Stage Door News
Barrie: Talk Is Free Theatre extends Sondheim’s “The Frogs” to July 5
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Talk is Free Theatre Artistic Producer Arkady Spivak announced today that their production of the Stephen Sondheim musical, The Frogs, will extend its run in Barrie thanks to popular demand.
Audiences will now have another three chances to take in the musical–staged outdoors in a residential garden–with a new closing date set for July 5, 2025. The Frogs was previously scheduled to close on June 28, before heading to the Shaw Festival July 11-13 for an engagement as part of their Spiegeltent series.
"TIFT has become known as a Canadian home of Sondheim,” says Spivak, “with the Dora Award-winning Sweeney Todd and Assassins, and similarly lauded productions of Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George and Anyone Can Whistle. But underneath it all, TIFT is really home to Canadian actors for whom it means little else than to probe those wonderful and rare worlds, some of which are giant and imperfect all at once."
Based on the play written in 405 BC by Aristophanes, freely adapted by Burt Shevelove, even more freely adapted by Nathan Lane and with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, this hilarious, yet poignant, musical follows Dionysos, Greek god of wine and drama, and his slave, Xanthias, on a journey to Hades to collect George Bernard Shaw, so that he may enlighten the masses of Earth. However, William Shakespeare shows up and engages in a battle with Shaw. and a fight for the honor of reincarnation ensues.
The Frogs will feature Kyle Brown, Crystal Casera, Sydney Cochrane, Dean Deffett, Taylor Garwood, Richard Lam, Nolan Moberly and John-Michael Scapin. It will be directed by Griffin Hewitt, choreographed by Julio Fuentes, musical direction by Ben Page, set/costume design by Varvara Evchuk, lighting design by Nic Vincent. The production will be managed by Jeff Soucy, with stage manager Alana Freistadt and assistant stage manager Connor Bustamante.
THE FROGS
A comedy written in 405 B.C. by Aristophanes
Freely adapted by Burt Shevelove
Even more freely adapted by Nathan Lane
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Original Direction and Choreography by Susan Stroman
Directed by Griffin Hewitt
Running June 19–July 5, 2025
801 Big Bay Point Road, Barrie
Regular tickets - $39 +HST; Full-time students or artists (ID required upon entry) - $19.50 +HST