Two Amphibians, Best Friends, Take Center Stage at Wheelock Family Theatre
A Year with Frog and Toad, running November 30 to December 15, is WFT’s special holiday show
Two Amphibians, Best Friends, Take Center Stage at Wheelock Family Theatre
A Year with Frog and Toad, running November 30 to December 15, is WFT’s special holiday show
Larry Pires, Jr. (left) as Frog and Will McGarrahan as Toad in a scene from Wheelock Family Theatre’s production of A Year with Frog and Toad, a musical adaptation of a series of children’s books by Arnold Lobel.
This story was originally published in BU Today on November 26, 2024. By John O’Rourke. Photos by Jake Belcher
For more than 50 years, Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad books have been a staple of children’s literature, introducing young readers to the gentle exploits of two amphibians—one green, one brown—who, despite the differences in their personalities, are best friends. As fans of the series know, Frog is more adventurous and confident, Toad more reserved and cautious. Together, they complement each other.
The series was adapted into a Tony Award–nominated Broadway musical more than two decades ago and has gone on to become one of the most widely produced shows in regional theaters. Now, just in time for the holidays, Wheelock Family Theatre is staging a production starring veteran stage actor Will McGarrahan as Toad and Anthony Pires, Jr., well-known to WFT audiences from his previous appearances, as Frog. The show runs from November 30 through December 15.
Nick Vargas, Wheelock Family Theatre executive director, says A Year with Frog and Toad was one of the first shows he thought of when putting together this season, which celebrates the power of friendship. But it’s also a show that should appeal across generations.
“It’s one of those classic stories about two friends who, on paper, couldn’t be more different,” Vargas says. “And it’s such a great universal story because it’s geared toward younger children. It’s the perfect show around the holiday season, too, because part of the show takes place in wintertime and there’s a beautiful song about Christmas and celebrating the need to give to others.”
It’s one of those classic stories about two friends who, on paper, couldn’t be more different. And it’s such a great universal story because it’s geared toward younger children. It’s the perfect show around the holiday season, too, because part of the show takes place in wintertime and there’s a beautiful song about Christmas and celebrating the need to give to others.
The show marks a departure of sorts for WFT, which typically produces just one show in the fall. Vargas is excited by the opportunity to connect with audiences during the holiday season. “It’s a chance to come to the theater and still have that feeling of family and the feeling of togetherness,” he says, “whether you’re celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. You’re coming to celebrate the value of the holidays.”
The musical, directed by award-winning actor/director Leah Barrett, features a jaunty score by Robert and Willie Reale that ranges from jazz-inflected numbers to cowboy tunes to big ensemble numbers. And as its title implies, the show follows Frog and Toad through four seasons, opening with the two waking up from winter hibernation. Over the course of 80 minutes (there’s no intermission), the two plant a garden, swim, rake leaves, bake cookies, and go sledding, all while learning important life lessons.
Despite being one of Boston’s busiest stage actors, McGarrahan, who has appeared in such notable musicals and dramas as Stephen Sondheim’s Company, Eugene O’Neill’s A Moon for the Misbegotten, andArthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, had never worked with WFT before being cast as Toad. Vargas has long admired McGarrahan’s work, he says, and has been searching for the right vehicle for him.
“He’s got such a great natural humor about him, and he’s a fantastic musical storyteller,” Vargas says.
McGarrahan fell in love with the musical the first time he ever saw it and couldn’t wait to take on the role. “If I could write a musical for a family, this is what I would want a musical to be,” he says. “It’s very well written in terms of establishing character, giving it a nice through line. It’s peppy, it’s sweet, it’s simple, without ever being simplistic.”
For Pires, who previously appeared at WFT as Uncle Fester in The Addams Family Musical, Mr. Wormwood in Matilda: The Musical, and Coalhouse Walker in Ragtime, the show’s simple message about the importance of friendship struck a chord.
“The story is about two friends coming together, hanging out every day, finding moments to celebrate achievements, challenge each other, or just be there to provide comfort,” Pires says. “That’s something that resonates in today’s world—we all need a friend. The show’s about companionship and how we sustain a relationship.”