A Year with Frog and Toad

A Year with Frog and Toad
Based on the Books by Arnold Lobel
Music by Robert Reale
Book and Lyrics by Willie Reale

January 20-22
Directed by Chris Mackowski

From The DirectorFrog and Toad are old friends of mine. As a kid, I adored the Frog and Toad books. Now, some thirty years later, I still enjoy the chance to curl up on a couch and spend time with them. Things seem to be coming full circle, too, because now it's my son, Jackson, who adores Frog and Toad so much. He and I have been reading their stories on the couch together for months-and Jackson, who's five, does most of the reading. That very act of spending time together in a meaningful way is really what the Frog and Toad stories are all about. The importance of friendship lies at the heart of each of the four books, and it lies at the heart of this production. I'm blessed to be doing this show with some of my very best theatre friends. If Frog and Toad tell us anything, it's that friendship is important, and a strong friendship, like a strong marriage, must be worked on. It can be hard, in the bustle of today's world, to devote the time or to expend the kind of effort a good friendship requires. But strip away life's craziness for a moment; boil life down to its simplest components. Frog and Toad, for instance, don't have jobs and kids and bills and housework and nine hundred other things vying for their attention, so they frequently go to extraordinary lengths just to make sure their friend is happy. Maybe you have a friend of your own who deserves that same kind of treatment-if only you had the time. Make the time. It's easier said than done, I know, and it's a lesson I must constantly drill into my own head. Like you, I have nine hundred things to do-if I set them aside for a half an hour, they'll still be there, waiting. But some things won't wait. My son will only be little once, so if he wants to curl up on the couch with me to read a good book, it's now or never. Sometimes we need to be reminded of what's important, and that knowledge is one of friendship's greatest gifts. -- Chris Mackowski

The Cast

`Nathan H. Bell`	........................................................	`as Frog`
`Paul A. Nelson`	........................................................	`as Toad`
`Ardyth Van Scoy`	........................................................	`as Friend 1 / Turtle`
`Cristin Winegard Hopkins`	........................................................	`as Friend 2 / Young Frog`
`Gabriel Potter`	........................................................	`as Friend 3 / Snail`
`Tanaka Van Druff`	........................................................	`as Friend 4`
`Stephanie Mackowski`	........................................................	`as Friend 5`
`???????`	........................................................	`as Large and Terrible Frog`

The Orchestra

`Eric Van Druff`	........................................................	`Conductor`
`Ryan Drescher`	........................................................	`Alto Sax, Tenor Sax`
`Holly Garrity`	........................................................	`Flute`
`Michael Grady`	........................................................	`Euphonium`
`Joseph Lepsch`	........................................................	`Trumpet`
`Matthew McIntyre`	........................................................	`Guitar`
`Norman Preston`	........................................................	`Percussion`
`Emily Marsh`	........................................................	`Keyboard`
`Boris J. Van Druff`	........................................................	`Bass Guitar`
`Kimberly Voegelin`	........................................................	`Clarinet / Flute`

The Crew

`Chris Mackowski`	........................................................	Director, Co-Producer
Anne Davenport-Leete	........................................................	Designer, Co-Producer
Eric Van Druff	........................................................	Music / Vocal Director
Ardyth Van Scoy	........................................................	Choreography
Rebeckah D. Blair	........................................................	Technical Director
Cindy Matteson	........................................................	Stage Manager
Julie Shembeda-Burns Nanci K. Garris	........................................................	Assistant Stage Managers
Charles Church Stephanie Mackowski Tanaka Van Druff	........................................................	Stage Crew
Ron Johnson	........................................................	Sound
Richard Blair	........................................................	Light Board Operator
Gabe Potter Eric Van Druff	........................................................	Light Crew
Jim Van Scoy	........................................................	Master Carpenter
Diane Arnett Nathan Bell Bryon Blackwell Charles Church Anne Davenport-Leete Chris Mackowski Heidi Mackowski Stephanie Mackowski Jackson Mackowski Paul Nelson Gabe Potter Tanaka Van Druff Ardyth Van Scoy	........................................................	Build Crew
Meredith Van Scoy	........................................................	Costume Designer
Ardyth Van Scoy Regina Van Scoy	........................................................	Costume Assistants
`Charles Church Chris Mackowski`	........................................................	Photography
Sharie Radzavich	........................................................	Publicity Director
Julie Dykstra Chris Mackowski Pottsy Cheri Thomas	........................................................	Additional Publicity
Betsy Matz	........................................................	Box Office
Chris Mackowski	........................................................	Program
Diane Kerner Arnett Jan Frederick	........................................................	Hospitality
Bob and Wendy Thompson Sue Hollenbeck Elmer and Anna DeLucia Rick and Jan Frederick Dr. and Mrs, S. Gajanan	........................................................	Hospitality Hosts
Bob and Wendy Thompson Sue Hollenbeck Tillie Brady Catherine and Dorene Epstein Jan Frederick Nanci Garris Taffy Meyer Clare Blatz Gloria Saar Cindy Pascarella Ruby Backer Shirley Frederick Parkview Supermarket	........................................................	Refreshments

To Our Young Audience MembersThank you for coming to see our play. We hope you really like it because we really like having you here. If you like this play, then you should read one of the Frog and Toad books. There are four of them, and they are all fun to read. Everyone who has worked on the play has read a Frog and Toad story. We love them! Please come back and see us again sometime.

Special Thanks The Bradford Era Bradford Area High School Bradford Area Public Library Les Buhite Patty Colosimo 'Piano Mike' Grady The Learning Center Heidi Mackowski Reed Matteson Pitt-Bradford Campus Police and Safety Mary Rolick Chad Young Thanks, as ever, to our ticket outlets: Brauser�s, Graham Florist, Ott & McHenry Pharmacy, Smith�s Trophy Shop, and Tina�s Hallmark! BLT would like to thank media sponsor WESB for its continued support!