Chicago Children's Theatre

For Immediate Release
January 3, 2006

CHICAGO CHILDREN'S THEATRE'S INAUGURAL PRODUCTION A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD WILL OPEN IN THE GOODMAN'S OWEN THEATRE JANUARY 20, 2006

Previews Begin Jan. 14; Regular Performances Run Jan. 20 - March 5, 2006

CHICAGO - The new Chicago Children's Theatre's (CCT) inaugural production, Robert and Willie Reale's Tony Award-nominated adaptation of the beloved children's stories by Arnold Lobel, A Year With Frog and Toad will open in the Goodman's Owen Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., with previews beginning Jan. 14 and regular performances from Jan. 20 through March 5. The press performance will be on Friday, Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m. and a special Inaugural Production Gala will be held Saturday, Jan. 21, 2006.

A Year With Frog and Toad follows the adventures of two best friends, Frog and Toad, as they grow through four fun-filled seasons collected from Arnold Lobel's classic, award-winning series of children's books. The charming Frog and "worry-wart" Toad leap off Lobel's pages, along with Snail, Mouse and the rest of the animal gang for some kite-flying, sled-racing and cookie-munching fun! Each amphibian comes to life with hilarious and heart-warming songs inspired by jazzy '40s style music, as they explore the challenges, rewards and tenderness of friendship. A Year With Frog and Toad gloriously celebrates the idea that having a very best friend is about as good as life gets.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune describes A Year With Frog and Toad as a "spiffy, snazzy, clever little musical" that is "a welcome success in the world of musical theater." The production is full of "big, bold moments of comedy and fun" according to the Associated Press, and the New York Times applauds the musical for its ability to "[provide] children with plenty of stimulating visual clues, while encouraging them to fill in the blanks with their imaginations."

"A Year With Frog and Toad is the perfect show to introduce Chicago Children's Theatre to local audiences," said CCT Artistic Director, Jacqueline Russell. "It is funny, exuberant, sophisticated and heartfelt; everything we want our productions to be. This show is the beginning of a new era of Chicago theater, an era for kids and families. I can't wait to see it on the stage at the Goodman."

Acclaimed Chicago-based director Henry Godinez will stage A Year With Frog and Toad. The cast includes Joseph Anthony Foronda as "Frog," Bradley Mott as "Toad," and ensemble members La Shawn Banks, Julie Ruth and Ora Jones. Other members of the creative team for A Year With Frog and Toad include Jonathan Mastro, musical director, and choreographer Marla Lampert. CCT Associate Artistic Director Geoffrey M. Curley is the scenic designer and props will be designed by Scott Pondrom. Ray Nardelli and AndrÉ Pleuss will design the sound for the production.

"I am delighted that Chicago Children's Theatre asked me to direct A Year With Frog and Toad because it is such a lovely and meaningful story about friendship told in an imaginative and theatrical way," said Director Henry Godinez. "The music is wonderful, and the characters endearing, fun and silly, and yet the truth of their emotions and feelings is never compromised. It also says something about the cyclical nature of life, and I think it's important for young people to see that the future always brings new possibilities."

Originally produced in Minnesota at the Children's Theatre Company by Peter C. Brosius and Adrianne Lobel, Arnold Lobel's daughter and acclaimed scenic designer, the production moved off-Broadway in 2003, and was subsequently moved to Broadway's Cort Theater. The show had a successful Broadway run, selling out to audiences of all ages and was honored with three 2003 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score. Written by brothers Robert and Willie Reale, the musical is an adaptation of Arnold Lobel's timeless children's stories.

"Speaking on behalf of everyone at the Goodman Theatre, I am thrilled to welcome Chicago Children's Theatre to the Goodman, and am pleased that Resident Artistic Associate Henry Godinez will direct their inaugural production," said Goodman Executive Director Roche Schulfer. "We are delighted to support CCT for their inaugural production of A Year With Frog and Toad, which, along with our annual production of A Christmas Carol and programs for young audiences, will further our objective of serving Chicago-area children and families."

Brothers Robert Reale, composer, and Willie Reale, playwright and lyricist, have collaborated with each other on many projects including Once Around The City, produced by Second Stage Theatre and Quark Victory, presented by the Williamstown Theatre Festival in the summer of 1999. Robert is an award-winning composer whose music can be heard on television each week on 20/20 and Inside Edition. In addition to composing for numerous television shows, Robert's credits include stage plays and film scores. Willie founded the 52nd Street Project in New York City, an organization that brings inner-city children together with professional theater artists to create theater. He has produced hundreds of plays during his 18 years with the Project and dozens at numerous regional theaters. Willie has also written television scripts for ABC, PBS, HBO, and the NBC drama Homicide: Life on the Streets.

Director Henry Godinez, a parent himself, is thrilled to be collaborating with Chicago Children's Theatre. His work as a director in Chicago has gained him great respect from audience and theatre professionals alike. Godinez is a Resident Artistic Associate at the Goodman Theatre, where he has directed Mariela in the Desert, Electricidad, Zoot Suit, Millennium Mambo, Straight As A Line, Cloud Tectonics and six seasons of A Christmas Carol. He is the co-founder and former Artistic Director of Teatro Vista and has also directed at Missouri Rep., Portland Center Stage, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Repertory (now Chicago Shakespeare Theater) and Next Theatre. In February 2001 he directed Urban Zulu Mambo at The Signature Theatre off-Broadway in New York City. As an actor Godinez has appeared in numerous stage productions in Chicago and around the country, as well as the films The Fugitive, Above the Law and The Package. He is currently a professor of acting and Shakespeare at DePaul University. Godinez is the 1999 recipient of the TCG Alan Schneider Directing Award and has served as a panelist and site evaluator for the National Endowment for the Arts. He also received a TCG National Theatre Artist Residency Grant to create an original adaptation of the novel Memory of Fire: Genesis by Eduardo Galeano, for the Goodman Theatre, and is the recipient of The Distinguished Service Award from the Lawyers for the Creative Arts.

Chicago Children's Theatre is proud to present A Year With Frog and Toad, book and lyrics by Willie Reale, music by Robert Reale and directed by Henry Godinez, in the Goodman's Owen Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. A Year With Frog and Toad will begin previews on Jan. 14, 2006 and opens Jan. 20, 2006. The show will run through March 5, 2006.

A Year With Frog and Toad's performance schedule is as follows:
Previews: January 14 - 19, 2006
Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sunday at 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday evening at 7 p.m.
Thursday evening at 7 p.m.
Regular Run: January 20 - March 5, 2006
Fridays at 6:30 p.m.
Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Sundays at 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. show is the Target 2-for-1 Family Matinee Series)

Tickets are currently available for purchase and range in price from $12 - $33 for preview performances Jan. 14 - Jan. 19 and $17 - $38 beginning Jan. 20. Two-for-One tickets will be offered for Sunday matinee performances at 3:30 p.m. as part of the Target Family Matinee Series.

For tickets or more information call the Goodman Theatre box office at 312.443.3800 or visit www.goodman-theatre.org. Groups of 20 or more, call GroupTix: 877-4-GRP-TIX (877-447-7849).

About Chicago Children's Theatre

Chicago Children's Theatre (CCT) aspires to enrich the Chicago community through diverse and significant theatrical programming that engages and inspires the child in all of us. CCT focuses on the production of first-rate children's theatre in Chicago, with top writing, performing and directorial talent and high-quality design and production expertise. Led by Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell, Executive Director Claude Binder and Board Chair Todd Leland, the company is supported by a Board of Directors comprised of dedicated individuals from the fields of entertainment, philanthropy and business, and a committed Artistic Council of Chicago-based actors, directors, musicians and designers.

CCT strives to provide affordable and accessible theater for families and area school children. To enhance the impact of any given production's themes, CCT offers educational materials and programs for families and educators.

For more information on Chicago Children's Theatre visit www.chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

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