The undercover smash musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"" is making a stop at the Overture Center this weekend for five performances. Through the eyes of the six nerdy contestants, it shows how just one little spelling bee changes their middle-school lives.
Last year's champion is boy scout Chip Tolentino (Justin Keyes), whose puberty kicks in at the wrong time this year. There's also home-schooled Leaf Coneybear (Andrew Keenan-Bolger), who proves his siblings and school wrong just by being at the bee. The arrogant William Barfee spells out the words with his ""magic foot"" before saying them out loud.
Then there's Marcy Park (Katie Boren), who speaks six languages and, even though she does it all (hockey, rugby, piano, baton-twirling), she's not a genuinely happy person. Neither is shy girl Olive Ostrovsky (Vanessa Ray), the only speller who doesn't have anyone in the audience cheering her on.
Rounding out the girls is 9-year-old Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (Dana Steingold). With her lisp, braids as tightly wound as she is and over-supportive dads (yes, plural), she, like the rest of the spellers, brings out a part of adolescence we all want to forget.
In addition to the six kids in the cast, there are three adults: former bee champ-turned-announcer Rona Lisa Peretti (Roberta Duchak), school vice principal Douglas Panch (James Kall) and comfort counselor Mitch Mahoney (Kevin Smith Kirkwood). Kirkwood's role in the musical is simple yet important, even though he's not a speller. Serving his required community service requirement, Mitch makes the kids feel better with a hug and a juice box to ""soften the blow of being eliminated in front of thousands of people,"" Kirkwood said.
Kirkwood also said one reason the show is so popular is because it's not like a typical musical. It doesn't have the usual simple melodies and also, adults are playing the children.
In addition, if your lifelong dream is to be in a spelling bee, you're in luck: four audience members are selected to spell with the contestants during each performance.
""Spelling Bee"" has brought in audiences from all across the country and can easily be compared to fellow independent smash film ""Juno"" because both weren't ""meant"" to become mainstream hits.
Another reason the show has become popular is because everyone, no matter how old, can somehow relate to the contestants. Teenagers will feel a little better knowing someone else is going through the same problems they are, while adults and college students will reminisce and be more than happy they're not at that stage anymore.
Student-rush tickets for the show will be available for $20 one hour before curtain. Students must present their ID at the ticket office window, will be limited to two tickets per ID and only cash will be accepted. ""The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"" begins tonight at 8 p.m. and runs through Sunday.
