The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Music and Lyrics by William Finn
Book by Rachel Sheinkin
Additional Material by Jay Reiss. Originally Directed on Broadway by James Lapine. Originally produced on Broadway by David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo Barrington Stage Company, Second Stage Theatre. Licensed exclusively by Music Theatre International (Australasia).
From 8 September at Hayes Theatre Co
Six spellers enter… but only one speller can leave a champion! At least the losers get a juice box…
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a wildly hilarious take on adolescence, parenting, teachers, and the P-A-N-D-E-M-O-N-I-U-M of the world of competitive spelling bees. Centered around an eclectic group of six mid-pubescent teens, the show effortlessly weaves its way through the motivations and hopes of each competitor as they vie to take home the spelling championship of a lifetime! But which speller will avoid the soul-crushing ‘ding’ of the bell that signals the end of their time in the competition?
“Spelling Bee is an entertaining musical depicting the highs and lows of a small-town spelling bee championship. It pulls on your heartstrings, and it makes you laugh out loud by candidly disclosing the stories of the speller’s home life. From its diverse set of characters to its unique setting, we knew there was no better place to tell this story than the intimate space of the Hayes Theatre Co stage,” said co producer Kayla French.
Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, Spelling Bee is a riotous ride that has charmed audiences across the globe. With its fast-paced wit and vibrant score, this is an unforgettable and unexpectedly heart-warming experience not to be missed. Not seen on a professional Australian stage since the 2006 Melbourne and Sydney productions, it’s time to relive the magic in an entirely new way.
“The great thing about this production, apart from it’s witty humour, is that it speaks to the importance of teachers and education in the lives of children that have often been marginalised. This is a theme we’re excited to explore throughout our version of this magical show. Importantly, it also lends itself to diverse casting. Every character is entirely distinctive, and we can’t wait to see who we find to fill these roles. There is no restriction on age, race or gender when casting this show, which is exciting for us as producers. It will still be the same great show that has existed for the last 20 years, but our version will open up the opportunity for the performers to delve into the characters in a way that may not have been done before,” said co producer Sarah Isaacs.
Cast to be announced. (Auditions currently underway)
Director: Dash Kruck
Choreographer: Vi Lam
Musical Director: Abi McCunn
Set and Costume Designer: Monique Langford
Lighting Designer: Lucia Haddad
Sound Designer: Sam Cheng
Producers: September Remedy Productions – Kayla French and Sarah Isaacs
