Niagara-on-the-Lake hosts Frog and Toad from 5 November
Published on 11/07/2026 at 17:09 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSHoliday theatre in town
- Shaw Festival presents A Year with Frog and Toad from 5 November to 23 December 2026.
- The production returns to the Court House Theatre with a new cast, staging and additional songs.
- Niagara-on-the-Lake is also hosting Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella from 8 November 2026.
Niagara-on-the-Lake hosts A Year with Frog and Toad from 5 November 2026, as the Shaw Festival brings its holiday production to the Court House Theatre in the Ontario town. The production runs until 23 December, placing a family musical at the centre of the town’s seasonal theatre programme.
Frog and Toad opens the Shaw holiday season
The show is part of the Shaw Festival’s 2026 holiday season, which starts with A Year with Frog and Toad on 5 November and continues until 23 December. The festival’s official season listing places the production at the Court House Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake, while the company’s holiday season release confirms the dates and venue.
Jonathan Tan directs the production, with music by Robert Reale and book and lyrics by Willie Reale. It is based on Arnold Lobel’s books and follows Frog and Toad through a year of comic and musical misadventures. Drew Plummer plays Frog and Michael Therriault plays Toad.
The Shaw says the production returns after first appearing at the company as an outdoor concert series in 2022. The 2026 version has a new cast, a new look and a new home at the Court House Theatre, with additional songs not previously performed by the company.
Niagara-on-the-Lake gives the play a historic theatre setting
The Court House Theatre is one of the Shaw Festival’s named venues, alongside the Festival Theatre and the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre. Its use for the holiday musical connects the production directly with the festival’s established theatre campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake rather than with a temporary event space.
The play’s setting also marks a change from its earlier Shaw presentation. The 2022 outdoor concert series has become a fully staged production for the 2026 holiday season, and the move to the Court House Theatre gives Frog and Toad a permanent indoor venue for its run.
The programme is not the only holiday production in town. Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella begins at the Festival Theatre on 8 November 2026 and continues until 23 December, creating a two-production holiday playbill across the Shaw Festival’s venues.
A second holiday production starts on 8 November
The two shows give the Shaw Festival’s November programme a clear split between venues. A Year with Frog and Toad is scheduled for the Court House Theatre from 5 November, while Cinderella begins at the Festival Theatre on 8 November. The Shaw’s release identifies both productions as part of the 2026 holiday season in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
For visitors choosing the earlier production, the start date is significant because the Court House Theatre run begins three days before Cinderella. The calendar therefore offers a theatre visit centred on Frog and Toad from 5 November, with the second holiday title joining the programme from 8 November.
Visiting Niagara-on-the-Lake: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- A Year with Frog and Toad runs from 5 November to 23 December 2026 at the Court House Theatre.
- The production is fully staged and features a new cast, additional songs and a pre-show family workshop according to the Shaw Festival release.
- The venue is in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, and the Shaw Festival’s listed address is 10 Queen’s Parade.
- Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella begins at the Festival Theatre on 8 November 2026, providing a second holiday production in the same town.
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Frequently asked questions about Niagara-on-the-Lake
When does A Year with Frog and Toad take place at Niagara-on-the-Lake?
The Shaw Festival production runs from 5 November to 23 December 2026 at the Court House Theatre.
What is A Year with Frog and Toad at Niagara-on-the-Lake?
It is a fully staged musical based on Arnold Lobel’s books, with music by Robert Reale and book and lyrics by Willie Reale.
Where is Niagara-on-the-Lake and how do you get there?
The town is in Ontario, Canada, and the Shaw Festival lists the Court House Theatre at 10 Queen’s Parade.
