Critic's Pick — Nashville Children’s Theatre: 'A Year With Frog and Toad'

Autumn is quickly approaching, and it’s hard to imagine a more perfect way to honor the passing seasons than with Nashville Children’s Theatre’s charming new production of A Year With Frog and Toad. Based on Arnold Lobel’s delightful children’s books and adapted to the stage by brothers Robert (music) and Willie Reale (book/lyrics), this sweet musical follows the adventures of two amphibious friends — easygoing Frog and the often-grumpy Toad. Premiering at the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis in 2002, A Year With Frog and Toad offers an eclectic, jazzy score, and earned three Tony Award nominations when it transferred to Broadway in 2003. Directed by NCT’s executive artistic director Jenilee Houghton (with musical direction by Sarah Michele Bailey), the cast features a wonderful mix of new and familiar faces, including Sh’Ahr Blackburn as Frog and Garris Wimmer as Toad, along with Chase Miller, Aleia Eagleton and Katie Bruno. As always, I’m eager to check out Joi Ware’s choreography, plus eye-catching costumes from William H. Ditty IV. Celebrating individual differences and the simple joys of friendship, A Year With Frog and Toad offers a worthy opener for NCT’s main-stage season. 

Through Oct. 18 at Nashville Children’s Theatre

25 Middleton St.