Frogs began its journey in 1971 when performed in the Yale University swimming pool with assistance from the University swimming team. Today's production (with too many producers to make sense of) is rolling along with a respectful decorum to the late great lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim, and an excellent cast, who might also be able to swim but that's neither here nor there.
God of the theatre Dionysus (excellently played by Dan Buckley) and his slave Xanthius (played by Kevin McHale) travel to the underworld with the mission of restoring law & order on earth by returning with the great literary wordsmith, George Bernard Shaw. However, their quarterly targets must be reviewed when the disguise of Dionysus' half-brother Herakles does more damage than good.
Sondheim's wit calms a lot of nerves with playful intellect and rhyming as Buckley and McHale address the audience with a list of Do's & Don'ts for theatre etiquette, creating a comfortable performance space the next 2 hours of contemporary comedy. The adaptation builds from the simple relationship between Buckley and McHale (who later becomes the butt of an apt stunt casting quip) to become an all-out romp of a theatrical spectacular.
The Greek chorus is made up of Joaquin Pedro Valdes (also Herakles), Carl Patrick (also Charon), Bart Lambert (also Shakespeare), Martha Pothen (also Shaw), Alison Driver (also Ariadne), Milo McCarthy, and Evonee Bentley-Holder – yes, these characters are all involved in the same plot. The chorus are an excellent vehicle for driving forward a somewhat insubstantial plot at times, and Stroman's choreography is greatly entertaining from the grotesque grace of the absurdist frog ballet to the vanity of the bicep-busting Herakles.
It would be remiss not to acknowledge Carl Patrick, who masters comedic temperament as Charon, the boatman to the underworld. Patrick's games with the audience sustain a light-hearted measure to the book (by Burt Shevelove & Nathan Lane) that, at times, becomes a slow-paced ramble. In addition, Buckley's Dionysus is both a leading fellow with a cracking set of pipes, and a rare find actor in a musical… who can actually act!
Although one of Sondheim's lesser-known works, Frogs is a fun absurdist jaunt with a few twists and turns to keep you whistling all the way to the forum.
Review: Sebastian Calver Photo: Pamela Raith