Kids serve as best reviewers for Frog and Toad show
By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, November 30, 2007
Musical numbers fill the "Year with Frog and Toad," a show that was nominated for a Tony for Best Musical.
Producer Stephen Gabriel doesn't need critics or reviewers to tell him "A Year with Frog and Toad" is good. He has his own review team to evaluate a production.
His three young children.
"I had to see the show at least five times when it was in our area," he explained in a phone call from New Jersey. "All three of the kids were riveted throughout the entire show."
During its time on Broadway, "A Year with Frog and Toad" was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. An all-new production, of which Gabriel is the producer, is bringing classic children's literature to life for audiences nationwide and will be performed on Sunday in Sioux City.
Arnold Lobel's beloved characters hop from the page to the stage in Robert and Willie Reale's musical, "A Year with Frog and Toad." The stage musical remains true to the spirit of the original stories as it follows two great friends -- the cheerful and popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad -- through four fun-filled seasons, Gabriel said.
"The appeal of the show is twofold," he said. "First, it's such an important reader for young kids and second, when performed on a stage, it brings the characters to life."
It was Gabriel's daughter, Amanda (now age 9) who provided the inspiration for taking the show on tour.
"It was about two years ago that Amanda brought the book home from school and was so excited about it," he said. "When I found out there was an adaptation for the stage available, I became very interested in producing it."
That feeling became reinforced when Gabriel's son, James (now 6), also became intrigued with the books and the characters.
"The books are so popular with kids who identify with the reading," he said. "The adaptation weaves together vignettes from all the books and spans the seasons with the characters."
Waking from hibernation in the spring, Frog and Toad and their friends proceed to plant gardens, swim, rake leaves and go sledding, learning life lessons along the way, Gabriel said.
"Frog and Toad are good friends whose friendship gets tested a bit on their journey through the seasons," he said. "Kids understand that sentiment, maybe better than we, as adults, think they do."
When Gabriel decided to produce the show, he enlisted the help of Adrianne Lobel, daughter of the "Frog and Toad" author.
"She is a well-known designer and she is responsible for bringing the book to life," he insisted. "She's the one who pulled all the creative aspects together."
"A Year with Frog and Toad" differs from the book in that there are songs in the production. Gabriel felt that addition was a plus for leading kids on the "emotional journey" of a musical.
"It's like adults going to a musical," he explained. "They may not know all of the songs, but they have an idea of the story. The music is how the story is brought to life on the stage."
This is the musical's first-ever national tour which started in October. The troupe has just finished a presentation in Dayton, Ohio and from Sioux City will travel to Kansas City. After the Jan. 1, the tour will continue throughout the United States, said Gabriel, who keeps in touch with the family back home with phone calls.
"I call my daughter Lilly every day and we have this bit we go through where I call her Toad and she calls me Frog," he said with a laugh. "Then we make these noises and it's just great fun."
The Orpheum Theatre Family Series continues Sunday with a 3 p.m. performance of the classic Arnold Lobel story "A Year with Frog and Toad." Tickets are available at the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at 252-3434.
Joining "A Year with Frog and Toad" are the String Beans, who will perform at 1:30 p.m. This fun, energetic group has been called "The Wiggles of the Midwest" and entertain with a mix of rock, rap, country, blues, polka and pop. The String Beans' songs include dinosaurs, sports, animals, food and fireworks.
His three young children.
"I had to see the show at least five times when it was in our area," he explained in a phone call from New Jersey. "All three of the kids were riveted throughout the entire show."
During its time on Broadway, "A Year with Frog and Toad" was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. An all-new production, of which Gabriel is the producer, is bringing classic children's literature to life for audiences nationwide and will be performed on Sunday in Sioux City.
Arnold Lobel's beloved characters hop from the page to the stage in Robert and Willie Reale's musical, "A Year with Frog and Toad." The stage musical remains true to the spirit of the original stories as it follows two great friends -- the cheerful and popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad -- through four fun-filled seasons, Gabriel said.
"The appeal of the show is twofold," he said. "First, it's such an important reader for young kids and second, when performed on a stage, it brings the characters to life."
It was Gabriel's daughter, Amanda (now age 9) who provided the inspiration for taking the show on tour.
"It was about two years ago that Amanda brought the book home from school and was so excited about it," he said. "When I found out there was an adaptation for the stage available, I became very interested in producing it."
That feeling became reinforced when Gabriel's son, James (now 6), also became intrigued with the books and the characters.
"The books are so popular with kids who identify with the reading," he said. "The adaptation weaves together vignettes from all the books and spans the seasons with the characters."
Waking from hibernation in the spring, Frog and Toad and their friends proceed to plant gardens, swim, rake leaves and go sledding, learning life lessons along the way, Gabriel said.
"Frog and Toad are good friends whose friendship gets tested a bit on their journey through the seasons," he said. "Kids understand that sentiment, maybe better than we, as adults, think they do."
When Gabriel decided to produce the show, he enlisted the help of Adrianne Lobel, daughter of the "Frog and Toad" author.
"She is a well-known designer and she is responsible for bringing the book to life," he insisted. "She's the one who pulled all the creative aspects together."
"A Year with Frog and Toad" differs from the book in that there are songs in the production. Gabriel felt that addition was a plus for leading kids on the "emotional journey" of a musical.
"It's like adults going to a musical," he explained. "They may not know all of the songs, but they have an idea of the story. The music is how the story is brought to life on the stage."
This is the musical's first-ever national tour which started in October. The troupe has just finished a presentation in Dayton, Ohio and from Sioux City will travel to Kansas City. After the Jan. 1, the tour will continue throughout the United States, said Gabriel, who keeps in touch with the family back home with phone calls.
"I call my daughter Lilly every day and we have this bit we go through where I call her Toad and she calls me Frog," he said with a laugh. "Then we make these noises and it's just great fun."
The Orpheum Theatre Family Series continues Sunday with a 3 p.m. performance of the classic Arnold Lobel story "A Year with Frog and Toad." Tickets are available at the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at 252-3434.
Joining "A Year with Frog and Toad" are the String Beans, who will perform at 1:30 p.m. This fun, energetic group has been called "The Wiggles of the Midwest" and entertain with a mix of rock, rap, country, blues, polka and pop. The String Beans' songs include dinosaurs, sports, animals, food and fireworks.
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