In 1974, Sondheim was becoming interested in contrapuntal writing, and most of the songs in the 1974 version correspond to choral numbers in the Greek.' The ensemble included then–Yale students Meryl Streep, Sigourney Weaver and Christopher Durang. The piece used a Greek chorus: 'Sondheim's works frequently focus on an ensemble of characters, a practice which has led one critic to compare his use of the chorus to Greek drama. Shevelove directed, with choreography by Carmen de Lavallade Larry Blyden played Dionysos. The Frogs was performed by the Yale Repertory Theatre in the Yale swimming pool, opening on May 20, 1974, for 8 performances. According to Mary-Kay Gamel, 'His central production concept involved Charon and Dionysos rowing across the Exhibition Pool in the Payne Whitney Gymnasium, while the Frogs, played by members of the Yale swimming team, swam around the boat.' Production history Yale University Shevelove first wrote and directed an adaptation of The Frogs in 1941, while he was a graduate student at Yale University. This version was revived in London in 2017. The show was produced on Broadway in 2004 with the book revised by Nathan Lane and the score expanded by Sondheim.

The musical was originally performed in Yale University's gymnasium's swimming pool in 1974.

Dionysos brings Shakespeare back to the world of the living in the hope that art can save civilization. William Shakespeare competes with Shaw for the title of best playwright, which he wins. In the musical, Dionysos, despairing of the quality of living dramatists, travels to Hades to bring George Bernard Shaw back from the dead. The Frogs is a musical 'freely adapted' by Stephen Sondheim and Burt Shevelove from The Frogs, an Ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes. Theatrical poster for the 2004 Broadway production of The Frogs

The frogs lyrics