The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
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Original Broadway Cast
Photo by Joan Marcus
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By Melinda Schupmann
I'm not one to like adults cavorting about as children, but, in this case, these endearingly nerdy kids (and a couple of adults) almost have me convinced that they could be entrants in a spelling bee. They represent the very types who usually end up with academic honors--the awkward, shy, or confident ones-- whose weekends are spent in worthwhile pursuits like studying or learning something for its own sake. Or, maybe they are just competitive in an area where other more robust types might not venture. At any rate, the six finalists are just funky and pretty funny, as advertised.
By now, you may have seen these actors in a Tony-award show or in a plug for the production on television. Costume designer Jennifer Caprio has them dressed as you might expect: a parochial school uniform, an Eagle Scout uniform, a crumpled shirt and high-water pants; a oddly mixed jacket and scarf; coveralls, and an almost butch blazer and poly-looking pants. These are the folks you expect to be here competing for an abstruse prize not coveted by many.
The children are all standouts in their own ways. Tony award-winner Dan Fogler returns as William Barfee, all arrogance and weirdness, as he uses his magic foot to spell out the words that will declare him the winner. Jesse Tyler Ferguson is Leaf Coneybear, a random-abstract in a world of linear types, who somehow gets misplaced into this competition and does pretty well. Celia Keenan-Bolger is Olive Ostrovsky, a painfully shy but caring competitor who is smart but nervously needy. Deborah S. Craig plays Marcy Park, an overachiever whose interests lie in excellence at any cost, even her childhood. Jose Llana is Chip Tolentino, whose Polish-Latino background leads to a laugh or two. Rounding out the six is Sarah Saltzberg as the in-your-face Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, coached by her two dads to be a winner!
The show really shines in the spelling department. As the contestants hear the words and ask for sentences or definitions, the one-liners are really funny. Acting as judges are Rona Lisa Peretti (Lisa Howard), a prominent citizen realtor, paired with assistant principal Douglas Panch (Jay Reiss) whose previous mental issues put him at risk.Also around for moral support is Mitch Mahoney (Derrick Baskin), serving his time in community service. These adults make nice foils for the action.
William Finn, whose music and lyrics play with all this this spelling nonsense as well as creating tender moments, is one of the reasons the show is a success. He is clearly a fan of words, and he combines clever lyrics with some soul-searching moments that carry the play beyond the jokefest into a world where children are often the victims of their families and heavy expectations.
In the music line, Saltzberg delivers a very funny. "Woe is Me." as she tries to be a winner. Craig also has a tour de force "I Speak Six Languages" playing a piano, doing the splits, and other talents as she tries to prove that she has a lot more to offer than spelling.
Rachel Sheinkin's Tony award-winning book is clever and amusing. It fares better in the early stages of the play's spelling competition than later when the characters indulge in some angst. It is, however, a fresh and funny endeavor.
Choreographer Dan Knechtges manages to keep the kids moving around, sometimes to kind of strange configurations, but the action keeps the show moving. James Lapine's direction is bright and crisp, and he can set up each actor for some featured spots that highlight their personalities. It looks and acts like a Broadway show, much to its credit, which will ensure that it is produced frequently by regional theater companies. It is an hour and forty-five minutes with no intermission, and the time really speeds by. Though not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, it entertains and looks at our societal need for achievement. Fortunately, the children do a little postscript on their adult lives, leaving us with the notion that they became successful in spite of the demands of childhood. It is, all in all, a fun evening with much to recommend.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, presented by Broadway/LA at the Wadsworth, on the grounds of the Veterans Administration in West Los Angeles on Wilshire Blvd. just west of the 405 freeway. Tues-Fri. at 8; Sat. at 2 & 8; Sun. at 1 & 6:30 (the matinee on Sat., June 9 will be at 1.) Tickets online at www.ticketmaster.com or 213-365-3500 or 714-740-7878. Closes June 17.
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