Families across Cedar City have enjoyed “A Year With Frog & Toad” at the Randall L. Jones Theatre. The College of Performing and Visual Arts presents this heartwarming play depicting the classic books by Arnold Lobel.
The amount of effort put into the production by the cast and crew was easily visible. The set was well thought out and provided a simple yet effective backdrop that allowed the audience to feel right at home in the pond alongside Frog and Toad.
The costumes of each cast member opened up the imagination of the audience. Each character had a distinct moment on stage, but the characters keep their humanized forms for younger audience members.
Simple details portrayed the unique personalities of the birds, squirrels, moles, Snail, Frog and Toad. With a small cast of six, the production was able to hold its place among larger productions due to great acting and effective physical presence on stage as well as with the audience.
Audience members throughout the night enjoyed cheerful and clever songs that illustrated the stories that many read as kids.
“I read the books as a kid, and I think they portrayed their personalities well,” said Sydney Rowley, a chemistry major at SUU. “I enjoyed it. I thought the music flowed very well and that the songs were cute.”
The live orchestra emphasized the atmosphere and added an extra dimension to music that otherwise might lack excitement for older audiences. Due to great thought and an exceptional performance, this musical has become a production that family members of all ages enjoyed.
Additionally, after the show, audience members were encouraged to come up on stage to meet the cast members.
“Feel free to come up and take photos with the cast,” said Mitchell Brownell, the orchestra conductor for the show.
Families and SUU students attended the final performances of “A Year With Frog & Toad” on Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. at the Randall L. Jones Theatre.
Story by: Alex Greenwell
aegreenwell17@gmail.com
Photos by: Alex Greenwell
