Lucky Me Lovingly Rendered

By Leah Gehlsen Morlan
Photo by Bob Goodfellow

Patrick DuLaney; Jennifer Fawcett

Iowa City - Riverside Theatre’s Lucky Me is a charming show which follows the trajectory of unlucky-in-love-and-life Sara Fine’s (Jennifer Fawcett) relationship with the affable Tom (Patrick DuLaney), a tenacious TSA agent. Written by Robert Caisley, who is on-hand for two talk-backs during the show’s run, Lucky Me visits Riverside Theatre as one stop on it’s National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere.

A Year With Frog and Toad is Simply Delightful

By Leah Gehlsen Morlan

Coralville - Produced by City Circle Acting Company, A Year With Frog and Toad is a darling show suitable for all ages. The production is based on the much-loved books by Arnold Lobel and adapted for the musical stage by Willie and Robert Reale. It comprehensively tells the story of besties Frog and Toad over the course of one year, opening and closing with the end of their winter hibernation and including daily interactions with a host of animal friends.

A Year With Frog and Toad is a run-down of the ultra-simple lives of some super-quiet folks, which translates to a full-length song about Toad looking ridiculous in his bathing suit, entitled "Getta Loada Toad" (a number led by the charming Katherine Boothroyd – cast her in your next show, folks), a song about the merits of spending time by oneself, "Alone," and a song about a delicious batch of sweets, expertly entitled "Cookies" (beautifully-timed at the end of Act I, directly before releasing an audience-full of children to wander about the snack-filled lobby during intermission). Frog is the measured and sweet foil to Toad’s curmudgeon with a soft heart. The slice-of-life, day-to-day elements of this play are further strengthened by the way that Frog and Toad navigate them. This is, essentially, a play about two dudes hanging out and living life. And it’s lovely.