A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD KIDS is Coming to Avalon Arts Academy

Marysville is in for a "toad-aly" awesome experience when the Avalon Arts Academy presents its production of A Year With Frog and Toad, KIDS on May 9 & 10. Based on Arnold Lobel's award-winning series of sweet, funny, and touching children's stories, A Year With Frog and Toad KIDS follows the friendship of two amphibious best friends - a worrywart toad and an upbeat frog - over the course of a year.

"A Year With Frog and Toad KIDS is a charming show. Frog and Toad's 'adventures' come in everyday activities, like going swimming, making cookies, or raking leaves - yet everything Frog and Toad do is an expression of their friendship. The bonds these students are forming through the process of staging this musical elevate their storytelling and the audience's enjoyment of it," says Cohen.

In A Year With Frog and Toad KIDS, two best friends - Frog and Toad - wake up from hibernation excited for the new year to come. When Frog discovers Toad is sad that he never receives any mail, he writes him a letter and sends it via "Snail mail." Soon after, the two friends venture to the river for a swim, and Toad wrestles with his shyness over other woodland creatures seeing him in his bathing suit. A little later in the year, Frog and Toad try to make a good dinner, but get sidetracked eating the cookies they are preparing for dessert. Come fall, the two friends try to surprise each other by secretly raking each other's leaves. When winter arrives, Frog lures a terrified Toad onto a sled, but he falls off midway through the course. Scared by the experience, Toad gets angry at Frog, but all is forgiven when Frog's letter to Toad from earlier that year is finally delivered by the Snails. Before turning in for hibernation again, Frog and Toad celebrate Christmas together and reflect on the gift of friendship.

The Avalon Arts Academy production will star Marshall Potts as Frog and Lucy Cunningham as Toad. Rounding out the cast of animals are Meredith Althouse, Max Benge, Penny Conley, Paige Diefenderfer, Georgia Dinovo, Liza Donahue, Tobin Ford, Brody Huber, Emily Moore, Brynn Parks, and Evelyn Reiss, This talented cast of kids will transport you through their year of adventures and take you on a journey of friendship.

A Year With Frog and Toad KIDS is based on the musical written by brothers Robert Reale (music) and Willie Reale (book and lyrics), inspired by the Frog and Toad children's stories written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel. Following its world premiere at The Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, MN, the musical was presented on Broadway in 2003 by Bob Boyett, Adrianne Lobel, Michael Gardner, Lawrence Horowitz, and Roy Furman. It was nominated for Tony awards for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score.

The Avalon Theatre and Avalon Arts Academy in Marysville, OH will present A Year With Frog and Toad KIDS on May 09 at 7pm and May 10 at 2pm & 7pm at The Avalon Theatre, located at 121 S. Main St. Marysville, OH. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids 13 and under. For tickets and more information, please visit theavalontheatre.org. There is no dress code, but "open toad" shoes are encouraged.