By Bill Lockwood
Arts Correspondent
BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — A new theater group by the name of The Wild Goose Players made its debut to a large, responsive, and engaged audience with a charming outdoor production of the musical “A Year with Frog and Toad” set on a beautiful Vermont summer evening at the Waypoint Center in Bellows Falls, Vt.
An adaptation with book by Willie Reale and score by Robert Reale of a series of four “Frog and Toad” children’s books by the late author and illustrator Arnold Lobel, the production is just perfect to welcome us all back to live theater — and a perfect setting for such a show. On the theme of true friendship, told by woodland creatures through the change of seasons, it is a delightful children’s story with great music. Sounds of the audience going, “Aww. . .” could be heard as everyday things such as baking cookies, raking leaves, and sending a letter all turn into demonstrations of friendship between the lead characters, the upbeat Frog and the often grumpy Toad.
“A Year With Frog and Toad” is described by David Stern as “great family fun.”
Local Children’s Librarian Samantha Maskell says that Lobel’s books have remained popular through the years. The musical adaptation opened on Broadway at the Cort Theatre on April 13, 2003, and ran for 73 performances collecting three Tony nominations along with it. One audience member described it as, “Toad-ally delightful!”
The new theater company, The Wild Goose Players, is a joint venture of David Stern and Sandy Klein under the umbrella of Next Stage Arts in Putney. Stern, who directed this production, is well known locally as the former artistic director of Main Street Arts where he directed their big stage musicals at the Bellows Falls Opera House. Klein is the longtime creative director of the New England Youth Theater in Brattleboro and the Vermont Suitcase Company.
“David and I have talked about working together in a more permanent way for many years,” Klein said. “Wild Goose Players seems to have suddenly burst out of a long slow year of introspective conversations. It’s exhilarating to have such a positive response from the community and to see all the old familiar faces again.”
They were working together on the opera house production of “Cabaret” which was indefinitely postponed on March 11, 2020, just two days before it would have opened and a day before Broadway went dark in New York City.
“I don’t think we’re ready yet to put everybody inside together,” Stern said. “[But, now with] the end of the pandemic, [we are] trying to be together with our kids.”
He is returning with this musical.
Stern said he has assembled a familiar cast, working with “the team of people I’ve always worked with,” adding that they “are staying together.”
“It’s just a dream to be doing live theater again,” said Morganna Ekkens, who plays a number of woodland creatures. Her joy came across with all of the cast.
“This is the ‘funest’ music I’ve ever played and this is the ‘funest’ group I’ve ever played with,” said Musical Director Rich Smith, who assembled an excellent pit band.
And in the spirit of the subject matter, Sally Regentine, who plays Frog, said that she was, “so glad to share this with children, to hear them giggling.” She and the other lead, her friend Toad, played by Andrew Flaherty, were outstanding in their parts that required singing, dancing, acting, and even a brief tuba solo by Toad. The whole cast formed a talented and dynamic ensemble with the other actors playing various woodland animals. Connie Bryan, Dominic DiBenedetto, Morgana Ekkens, Sam Empey, and Christy Wendlandt could all be leads in their own right. They are very much in sync as they sing, dance, and act with a flow that keeps the production light and pleasing to children and the rest of us too.
The upbeat, jazzy, ragtime music has pleasing vintage harmonies a la the era of barber shop and the Andrew Sisters as well as good old time Broadway. It fits perfectly with the spirit of the Frog and Toad tale. The costumes by Klein and her team added to the fun. The choreography by Shoshana Bass and Production Design Collaborator Liz Guzynski deserve commendation as well.
Outdoor theater does have its challenges. Staged on the same level as the seating it did make the sight lines rough. But there were mats provided for the children so they could all sit down front and not miss a thing. Another challenge was the nearby train tracks where very noisy trains pass by. Stern noted before the show that Homeland Security forbids the release of freight schedules, so a train might come by at any time. One did, and the cast, crew, and band were prepared. The band vamped while the cast danced around giving out free Frog and Toad books and cookies to the kids. Train or not, a free Frog and Toad book is given to every child who attends donated by sponsors, Bellows Falls Rotary, Vermont Humanities, and Oak Meadow School. Village Square Booksellers were also on site with the rest of the series for sale.
Stern said The Wild Goose Players’ next ventures will be Albee’s “Zoo Story” in September; an original “Food and Shelter” by their playwright in residence, Shawn Hurley, in January; and the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” at the opera house in March.
“A Year with Frog and Toad” will continue on Saturday, July 3, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and Sunday, July 4, at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
For more information and tickets to “A Year with Frog and Toad,” contact Next Stage Arts at nextstagearts.org or call (802) 387-0102.
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