The holiday season is upon us and for many, the holidays offer a chance to get together with family and friends and enjoy spending time with those that are closest to us.
Starting this Friday, December 6 and going until December 29th, the Manitoba Theater for Young People is inviting audiences to rejoice in the holiday season by celebrating close friendships. The kind of friends that have been with you through thick and thin. The kind of friends that you would do anything for and who accept you, warts, and all.
Based on the children’s book series Frog and Toad, written by Arnold Lobel that came out in the 70’s, MTYP is presenting A Year with Frog and Toad the Musical.
This is a Tony Award winning musical that was written by brothers Robert and Willie Reale. Robert Reale supplied the music, and Willie Reale wrote the text and lyrics for the songs.
A Year with Frog and Toad the Musical presented by MTYP is a charming and heartwarming production that will entertain you, while giving you warm fuzzies. It will make you want to reach out to your close friends over the holidays.
The Frog and Toad series of books that came out in the 1970’s were immediately popular and remain as relevant and as endearing today. Sarah Flynn is an Artistic Associate with MTYP, as she states, “It has such a lasting story of loving the people that you are friends with and getting to spend a simple life with them. I think it has also had a big resurgence as well, within millennial culture... this love, and this idealization of the simple life of just living in a cottage, your best friend lives right across the street, and you have tea every night. It is the dream for everyone to have this easy simple life.”
The musical that Robert and Willie Reale created, took this simple premise, and created a completely engaging and entertaining musical, full of catchy songs that will leave children singing after they leave the theatre. As Flynn describes the music, “It’s that vaudeville style. Big showy numbers...with performance. It’s all about this catchy story and catchy tunes. At one point Frog sings this line ‘I love being a frog,’ and it is just music to my ears whenever I hear Jayden sing it because it is so beautiful, strong, and sweet. This music is fun, catchy, and upbeat. I just smile the whole time I am watching it.”
The show features five exceptionally talented actors and singers. Jayden Fraser plays Frog and Jen Lyon plays Toad. The other three members of the ensemble, Emily Meadows, Hazel Wallace, and Jillian Willems are tasked with portraying various characters in the bog such as birds, lizards, moles, and snails. Costume changes happen backstage with total precision, so that the ensemble can switch between the characters that exist in the world of Frog and Toad.
The friendship depicted on stage is replicated off stage with the musical's Co-Directors. Pablo Felices-Luna is The Artistic Director of MTYP. He is also one of the Co-Directors of A Year with Frog and Toad. His partner in the director role is choreographer Sara Topham. As Flynn says, “Pablo and Sarah have known each other for thirty years. They are best friends...they are each other’s frog and toad...and so they have this incredibly beautiful, clear vision for this show. They work well together. They have just created this beautiful warm story.”
Warmth and friendship; what better way to spend the holiday season?
A Year with Frog and Toad as presented by The Manitoba Theatre for Young People starts this Friday, December 6th and goes until December 29th
