Mound native takes stage in ‘Frog and Toad’

Actor Jay Goede will reprise his role as Frog in Children’s Theatre Company ’s upcoming production of musical comedy “A Year With Frog and Toad” which runs April 23 - June 16, in Minneapolis. Having originally portrayed the character in the show’s debut production in 2002 and later on Broadway in 2003, Goede is excited to be returning to the role two decades later.

“I never thought I would get a call from director Peter Brosius inviting me back to play the role of Frog,” said Goede. “It’s not very often that you get the chance to do a role again 20 years later. The first time around I was learning how to be a musical performer and this time the technique is there and I get to enjoy the relationships more.”

“A Year with Frog and Toad” is based on Arnold Lobel’s cherished Frog and Toad book series, focusing on the enduring friendship shared between the titular characters as they embark on a series of adventures throughout the course of a year.

“Even though I’m playing Frog, in life, I’m a little bit more like Toad— like a tornado coming through,” said Goede. “Toad perpetuates an anxious mind, while Frog is more put together and calm.”

Goede is a 1982 graduate of Mound Westonka High School where his father Eugene Goede was the band director at the time. His brother was an actor at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres and Goede says he lived vicariously through him.

“I was a quiet kid and kind of a misfit like Frog and Toad are,” said Goede. “I didn’t plan to become an actor, though as a child, I danced around to lots of records and put on plays for the neighborhood. It wasn’t until I was in college when I was an art major working on set design that I started auditioning for plays.”

Goede received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota before attending Yale School of Drama. He then worked as an actor in New York until he retired in 2010 and dedicated himself to teaching and art.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve performed the show, so when we started rehearsals I didn’t remember a lot of the music and blocking,” said Goede. “Even though the sets and costumes are the same and the music and dialogue is the same, it’s been like discovering a new musical. I have a better understanding of myself as a human being now.”

The stage sets draw inspiration from the illustrations found in the original books, a fusion that Goede affectionately labels as “vaudeville meets woodland creatures.” Set around the turn of the century, the production features Frog and Toad attired as humans, imbued with a distinctly humanistic essence.

“I’m a big old movie and television buff and I’ve taken inspiration from “The Honeymooners” and “Perfect Strangers,” said Goede. “Comedy is fun, but deceptively complex. It looks simple but the stakes are high and you really have to invest in it.”

“A Year with Frog and Toad” is meant for all ages and Goede hopes that local audiences who saw the show growing up will now bring their kids to the performance.

“The big message in the musical is that we all have a best friend that we stick with through thick and thin,” said Goede. “Sometimes they embarrass us and sometimes they embarrass themselves, but we love them unapologetically for who they are.”