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The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
August 17 - 27
Music and Lyrics by William Finn
Book by Rachel Sheinkin
Based on a play by Rebecca Feldman
Take me back to the days of weekly reviews for spelling tests and the test on Friday! The review was likely a “spelling bee” where the class was divided into two teams pitted against each other. If you were prepared, you might have been on the winning team. If not, you probably took an early exit, a clear message to study for the test. Learning how to spell could have been good preparation for your life’s work, or…
Fast forward to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a one-act musical comedy that came to the Broadway stage in 2005. This story of overachievers “spells out” the experiences of six students vying for the local championship. These kids are good spellers, with their own methods for success, but they each bring their own adolescent baggage and humor with them to the contest. Adding more spice to the event each night are members of the audience who are invited to join in the competition and fun!
Spelling Bee began as an improvisational play by Rebecca Feldman called C-R-E-P-E-S-C-U-L-E (twilight). It was developed in workshops in two parts and then combined for a short run Off-Broadway. On April 15, 2005, the production stepped up to the Circle in the Square Theatre on Broadway, and closed in 2008 after 1,136 performances. The show was nominated for 6 Tony Awards, winning Best Book for Rachel Sheinkin and Best Featured Actor for Dan Fogler in the role of William Barfee. The show is currently doing National Tours in Canada and Australia. Note that this show exhibits a trend toward shows with shorter running times, smaller casts, and musicals uninterrupted by an intermission.
PG-13