Go! feature

For this season’s holiday show for the family, the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati reprises the 1997 production of “The Frog Princess,” the first effort of the Cincinnati-based creative writing team Joseph McDonough (playwright), David Kisor (composer and lyricist).

“It’s been tweaked and streamlined,” said actor Michael G. Bath who reprises the roles of Boris and Baba Yaga, “but it’s not significantly different.”

In the tradition of ETC’s “fractured fairy tale” holiday productions, “The Frog Princess” is a modern spin on a classic Russian story about a tsar who commands his three sons to seek out their prospective brides by following arrows they have shot into the air. The two eldest sons find princesses; the other, a frog.

Boris, the eldest brother, is the arrogant heir-apparent, Bath said, who takes liberties with his status.

“He’s the kind of character you love to play because you get to say and do things you never could in real life,” he said.

Baba Yaga is also a fun character because of its roots in Russian lore.

“There are many different legends about her,” Bath said. “She’s a witch, a cannibal, the Russian version of the Boogeyman.

“She has chicken legs, her body is its own house and she has a tail of straw that wipes away her footprints so you’ll never know where she’s been.”

Although it’s based on a folk tale, the Kisor/McDonough team make it their own, Bath said.

“Joe has the ability to write clever dialogue that is accessible to children while still being entertaining for adults,” he said. “And David Kisor just vomits music. He gets a little idea one day and the next he’s back with a whole new song with tracks on a CD.”

The cast also includes newcomers Anna Kate Bocknek as the Frog Princess and Charlie Clark as the young prince Ivan, and ensemble players Annie Fitzpatrick, Sara Mackie and Deb G. Girdler, who will also reprise her role as Old Bones from the 1997 production.

• WHAT: “The Frog Princess” by Joseph McDonough and David Kisor
• WHERE: Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, 1127 Vine St., Cincinnati
• WHEN: Dec. 12-Jan. 6
• COST: $27-$35 adults; $16 children 12 and younger
• MORE INFO: (513) 421-3555; www.cincyetc.com