Spelling bees are undeniably one of the hottest, most fascinating trends in pop culture right now. They're popping up everywhere from the box office to primetime television to the Broadway stage.
The level of competition that attracts the most attention is, of course, the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, which has recently made headlines with its portrayal in films such as this year's "Akeelah and the Bee," "Bee Season" (2005) and "Spellbound" (2002). One can understand why the granddaddy of all spelling bees would be a topic of such interest; after all, who isn't at least a little curious about the lives of middle school students who can spell words like "Ursprache" and "autochthonous"?
In the Tony Award-winning smash hit "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," the actors focus on a smaller aspect of the spelling bee bracket, as the title implies. This musical comedy, which opened in Boston on Sept. 26, takes place entirely within the time span of one local spelling bee, the winner of which will advance to the National Spelling Bee. However, don't mistake this narrower focus for inadequacy; this quirky show is sharp and exciting enough to stand out on its own.
"Spelling Bee" features six youngsters exploring their identities in their own unique ways amidst the awkwardness of puberty and against the harrowing backdrop of a competitive spelling bee. The diversity of these kids is highly exaggerated for humorous purposes, giving each speller has his own story.
Chip Tolentino (played by Aaron J. Albano) is the reigning champion from the previous year's bee. Leaf Coneybear (Stanley Bahorek) is home-schooled. Olive (Jenni Barber) is the shy, unassuming girl. William Barfee (Jared Gertner) is very smart, but he has some unfortunate idiosyncrasies. Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (an impressive Sara Inbar) is the youngest speller. And the last speller is Marcy Park (Greta Lee), an overachieving Asian-American girl.
These kids are joined by judge and former champion Rona Lisa Peretti (Betsy Wolfe), her difficult partner, Vice-Principal Panch (Daniel Pearce), and the hulking counselor Mitch Mahoney (James Monroe Iglehart).
Although the actors playing the spellers are all in their twenties, they are all extremely convincing as middle school children. Even without obvious stage makeup, they completely look the part, and their voices sound youthful as well. Albano and Wolfe show excellent, convincing facial expressions. Wolfe also has a strong voice that fits her character perfectly. Barber's able performance is memorable, as well. Some actors do double duty and play minor characters in addition to their more prominent roles, showing their versatility.
This show reveals each character's individual issues and eccentric traits with fast-paced wit and charm - even the title of the musical shows subtle irony. The bee portrayed is only at a preliminary level, but the kids take it as seriously as if it were nationals.
The underlying plot of this play is simple, but flashbacks, tangential moments and side rants provide highly entertaining and engaging moments. One of the most notable scenes in the play is delivered in a fast motion/slow motion scheme. The spellers whiz through several rounds of words, then William spells his next word with remarkable slothfulness.
The jokes are numerous, hilarious, and at times, raunchy and politically incorrect. At one point, Marcy inadvertently summons Jesus Christ, and the first sentence out of her mouth is, "I knew you were Asian!" The often inappropriate definitions and sentences for the words leave the audience roaring with laughter.
One of the most unique features of "Spelling Bee" is the risky amount of audience interaction. Before the show, four lucky audience members are chosen to participate in the performance. These guests spell words on stage along with the regular cast members.
When they misspell, Mitch Mahoney gives them a consolation juice box and leads them off-stage. This daring element lends a reality show-like flair of excitement to every performance. At some points, the characters even interact with the pit orchestra.
Specifically for the Boston audience, "Spelling Bee" adds the charming touch of regional jokes, or topical jokes, like those last week specifically timed for Halloween audiences. These include lines like, "Mayor Menino was supposed to be the pronouncer, but too many parents complained."
This show has something for everyone, from spelling bee aficionados to anyone who just wants a good laugh. "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" successfully takes a hot topic in pop culture and turns it into a high-quality Broadway performance.
