• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Write
  • Intern
  • Events
  • About
  • Contact

The Austinot

Discover Austin Texas! An Austin blog with hundreds of unique articles.

  • Things To Do
    • Things To Do This Weekend
    • Things To Do This Week
    • Things To Do This Weekend With Kids
  • Discoveries
    • Austinot Loves
    • Activities
    • Day Trips
    • Local Business
  • Food & Drink
    • Food
    • Drink
  • Entertainment
    • Events
    • Film
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Theatre
  • Culture
    • Arts
    • History
    • Museums
  • Et Cetera
    • Non-Profits
    • Podcast
    • Archives

Frog and Toad at Zach Theatre for Kids and Kids at Heart

October 31, 2014 by J. Alan Nelson Leave a Comment

Nicholas Kier and Chase Brewer at Zach Theatre

Chase Brewer (Toad) and Nicholas Kier (Frog) in Zach Theatre’s A Year with Frog and Toad

Frog and Toad are your friends. They’ve been your friends for more than 40 years, since the two leap-frogged from Arnold Lobel’s head into the now classic children’s books.

A Year with Frog and Toad, playing at Zach Theatre through November 29, 2014, cleverly delivers the favorite stories of Lobel onto the stage with catchy tunes you will hum long after you leave the theatre. Director Nat Miller has crafted the latest version of the Tony-nominated show, which will take you back to the imaginary world of childhood. Executive producers are James Armstrong and Larry Connelly.

Frog and Toad The Kite

You may remember “The Kite” story from childhood

The actors on Zach Theatre’s Kleberg Stage are comfortable with the audience. They rely on acting instead of elaborate costuming, and the result is magical. The audience immediately recognizes and accepts the play’s characters, as if they stepped right out of Lobel’s books.

Whether you read the books yourself, had the books read to you or have read them to your children or grandchildren, you know Frog and Toad as fast friends who value friendship seriously the way small children do, and the way all still do, though some are cloaked by years of maturity.

Nicholas Kier as Frog

Frog is the sensible creature among the pair of friends. Played by Nicholas Kier, he is the one who knows just a bit better, and is just a bit more thoughtful. His manipulation of facts and calendars to wake up Toad from his winter sleep establishes his role as the more clever of the friends, to the glee of the audience.

Chase Brewer as Toad

Chase Brewer as Toad

Chase Brewer as Toad

Brewer gives an open and winning performance as Toad. Toad lives in the Now. He is the more needy and fretful. He is the less experienced, the innocent at the heart of everyone.

Kelly Petlin as Turtle

Kellly Petlin is powerful. She cracks up the audience. She controls the situation.

Josh Wechsler as Snail

Josh Wechsler as Snail

Josh Wechsler as Snail

The snail weaves in and out of the scenes to deliver a letter from Frog to Toad. Weschler is able to combine the concept of “slow as a snail” with “urgent efficiency” with comic expertise. His journey to deliver the letter ties the entire show together.

Megan Richards Wright as Mouse

Wright as Mouse is wry and clever. When she teams up with Petlin’s Turtle “to get a load of Toad” when he is shy about how he looks in his bathing suit, the audience laughs and cringes empathetically for Toad. Toad feels he looks funny in a bathing suit and, well, he does. He tries to hide in the water, but finally must emerge.

The Bird Chorus

Wechsler, Wright and Petlin also team together as a crafty ensemble of birds who flit to and fro between scenes to announce the changing of seasons or join the scene of eating chocolate chip cookies.

All in all, the physical humor of the five actors in A Year with Frog and Toad make children laugh out loud and often. With choreography directed by Jennifer Young Mahlstead and music directed by Allen Robertson, the five sing and dance in emotions ranging from wistful thoughtfulness to the frenetic play of kids going wild.

Frog and Toad Sledding at Zach Theatre

Frog and Toad’s sledding escapade

Readers of the Frog and Toad stories will recognize tales such as the bathing suit, the letter, the cookies and the kite. The play takes place over the four seasons, starting with Frog and Toad’s attempt to wake up from hibernation. The kids love the clever staging of Frog and Toad as they fly a kite out of the audience, after sneers from the bird chorus during their initial unsuccessful attempts. The wild ride of Frog and Toad’s sledding down a snow embankment in winter, with simple but ingenious production, is a crowd pleaser as well.

A Year with Frog and Toad is delighting kids and kids at heart on Saturdays and Sundays through November 29, 2014 at Zach Theatre. You can purchase tickets through Zach Theatre’s website.

 

@TexBusiness asks:

Did you read the Frog and Toad books as a child?

Filed Under: Entertainment, Theatre Tagged With: for kids, zach theatre

Best of The Austinot

We always have unique content on The Austinot and we love to give things away. You know, like concert tickets, gift cards, and other cool stuff. We only send out our “Best of the Austinot” newsletter twice a month. It’s where we give you a recap of our best articles and give stuff away. Interested? Subscribe to Best of The Austinot here!

Subscribe
Login
Notify of
guest
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Connect with Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Things to do

Things to do in Austin this week of October 2

10 Fun Things to do in Austin this week of October 2 include Broadway Austin presents Six, House of Burton: Austin, and more

Our top choices for things to do in Austin this Week of October 2, 2023, include Broadway Austin presents Six, House of Burton: Austin, Maisie Peters in Concert, and more! Austin is now among the fastest-growing metroplexes in the US! Keeping up with the growth, luckily, there’s plenty going on in Austin all days of the week. […]

10 Things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of September 29, 2023 include Texas Pumpkin Fest 2023, Touch-a-Truck 2023, and more!

If there’s one thing about this city, it’s that there is always something going on. So, if you’re looking for fun things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of September 29, 2023, there’s plenty of fun to be had, including Texas Pumpkin Fest 2023, Touch-a-Truck 2023, Boulderfest 2023, American Indian Heritage Day 2023, and more! Editor’s […]

10 Fun Things to do in Austin this weekend of September 29, 2023 include Bat City Scaregrounds, St. Elias Mediterranean Festival, and More!

10 Fun Things to do in Austin this weekend of September 29, 2023 include Bat City Scaregrounds, St. Elias Mediterranean Festival, and More!

There are plenty of fun things to do in Austin this Weekend of September 29 which include Bat City Scaregrounds, St. Elias Mediterranean Festival, NAMIWalks Central Texas, Oktoberfest at Banger’s, and more! Whether you’re planning a date or having fun with friends, these events and things to do in Austin this weekend may be right for you. […]

Austin Labor Day Weekend 2023 Events - Top 10 Things to Do

Austin Labor Day Weekend 2023 Events – Top 10 Things to Do Include Fish Fry by ACLC, Cornhole Tournament at Frontyard Brewing, Live Music, Parties & More!

The much-awaited Labor Day 2023 is right around the corner! And as we all know, everybody wants to make the most of this special day and enjoy the last bits of summer. Labor Day pays tribute to the social and economic achievements of American workers. In addition to that, it also symbolizes the end of […]

Caverns in Texas - 12 Best Austin Caves & Cave Tours Near You

Caverns in Texas – 12 Best Austin Caves & Cave Tours Near You

Looking for caverns in Texas? Want to explore the best caves in Texas? Luckily, there’s a great mix of both in Austin! Before we dive into the different bat caves in Texas or caverns Texas has to offer, what’s the difference between the two? Well, while used interchangeably, a cave is a naturally occurring cavity […]

Recent Posts

  • 10 Fun Things to do in Austin this week of October 2 include Broadway Austin presents Six, House of Burton: Austin, and more
  • 10 Things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of September 29, 2023 include Texas Pumpkin Fest 2023, Touch-a-Truck 2023, and more!
  • 10 Fun Things to do in Austin this weekend of September 29, 2023 include Bat City Scaregrounds, St. Elias Mediterranean Festival, and More!
  • Rooftop Bar Austin – 20 Best Bars, Dinner Spots, High Rise Restaurants Near You
  • Austin Labor Day Weekend 2023 Events – Top 10 Things to Do Include Fish Fry by ACLC, Cornhole Tournament at Frontyard Brewing, Live Music, Parties & More!

Welcome to The Austinot

We are all about Austin: the vibe, the people and the uniqueness of the city. We love to explore. Get to know us! We’ll respond if you comment. Heck, we’ll probably invite you to come and hang out with us!

Follow along to help support and learn more about local businesses, artists, and events.

-The Austinot Team

Privacy Policy

Trending Posts

  • 8 Laid-back Waterfront Restaurants in Austin (Besides The Oasis)
  • Austin’s Speakeasy Secrets (Shhh): Floppy Disk Repair Co.
  • Guide to Austin’s Dirty Sixth Street
  • 10 Fun Things to do in Austin this weekend of September 29, 2023 include Bat City Scaregrounds, St. Elias Mediterranean Festival, and More!
  • Birthday Freebies Austin 2023 – List of Over 45 Best Restaurants, Food Places, & Stores with Birthday Month Deals Near You

Copyright © 2023 · Log in

wpDiscuz
x
x