Arrow Rock, MO – Based on the celebrated books by Arnold Lobel, the hit Broadway musical A Year with Frog and Toad, with book and lyrics by Willie Reale and music by Robert Reale, will have one public performance at 11AM on April 14, 2018. Follow the woodland adventures of two amphibious friends and their assorted hopping, crawling and flying companions over the course of a year. Lobel’s award-winning stories come to life complete with toe-tapping music as Frog, Toad and their friends plant a garden, fly kites, swim in the pond and skip rope for 60 action-packed minutes. This song-filled year in the life of these two charming woodland characters has the rare ability to captivate children and adults alike.

The cast for A Year with Frog and Toad features Lyceum favorites Ben Nordstrom as Frog and Steve Isom as Toad. Since 1998 Nordstrom has appeared in many Lyceum productions, most recently as Scrooge’s nephew Fred in A Christmas Carol and Sam Phillips in Million Dollar Quartet. A resident of St. Louis, his work there includes Macbeth, Next Fall, [title of show], and Urinetown at Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Mamma Mia, The Buddy Holly Story, and Billy Elliot at The Muny. Regional work includes the Alley Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Arvada Center, and Theatre Raleigh. Steve Isom was last seen at the Lyceum as Uncle Stanley in Smoke on the Mountain and Sanders Family Christmas. Steve has been singing and acting since he was nine years old and has performed all around the world on cruise ships, on stages in NYC, Chicago, California and in most of the theatres in St. Louis.

Playing a variety of birds, squirrels, frogs, mice and other woodland creatures are Patrick Blindauer who also plays a snail, Leah Berry who also plays a turtle, and Julie Hanson who also plays a mouse. Patrick returns to the Lyceum, having previously worked on The Wizard of Oz and Sanders Family Christmas. St. Louis credits include The Wizard of Oz (The Lion) for Variety Theatre and 42nd Street (Mac) at The Muny. On-screen, he was featured in 7 episodes of Strangers with Candy and appeared in the Academy Award-winning  A Beautiful Mind. Leah Berry was most recently seen as Nellie Forbush in South Pacific at Stages St Louis. Other credits include The Wizard of Oz at the Muny (Glinda), The Sound of Music (Maria), The Music Man (Marian), Sister Act (Sister Mary Robert) Mary Poppins (Winifred Banks), and Seussical (Gertrude McFuzz). Julie Hanson is making her Lyceum debut and has been seen in St. Louis at The Fox, The Muny, The Rep., Stages, and The Sheldon. Prior to moving to St. Louis, Julie appeared on Broadway and in the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera as Christine Daaé, and performed regionally at the Walnut Street Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, Casa Mañana and Music Theatre of Wichita, among others.

Sam Hay directs and choreographs the production. Sam’s work has been seen in Phoenix Theatre’s award winning productions of Mary Poppins, Chicago, Billy Elliott, Bullets Over Broadway, and more.  He has also choreographed for the Little Theatre on the Square, Webster Conservatory, Grandstreet Theatre, and has been a regular at the Lyceum choreographing Beauty and the Beast, Oklahoma, Mamma Mia!, Funny Girl, Oliver, Little Shop of Horrors, and The King and I. Recently, Sam assisted Mark Stuart Dance Theatre on their Broadway Bound Original dance musical Standard Time.

The creative team includes Ryan J. Zirngibl, Resident Scenic Designer; Garth Dunbar, Costume Designer; Randy B. Winder, Resident Lighting Designer; Patrick Blindauer, Musical Director; Emilee Buchheit, Production Stage Manager.

As part of the Lyceum’s Theatre for Young Audiences initiative, this public performance on April 14 at 11:00 AM will cap off a nearly sold-out week of school performances, during which 3,000 Mid-Missouri students will experience professional theatre at the Lyceum. A Year with Frog and Toad marks The Lyceum’s second year producing professional theatre for young audiences in partnership with local schools and organizations that serve the needs of children in our community. A Year With Frog & Toad is generously supported by Gold Star Sponsor Wood and Huston Bank, McCarthy Chevrolet/Buick/GMC, and Central Missouri AGRIService (CMAS).

Tickets are $20 for ages 13 and older and $10 for ages 4-12. Tickets are expected to sell quickly. Visit www.lyceumtheatre.org or call 660-837-3311, ext. 1.

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