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A Year With Frog And Toad Cast and Creatives

Cast

Onyekachi Anyagaligbo (Bird, Turtle, Squirrel, Mother Frog, Mole) is an upcoming junior BFA Music Theatre major at Florida State University, originally from Miami, FL. She began her training under the mentorship of Tanisha Cidel, Khadijah Rolle, Jamel Booth, Brianne Cidel, and Eddie Brown. Previous credits include Young Frankenstein (Elizabeth Benning), Great Comet (Ensemble), 9 to 5 (Ensemble), Once on This Island (Ti Moune), and Chicago (Velma Kelly). She is thrilled to be making her Asolo Rep debut.

Christian Collins (u/s Toad, Bird, Snail, Lizard, Father Frog, Mole) is a rising Senior BFA Music Theatre Major at Florida State University from New Orleans, LA. Credits: Sweeney Todd (Sweeney - Fall 2025), Great Comet (Dolokhov), Something Rotten (Robin, Shakespeare U/S), Sweet Charity (Charlie, Vittorio U/S) at FSU; Newsies (Choreographer) & Pippin (Pippin) in NOLA; A Chorus Line (Mike), Rent (Steve), and 42nd Street at Tulane Summer Lyric. He is ecstatic to be at Asolo Rep. Go Noles! Live Like Keith. @christianjcollins_

Charlotte Ennen (Bird, Mouse, Squirrel, Young Frog, Mole) is so excited to be making her Asolo Rep debut. She graduated from Florida State University with her B.F.A. in Music Theatre this year. Credits: Sweet Charity (Charity), Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed (Weather/Secret Service), Cinderella, and Newsies at FSU; Cinderella and Chicago at Virginia Musical Theatre. She sends all her love to her family, mentor Alisa Hauser, and FSU friends. www.charlotteennen.com

Calee Gardner (u/s Bird, Turtle, Mouse, Squirrel, Mother Frog, Young Frog, Mole/ Dance Captain / Assistant Choreographer) is thrilled to be back on-stage with Asolo Rep. After her Asolo debut as u/s Mrs. Bollinger in Inherit the Wind, she enjoyed a successful Conservatory season as Shelby Holcomb, in John Proctor is the Villian, and Mrs. Savage, in The Curious Savage. Other credits: The Sketchbook, in Scenes of An Execution (PTP/NYC); Margot Frank, in The Diary of Anne Frank (StageWorks Theatre); and Harriet Smith in Jane Austen’s Emma (The Ruth).

www.caleegardner.com

Alex Hatcher (Frog) Alex in his final year of MFA Acting training at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory and is thrilled to be back performing on the Cook stage for the summer! His credits in Florida include: The Curious Savage, John Proctor is the Villain, The Winter’s Tale (FSU/Asolo); Born with Teeth, Dial M for Murder, 12 Angry Men: The Musical (Asolo Rep). Alex holds a BFA in Acting from Boston University. IG @alx.hatch. www.alexanderhatcher.com.

Nick Nasta (u/s Frog, Bird, Snail, Lizard, Father Frog, Mole) Nick is a rising senior Music Theatre major at Florida State University who was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. He would like to thank his family and friends for their overwhelming support. Previous credits include South Pacific, Joseph and…Dreamcoat (Wagon Wheel); 9 to 5, the Musical, and Sweet Charity (Florida State University).

Vicente Tome (Bird, Snail, Lizard, Father Frog, Mole) Vicente is a recent graduate of FSU who was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He will soon be taking his Theatre degree to NYC to pursue his passion for performing. Offstage, you may see Vicente stage managing, clipboard always in hand. He would like to thank his friends and family for their endless support. His credits include: Young Frankenstein, Once Upon a Mattress, Dragons Love Tacos, and Newsies (Florida State University).

WILL WESTRAY (Toad) is in his 2nd year at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory. He was previously in the cast of Inherit the Wind, Born with Teeth, and Twelve Angry Men: A New Musical at Asolo Rep. He holds a degree in Musical Theatre from Shenandoah Conservatory. Shoutout to the DMV.

CREATIVES

Cat Brindisi (Choreographer) From 2013-2017, Cat was a co-founder of 7th House Theater in Minneapolis: a company dedicated to producing new musicals and reimagined stagings of works from the canon. Choreography: Man of La Mancha (Asolo Rep, dir. Peter Rothstein); Dancing at Lughnasa (Asolo Rep, dir. Joe Dowling); The Sounds Inside (The Southern, dir. Kate Sutton Johnson). Select Acting: The Guthrie Theater: Stage Kiss, The Tempest, Into the Woods,The Parchman Hour, My Fair Lady, South Pacific, Sunday in the Park With George; Theatre Latte Da: Spring Awakening, Aida, … Spelling Bee. Direction: Once Upon a Time Mattress (Cedar Summerstock), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Chanhassen Dinner Theatres). Assistant Director: Lady Molly of Scotland Yard (Asolo Rep, dir. Peter Rothstein). Upcoming Direction: Alice in Wonderland (Asolo Rep on Tour).

Fiona Coffey (Stage Manager) Born and raised in Sarasota, Fiona has been working in professional theatre in the Sarasota area for 7 years and is the Production Stage Manager for the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for actor training. Stage management credits include The Curious Savage, The Chinese Lady, The Winter’s Tale (FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training); That Must Be the Entrance to Heaven, The Modern Works Festival, Westminster, OAK (Urbanite Theatre); Godspell, The Little Prince (Penobscot Theatre Company). Thank you for supporting the arts and enjoy the show!

David Covach (Costume Designer) Is thrilled to be a part of the creative team for A Year With Frog & Toad and excited to be collaborating again with his life partner, Scott Keys (Director). David’s first professional job was touring with The Detroit Institute of Arts’ Theatre for Young Audiences. He did two national tours in the roles of El Gatto, the mischievous cat (Pinocchio) and as The Wicked Wazir (Aladdin). There, David found his interest in costuming, working as the wardrobe maintenance person and taking his first stabs at creating millinery. David moved to New York in 1990 and since then, he has dedicated his career solely to the costuming arts. He relocated to Sarasota 30 years ago to work in the Asolo Costume Shop, where he has overseen and managed costume production for the last 25 years. Earlier this summer he shared his knowledge with a group of 7 young designers (ages 11 to 18), conducting a weeklong workshop where each designed and constructed a costume for an imaginary production of Frog & Toad. Prior to the workshop 4 of the 7 had never touched a sewing machine.

Natalie Eslami (Scenic Designer) is an Iranian-American scenic designer based in New York City. Originally from Memphis, she’s thrilled to return to the Southeast for her Asolo Rep debut. Selected design credits include TEETH (Associate Designer, Playwrights Horizons), Chicken & Biscuits (Playhouse on the Square), Misery (Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble), Little Women (Bristol Valley Theater), and Friends with Amenities (59E59 Theaters). Natalie is a product of childhood arts exposure, and hopes this production encourages curiosity in young audiences. Much love to the parents, the boy, and the cat. She is a graduate of the BFA Drama program at Carnegie Mellon University. neslamidesign.com | @natslami

Carl Haan (Music Director, Keys 1) is a pianist//musical director/vocal coach originally from Chicago who relocated to the Sarasota area after 18 years in NYC. He has performed on Broadway: Lestat, Broadway Backwards; Off-Broadway: Five Course Love, Miracle Brothers, Character Man (nominated for Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle awards), at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. He toured all over the U.S. and Canada as asst. conductor with the Cameron Mackintosh UK production of My Fair Lady. He was nominated for a Jeff for his musical direction of Nine at Circle Theater in Chicago & played for Second City on Norwegian Cruise Line. This is his 7th show here at Asolo after having worked on Jesus Christ Superstar, Beautiful, Cabaret, Crazy for You, 12 Angry Men: A New Musical and Man of LaMancha. He is also a company pianist for the Sarasota Ballet, but he is most proud of his years teaching at NYU/CAP 21, Wagner College and Rosie’s Theater Kids. Huge thanks to Felicia, cheers to Helen. and much love to Tugba. XOOX

Will Johnson (Lighting Designer) is grateful to make his Asolo Rep design debut lighting FROG AND TOAD. His previous work includes 3 years as the Resident Lighting Designer for Music Theater for Young People (KS), YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN (Crown Uptown Theater), CINDERELLA (Palace Theater), TOSCA (Wichita Grand Opera). He was awarded the Mary Jane Teall Award for Best Lighting Design for THE 39 STEPS and DOUBT. Originally from Wichita, Kansas, his experience as a Production Electrician over the past decade has taken him to theaters across the country including Music Theater of Wichita, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theater, Maltz Jupiter Theater, Barrington Stage, Goodspeed Musicals, and now Asolo Rep.

SCOTT KEYS (Director) is a freelance Theatre Artist and Educator based in Sarasota who has directed over 150 plays and musicals locally and nationwide. A published composer/lyricist, he holds a BFA degree in Musical Theatre Performance from Syracuse University and an MFA degree in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU-Tisch School of the Arts, where he was awarded the Oscar Hammerstein Fellowship and the Edward Kleban and Jonathan Larson Foundations for distinguished writing. Recent directing credits include Parade, Fun Home, Falsettos, and The Mousetrap. He served as the Chairman of the renowned Booker HS-VPA Theatre for over two decades and received The Distinguished Career Award for Secondary Theatre Education from the FL Theatre Conference. He served as Interim Artistic Director of Sarasota Players and as Artistic Director of Weathervane Playhouse (OH). He is honored to be making his Asolo directorial debut.

Matthew Parker (Sound Designer) received his B.F.A. in Theatre Production Design and Technology from Ohio University. He was the resident sound designer at Monomoy Theatre in 1990. He has worked sound and special effects at The Flat Rock Theatre in North Carolina on such shows as I Hate Hamlet, the world premiere of Gilligan’s Island: The Musical and others in the 1992 season. Since 1993, Matthew has designed sound for many of Asolo Rep’s productions. In addition, he wrote and performed the musical scores for The Count of Monte Cristo and Nicholas Nickleby. Outside the theatre world he has designed and programed the show control system for Livingston’s Amusements Bazooka Ball arena and produced virtual expositions for the National Watercolor Society.

Robert Reale (Composer) Musicals-Broadway: A Year With Frog And Toad (Tony nomination). Off-Broadway: Once Around The City (2nd Stage), Quark Victory (Williamstown Theater Festival). Music for plays: Richard Dresser’s Rounding Third (directed by John Rando) Diva, (WTF), Salvation’s Moon. Film: Ten-13, Passing Over, Wigstock, Dealers Among Dealers, The Victim, others. Television: PrimeTime, 20/20, Inside Edition, Out There (theme), Invent This (theme), Mugshots, Crime Stories, The System, The Mailman and the Pirhana, Case Closed, Beating The Rap, The Royals: Dynasty or Disaster?, others. As composer and record producer he has worked with Julie Andrews, Mel Torme, Sid Caeser and Imogene Coca.

Willie Reale (Book and Lyrics) is a free-lance writer, living in New York. He has collaborated with his brother, Robert, on a musical called Once Around The City, which was produced by New York Stage and Film and at the Second Stage Theatre in New York. Quark Victory, another musical written with his brother, was produced by the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Other plays have been produced at the Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Actors Theatre of Louisville, and Circle Repertory Company. With his brother he has written A Year With Frog and Toad, which was performed at the Childrens' Theater Company in Minneapolis, the New Victory Theatre and at the Cort Theater on Broadway. Willie received two Tony nominations for his book and lyrics.

Gianna Weerasooriya (Assistant Stage Manager) Gianna is a sophomore at Florida State University pursuing a BA in Theatre Performance and Stage Management. This is her first show with Asolo Rep and her first stage management credit. Acting credits include The Grown-Ups (Swing), Stigmata (Swing/Natalie WS), and Ride the Cyclone (Jane Doe). She is grateful for the opportunity to work with such talented professionals and thanks Fiona Coffey; she feels lucky to collaborate with someone she so deeply admires.