By Kenneth Jones
19 May 2003

Sidelined by appendicitis, actor Jay Goede hasn't appeared in Broadway's Tony Award-nominated A Year With Frog and Toad since May 14, but he's expected back at the Cort Theatre when he's better.

A spokesman for the show confirmed the recent word on the street: Goede went into the hospital May 16 and had his appendix removed and he's likely to be released May 19. He's not expected back in the show until perhaps the week of May 26. This period includes performances attended by Tony Award voters, though no cast members from the family-friendly musical were Tony nommed.

Since May 14, actor Jonathan Rayson (a respected cabaret performer and veteran of musicals in Minneapolis) has played the starchy, ruminating Frog to Mark Linn-Baker's daffier Toad in the musical inspired by writer-illustrator Arnold Lobel's children's books. Daughter Adrianne Lobel is the show's designer and co-producer.

The musical has been Tony nominated in 2003 for Best Musical, Best Book (Willie Reale) and Best Score (composer Robert Reale and lyricist Willie Reale).

Yale Drama School alum Goede appeared on Broadway in Angels in America and The Play's the Thing, and in the national tour of Cabaret. For The Public Theater, he was featured in Merchant of Venice, Pericles and Othello.