CROAKER Hops His Way Into NYC
William Cortez-Statham
- OnStage New York Columnist
Wouldn't it be loverly if it was as simple as kissing a frog to gain your prince? Well, sort of. "Croaker," a new musical twist based on the Brothers' Grimm fairy tale The Frog Prince, is making a splash as it debuts this weekend in NYC at the not-for-profit Three Act Theatre.
The show is composed by the up-and-coming songwriting team of Jason Marks and Debra Clinton, both from Richmond, Virginia where "Croaker" first had its start. Initially, the musical was developed as part of a specialized program model for SPARC (School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community) and involved over 30 middle school-aged students in its original inception in 2012. After the success from the SPARC production, a Kickstarter fund was started to raise money for an original demo recording. Soon after, a concert version featuring 11 professional actors and singers was performed as a fundraiser for the project. The concert, combined with the Kickstarter project, raised enough money to pay for an original demo recording. In late 2015, it was selected to receive its regional premiere as part of Virginia Repertory Theatre's 2015-2016 season. The show was a huge success, once again, and ran for 6 weeks to rave reviews. Reviewers gave the show 5 out of 5 stars, and called the show, "Absolutely phenomenal," "A hit that appeals to both adults and children," "...a Broadway style musical that doesn't disappoint," and "tuneful, touching, and full of enormous heart."
Well, now this little frog is ready to take the big leap from the regional theatre pond to its premiere in New York City this weekend as a culmination of the not-for-profit Three Act Theatre Company's three-week theatre intensive. The program pairs high school actors with Equity and non-Equity guest artists. Performances of "Croaker" are this Friday, July 29th at 7 p.m. (SOLD OUT), Saturday, July 30th at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 31st at 3 p.m. All performances are at the SoHo Rep Theatre Walkerspace, 46 Walker St, New York, NY 10013. More information can be found below.
Buy tickets here: https://www.universe.com/events/croaker-a-new-musical-tickets-PHWF83
For more information on "Croaker": www.croakerthemusical.com