Chicago Sun Times January 24, 2006
'Frog and Toad' leaps over usual kids' fare
By Hedy Weiss, Theatre Critic
Recommended
One of the more delicious things about watching "A Year With Frog and Toad," the charming little musical that marks the arrival of the newly established Chicago Children's Theater, might very well be the sound of giggles it elicits from its largely young audience.
Sometimes it's just a clever rhyme that triggers a big laugh. Sometimes it's self-recognition, as when the characters' appetite for cookies overwhelms them, or they are embarrassed by reminders of their own ineptitude. Sometimes it's something far more sophisticated, like the running joke about snail mail or the reference to negligent parents in a ghost story. Of course, often the laughter is just a case of copycat contagion. But the truth is, the adults in the audience can be found chuckling almost as often as the kids they have in tow. After all, what adult does not laugh nervously at the idea of being seen in public in a bathing suit?
Based on a series of beloved children's books by Arnold Lobel that were first published in the 1970s, "Frog and Toad" -- initially produced by the Minneapolis-based Children's Theatre Company in 2002, and subsequently seen on Broadway and at countless regional theaters -- comes with a zesty pastiche score by composer Robert Reale (listen for a Charleston, some vaudeville, a touch of country, a bit of jazz, a march and more). The book by his brother Willie Reale preserves the sweetness of the Lobel original but adds just the right amount of bite via the lyrics.
The more politically incorrect might describe Frog (Joseph Anthony Foronda) and Toad (Bradley Mott) as the amphibian world's answer to the "
The notion of friendship, mutual support, generosity and a tolerance for other people's inadequacies and self-doubts is crucial. Toad -- and Mott, with his wonderfully malleable face, is all awkwardness and neediness, yet lovably comical -- may be more caught up in self-image problems, more nervous about taking big risks, more prone to the blues. But even Frog -- generally confident, energetic and upbeat -- has his existential moments, heading off into the cattails to be alone and to glory in the delights of spring. And Foronda, with his wisely understated sense of calm and modest self-assurance, as well as his broadly assuring smile, neatly balances out the mood swings of his pal.
As for rooting for the underdog, you've just got to hand over all your applause to Snail (the irresistible La Shawn Banks), who comes very close to stealing the show as he determinedly makes his way from Frog's house to Toad's -- taking a full year to deliver a single letter. Of course for him this is a task of monumental proportions. And his triumphant final song, "I'm Coming Out of My Shell," is enough to inspire cheers.
There's also the matter of time. The story begins with the birth of spring and the return of the Birds (adorable Julie Ruth, sassy Ora Jones and stylish Banks, all decked out in fashionably feathered hats and ruffled suits, courtesy of costume designer Rachel Healy) who went south for the winter. Meanwhile, the amphibians emerge from hibernation and, in another enchanting little sequence, Toad learns patience as he waits for his seeds to grow into flowers. With summer come the swimsuits -- and the full-figured Toad's taunting by Turtle (Jones).
Toad is, to be sure, time-challenged; his alarm clock has been broken for months. So when it comes time to bake chocolate chip cookies it's up to the sprightly, impatient Mouse (the fast-talking Ruth) to devise a solution for testing their doneness. Tenacity is the trait championed in the fall, when it comes time to get a kite off the ground. And winter, of course, presents a whole different set of challenges, with Toad taking the biggest risk of his life as he sleds down a hill.
© 2006 Chicago Sun Times