Enjoy family fun with UM-Flint's musical 'A Year with Frog and Toad'

The first stirrings of spring are always a cause for celebration, and what better way to do that than with a vibrant musical featuring the well-loved children's book heroes Frog and Toad?

"A Year with Frog and Toad" is a delightful, family-friendly musical that follows the adventures of two best friends, the cheerful and carefree Frog and the cautious yet loving Toad, as they journey through the four seasons. Based on Arnold Lobel's beloved children's books, the musical, with music by Robert Reale and book and lyrics by Willie Reale, explores themes of friendship, perseverance, and the passage of time. Through charming and light-hearted vignettes, Frog and Toad experience everyday activities like swimming, baking cookies, raking leaves, and sledding, highlighting the beauty and humor in life's simple moments while celebrating the warmth of enduring friendship.

"When I had my first child, a friend reminded me of this show's fantastic Broadway cast recording, and I started playing it in the car. My child loved it, and soon it was a family-favorite soundtrack. I bought the books and reading them became a nightly ritual," said Stephanie Dean, associate professor of theatre and the show's director. "When our program chose our season for this year, one of our goals was to find a show that would offer a fun and engaging experience for local families to enjoy at our theatre. We settled on 'Frog and Toad' pretty fast because of its familiar source material, clever music, and the opportunity for our students and faculty to imagine and create this whimsical animal world."  

On Sunday, March 23, the matinee performance will be part of a Family Fun Day, featuring special activities in the theatre's lobby, beginning at 1 p.m. Children can create art for each season, enjoy complimentary snacks, receive themed toys and book giveaways, and meet the cast. Free tickets are available to the first 50 families, and all children 12 years old and under are free with the purchase of an adult ticket.

For Austin Bishop, a senior theatre major from Flint who plays Snail, Bird, and Large and Terrible Frog in the production, sharing the musical with families will be the highlight of his experience.

"We have been working very hard these past two months and made so much progress. I can't wait for people to finally see all the wonderful things we have envisioned for this show," he said. "I think 'imagination' plays a huge role not just for this show, but life in general. I think that's one of the reasons why it's an excellent show for all ages. No matter how old you are, remaining curious and creative is important."

Productions like "A Year with Frog and Toad" allow UM-Flint students to explore their creative curiosity, connect and build relationships with their peers on campus, and develop their communication and collaboration skills in a real-world setting. Studies have shown that this type of extracurricular activity positively impacts students' academic performance, preparing them for lifelong success.

"This cast features many of our first-year students, and it has been a joy to work with them and watch them grow. There is incredible camaraderie with this cast and a gratifying sense of fun in our rehearsals that feeds our energy," said Dean. "We were all genuinely a little sad to know we wouldn't see each other every night over the recent break, and it will feel a little bit like that when the show closes. We have really enjoyed getting together every night and using our imaginations to bring this story to life!"

"A Year with Frog and Toad" runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, March 21-30. Evening performances will begin at 6:30 p.m. and matinee performances will start at 2 p.m. The show's runtime is approximately 70 minutes with no intermission. For showtimes and tickets, please visit tickets.thefim.org/yearwithfrog.