I wasn’t living in Minneapolis when the Children’s Theatre Company first premiered “A Year With Frog and Toad” way back in 2002, but I do remember vividly watching on television Jay Goede and Mark Linn-Baker performing at the Tony Awards. It took me a moment to get used to the fact that the actors weren’t wearing any green make-up or masks or anything that made them look like amphibians, but also that there was something intimately compelling about Frog (played by Jay Goede) singing so earnestly about how he loves being a frog.
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As you may have heard, there was a bit of a drama recently when Goede, who starred in the original production that eventually went to Broadway, came back to star in the CTC remount only to quit two days before opening night. It’s an unfortunate turn of events, especially given the production is Peter Brosius’s last as artistic director of CTC after 27 years. By the time I saw the show last weekend, understudy John-Michael Zuerlein had stepped seamlessly into the role and there was no mention of Goede in the program.
Frog is less of a show-y part than Toad, who gets most of the funny lines and physical comedy bits. Longtime CTC actor Reed Sigmund hams Toad up marvelously in the production. Zuerlein, meanwhile, plays more of the Abbott of Abbott and Costello, or the Bert of Bert and Ernie. His job is to set up the zaniness of Toad’s antics. But beyond the comedy aspect, the production also requires a profound connection between the two characters. It’s a story about friendship after all, and ultimately about deep platonic love.
I think the two of them pull it off, and they’re helped along by the original gorgeous set design by Adrianne Lobel, with inspiration from the illustrations made for the books by her father, author Arnold Lobel. As the scenes change, you can picture in your mind’s eye the pages of those beautiful books turning. I used to read those books as a kid, so I definitely was feeling nostalgic watching the production. I also found the songs by Robert Reale with lyrics by book writer Willie Reale, quite catchy and fun.
You can see the show yourself through June 16 at the Children’s Theatre Company. This week’s shows are Thursday, May 16 and Friday, May 17 at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 18 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Sunday, May 19 at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. ($15-$87). More information here.
Sheila Regan
Sheila Regan is a Twin Cities-based arts journalist. She writes MinnPost’s twice-weekly Artscape column. She can be reached at [email protected].