children," the Broadway
production of Jake's
Women with Alan Alda
and a "Seinfeld" episode,
"Contest," which opened
up guest slots on other shows and a
role in a still untitled film being direct-
ed by Seinfeld sidekick Jason Alexander.
Raised in a home where Hadassah
was another important commitment,
Levine has a special feeling for roles that
bring her back to her cultural roots.
"The film that Jason is directing is a
wonderful coming-of-age story that
takes place in the '50s," says Levine,
who plays a
Jewish woman
looking after a
nephew at
odds
with
his

Rana Levine plays
know-it-all Lucy
in a Broadway-bound
production
of "Youre A Good
Man, Charlie Brown,"
opening Dec. 16
at the Fisher Theatre.

many different kinds of theater and

SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to The Jewish News

I Lana Levine, in costume years
ago as a Halloween trick-or-
treater, carried a Jewish National
Fund Blue Box and solicited
donations for the cause strongly sup-
ported by her parents. Ilana Levine, in
costume today as Lucy Van Pelt in
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, car-
ries her heritage proudly and strives to
open doors for aspiring Jewish actress-
es.
"I want people to see and know that
I'm Jewish and that I'm getting these
roles," says Levine, who will be at the
Fisher Theatre Dec. 16-27. "I don't
want them to feel like they have to
hide their identity in some way to fill
an image or a Hollywood stereotype."
Levine, who will go to Broadway
with the musical based on Charles
Schulz's "Peanuts" comic strip, adds to

1 2/1 1

1998

the cultural diversity represented by the
touring troupe.
"What I love in particular about this
production is the multi-ethnic cast "
says the 20-something Levine. "There's
a feeling of inclusiveness about the
piece, and because we're adults playing
children, it gives a multigenerational
experience to the play as well."

You're a Good Man Charlie Brown,

featuring book, music and lyrics by
Clark Gesner, premiered in New York
in 1967. It spawned 13 national and
15 international companies and a tele-
vision production.
Updated with the help of director
Michael Mayer, the musical celebrates
50 years of the popular comic strip.
Familiar songs from the score include
the title number, "Suppertime" and

"Happiness," with musical supervision
and vocal arrangements by former Oak

Parker Andrew Lippa.
"After having been in and seen so

movies and television shows that
are cynical or violent, I find it joy-
ous being in a piece where people
are just authentically themselves,"
says Levine, who studied theater
arts at Fordham University at New
York's Lincoln Center. "Not to get
corny, but there's something nice
about going back to a piece that is
about friendship and hopefulness.
"Each of the
characters has
some aspect of
ourselves. Charlie
Brown repre-
sents what it is

to be human
in the
uest way
— no
matter
what

our

• "Peanuts," nearing its 50th
anniversary, is the world's most

widely syndicated comic strip,
reaching 350 million readers a
day in 2,600 newspapers in 75

countries.
• Creator Charles Schulz contin-
ues to draw and write every strip of the

experi-
ences,
more than 17,500 that have run.
we all
• Nickelodeon, the No. 1 U.S. net-
keep
work for children, airs the "Peanuts"
chugging
animated library seven days a week.
along.
• Paramount Home Video has
What I
sold more than 4 million
admire
"Peanuts" videos since 1994.
about Lucy,
• HarperCollins has sold more
although it can
than 1 million "Peanuts"
be painful to have
books since 1996.
a dialogue with her,

Lucy