A Year With Frog and Toad

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

The most depressing day of the year for me is when we have to “give up ”Daylight Savings and fall back to “real time.”

The cast of A Year With Frog and Toad.

Toad (Bernie Cardell) however, finds it necessary to live through a depressing time every day at 10:00 AM when the mail is delivered. Toad has never ever received a letter.

Cardell appears as Toad along side his “bestest” friend in the whole world, Frog, brought to life by Next Stage’s co-founder, Gene Kato.

The garden where Toad and Frog live actually is The Evergreen Players stage at Center Stage Theatre nestled in lush Evergreen, CO where the magnificently enchanting production of A Year With Frog and Toad dances its way through the year from spring to spring.

Based on the book by Arnold Lobel, the musical features Book and Lyrics by Willie Reale and Music by Robert Reale. Directed and choreographed by Wendy S. Moore, this highly creative, enchanting musical currently thrills children as young as two and adults celebrating somewhere in their 90s. It is more fun than a barrel monkeys, well, OK, monkeys don’t live in their garden, but it is more fun than three singing chirping, sometimes teasing, taunting birds wonderfully played by Andrew Caldwell, Jessica Clare and Melissa Leppert, who hardly confine their talents to wings and feathers. Clare wraps herself neatly around Turtle, Squirrel, Mother Frog, and Mole. Leppert becomes Mouse, Squirrel, Young Frog, and Mole. Caldwell takes on Lizard, Father Frog, Large and Terrible Frog, and Snail. His snail routine covers most of the length of the musical, after all he is Snail.

Being Toad’s “bestest” friend in the whole world, Frog falls sympathetic to Toad’s depression over not getting a letter. He writes one, asking Snail to deliver. Every day Frog asks Toad if he received a letter, and every day Toad grows in his aggravation because Frog knows he has never received a letter. Frog can’t understand why it is taking so long. It is a long way as far as snails go, from Frog’s house to Toad, and it takes Snail nearly a year to make the trek.

Even the best of friends have difficulty communicating at times. The letter ordeal proves to be one of these moments.

Cardell and Kato’s enormous versatile talent carves sharply and wonderfully into the personalities of Toad and Frog. It will be difficult to look at another frog and toad in the same way. I will always wonder who their best friends are. Undoubtedly, with every frog and toad hopping across my path, I will probably see the heart, soul, and expressions of Cardell and Kato. I write this with a smile and I write this intending the height of compliments. Their artistic expertise allows for that to be.

It’s spring and the Birds have returned announcing it is spring. Frog gleefully hops up from his cozy bed where he has been hibernating, OK, so it’s April, Toad wants to wait until May before he breaks his hibernating mode. Clever Frog knows how to make that happen.

The costumes designed by Jan Hart are simple, and yet so on target for their creatures. There is never any question what the creature is claiming to be. The five cast members understand the artistic techniques to bring their creatures happily, well yes, and grumpingly, to life.

Although the music has been taped, the quality of the tapes and the sound system nearly leave one looking behind the curtains for a live orchestra. Mitch Samu had something to do with that, and it shows.

The set designed by R. Thomas Ward appeals with great charm. With oversized flowers the garden puts everyone including the audience down to the level of the creatures. Even a garden grows a flower, which is a very good thing. Toad wants a garden. Toad’s problem is he wants it now, even before the seeds have been planted. Cardell feeds impatience to Mr. Grumpy. Patience is not one of Toad’s greatest charms and Frog finds he must take his patience out for a long walk to accommodate Toad. Endowed with frustrated impatience, Toad sings to the seeds a charming song simply called Seeds. He recites a poem, and even dances for the seeds. When a flower literally springs up, Cardell defines the inward feelings by spreading it throughout the outward appearance, warts and all.

A Year With Frog and Toad follows the original stories very closely. The Frog and Toad books are available for purchase before each production, during Intermission and after the show.

It is clear from the get-go the entire cast is having the time of their lives whether Toad grumbles his way through Frog’s hopping smiles, or the Birds chirp tauntingly over Toad’s attempt at flying a kite, during the song The Kite, or the Birds, Frog, and Toad express their bug-eyed, tongue hanging out eagerness during the rollicking song about Cookies, and the temptation to over eat, or the Snail laments “I’m a snail with the mail” as he inches his way across the garden.

Later Cardell commented, “It was easily the best performance we have given to date, and to do it for all the kids, but what I love the most is the parents that come out and, with a surprised look on their face, say ‘That was really good!’ the fact that they enjoyed it as much as their kids is so rewarding.”

Above and beyond the exquisite portrayal of the garden creatures by the cast of five, is this enchanting musical tells a story without talking down to anyone, as so many children’s productions tend to do. The play and the cast treat their audience as though they are intelligent beings with a brain. From the amazing attention given by even the youngest members of the audience, this is more than appreciated. Well, actually, that goes for the older members of the audience as well.

Through the antics of the creatures, the creativity of the songs from “Getta Load of Toad,” “Alone,” “He’ll Never Know,” “I’m Coming Out of My Shell,” and “Merry Almost Christmas,” and the bumpy grumpy connection between Toad and the smiling patient Frog, lessons are learned along the way. Lessons of what it means to be a friend. Lessons that remind us friends can have a falling out, disagree, misunderstand, and still be the best of friends. Frog and Toad learn to celebrate what makes everyone so special and unique. A vital element some adults end up taking years in psychotherapy to claim for their own because as a child, it belonged to someone else; never to them.

The kids will laugh hard at the out of character antics of Snail singing “I’m Coming Out of My Shell,” but the adults will laugh harder at the underlying implications. Caldwell ropes in the young attentive eyes, while the lyrics skip significantly along the minds of parents and friends.

So well done, this production doesn’t want to be missed, and shouldn’t be ignored. Summer months spell family fun inside, outside, all around the globe, but you’ll never have a better time at the theatre with the family than spending it with Frog, Toad and garden creatures of all shapes and sizes. Fortunately The Evergreen Players enjoys a longer run with this production then they normally get, extending to August 6. Call early for reservations, popularity reigns and seats are at a premium.