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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. Broadway Center Stage: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Also see Susan's review of Romeo and Juliet
The 2005 Broadway musical by William Finn (music and lyrics) and Rachel Sheinkin (book) is a charmer, following six middle-schoolers–played by adults–through the nerve-wracking ordeal of a regional spelling bee. If each of them has one or more specific quirks, that's part of the fun. The competitors are Olive Ostrovsky (Nina White), whose love of words sustains her while her family life is in turmoil; Chip Tolentino (Philippe Arroyo), the reigning champion coping with puberty; brainy Logainne SchwartzAndGrubenierre (Feldstein), the pride of her two gay dads; overachieving Marcy Park (Leana Rae Concepcion); homeschooled Leaf Coneybear (Noah Galvin), part of a large hippie family; and William Barfée (McHale), who constantly corrects people's mispronunciation of his name. Joining them are Rona Lisa Peretti (Milligan), a past winner and now part of the bee staff; Mitch Mahoney (Alex Joseph Grayson), a "comfort counselor" who consoles students with juice boxes when they misspell a word; and highly strung Vice Principal Douglas Panch (Killam). Director and choreographer Danny Mefford makes the most of his able cast, whether in their manic group moments (all the contestants freak out at one point or another) or the more introspective solos. McHale gets the zany "Magic Foot" song and dance (that's how his character spells out the words before responding verbally), while White gets both the gentle "My Friend the Dictionary" and the wrenching "I Love You Song." The performers whose characters are dealing with the most internal pressure–and, therefore, have the most explosive solos–are Arroyo, Concepcion, and Feldstein. Paul Tate dePoo III has turned the Eisenhower Theater stage into a clever facsimile of a school gymnasium, complete with school team banners and basketball hoops. Emily Rebholz has created quirky costumes for each character, most specifically Galvin's whimsical outfit. At each performance, audience members are invited to volunteer as fellow contestants and participate in the bee. On press night, one of them was recognizable from her television career and, as it happens, had a family connection to one of the cast members. The Broadway Center Stage production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs through October 20, 2024, at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Eisenhower Theater, 2700 F St. NW, Washington DC. For tickets and information, please call 800-444-1324 or 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org. Directed and choreographed by Danny Mefford Cast: |
