HINTON W.Va. (Hinton News) – Summers County is in for a “toadly” awesome experience when HAE and SCCHS students sponsored by 21st CCLC presents its production of A Year With Frog and Toad KIDS on May 16 and 17 at 6 p.m. and May 18 at 2 p.m. at the Summers County Memorial Building. Admission is free thanks to 21st CCLC, however, donations are welcome for the Hinton Area Foundation Scholarship Fund for drama students.
Based on Arnold Lobel’s award-winning series of sweet, funny, and touching children’s stories, A Year With Frog and Toad KIDS follows the friendship of two amphibious best friends – a worrywart toad and an upbeat frog – over the course of a year.
“A Year With Frog and Toad KIDS is a charming show. Frog and Toad’s ‘adventures’ come in everyday activities, like trying to fly a kite, go swimming, make dinner, or rake leaves – yet everything Frog and Toad do is an expression of their friendship. The bonds these students are forming through the process of staging this musical elevate their storytelling and the audience’s enjoyment of it,” says Cohen.
In A Year With Frog and Toad KIDS, two best friends – Frog and Toad – wake up from hibernation excited for the new year to come. When Frog discovers Toad is sad that he never receives any mail, he writes him a letter and sends it via “Snail mail.” Soon after, the two friends venture to the river for a swim, and Toad wrestles with his shyness over other woodland creatures seeing him in his bathing suit. A little later in the year, Frog and Toad try to make a good dinner, but get sidetracked eating the cookies they are preparing for dessert. Come fall, the two friends try to surprise each other by secretly raking each other’s leaves. When winter arrives, Frog lures a terrified Toad onto a sled, but he falls off midway through the course. Scared by the experience, Toad gets angry at Frog, but all is forgiven when Frog’s letter to Toad from earlier that year is finally delivered by the Snails. Before turning in for hibernation again, Frog and Toad celebrate Christmas together and reflect on the gift of friendship.
A Year With Frog and Toad KIDS is based on the musical written by brothers Robert Reale (music) and Willie Reale (book and lyrics), inspired by the Frog and Toad children’s stories written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel. Following its world premiere at The Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, MN, the musical was presented on Broadway in 2003 by Bob Boyett, Adrianne Lobel, Michael Gardner, Lawrence Horowitz, and Roy Furman. It was nominated for Tony awards for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original score.
