By: Brenda Bredahl
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Based on the 1970s books by Arnold Lobel, the production brought the beloved Newbery- and Caldecott-honored children’s tales alive with a unique look and feel, like a cross between the curl-esque fantasy of Dr. Suess and the flora and fauna of the English countryside.
Naturally stealing the show was Reed Sigmund, whose manic animal-ification of Toad reminded me of a kinder and gentler version of the late comedian Chris Farley. His interpretation of Lobel’s Toad was also reminiscent of the super-hyper Toad of Toad Hall from the 1908 book, “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him as the emotional nuances of Toad’s ups, downs and in-betweens were reflected perfectly on his face and movements.
Frog, played by Bradley Greenwald, vastly complemented Toad’s hyper-emotion: a steady, reliable chap who could calm down anyone inclined toward excitability with his kindness and understanding. He held his own with outstanding frog-body language and a pleasant singing voice where he worked in some interesting amphibious imitations. He had a mesmerizing way about him; one could cozy up in a chair, sip tea and listen to his stories for hours—even the scary one about the large, terrible frog.
When the production opens with three birds returning from their southern vacation, the most outrageously beautiful costumes by Martin Pakledinaz were dramatic front and center. The fabrics, textures and choice of colors for Toad and Frog’s all-season wardrobe as well as the costumes of the snail, mice, squirrels, moles, lizard, turtle and mother and father frog were dazzling too.
On the way home, our son said, “I can’t believe just three actors played all those animals.” Deiter Beirbrauer, Autumn Ness and Megan Jacoby donned costume after costume for their roles as the other animals and got every nuance down quite right.
The set design was impressive as well, with a fun frenzy created when Toad and Frog begin to scarf up all the cookies in the kitchen, plus a thunderstorm created with lighting and a highly imaginative pond scene. The seven-piece orchestra was fantastic with a wide array of musical styles and genres to fit the scenes, and as always, the ability for kids and adults to peer into the orchestra pit before and after the show and during intermission is a great bonus to every CTC show.
Location Info:
The Children's Theatre Company
Artist Info: The Children's Theatre Company
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