Can You Spell R-E-U-N-I-O-N? Where Are the SPELLING BEE Students Now?
By: Nora Dominick Jul. 05, 2015
Can you spell R-E-U-N-I-O-N? On Monday July 6, 2015, some of the original cast members of THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE will gather to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the beloved musical.
Original cast members at the concert event will include Derrick Baskin, Deborah S. Craig, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Dan Fogler, Lisa Howard, Jose Llana, Jay Reiss and Sarah Saltzberg. Jenni Barber will be stepping in for Celia Keenan-Bolger after she stepped out last week. Barber took over the role of Olive Ostrovsky from Keenan-Bolger in the original production.
The one-night-only event will be presented at The Town Hall, benefitting The Actors Fund's Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative and is being held in memory of Andrea "Spook" Testani Gordon, the beloved production stage manager of the original Broadway and off-Broadway production. Spook passed away on November 30, 2014 following a battle with cancer.
The hit musical tells the story of several socially awkward youngsters finding joy, heartache and a purpose in competing at the regional spelling bee. The musical features a book by Rachel Sheinkin, music and lyrics by William Finn, and direction by James Lapine. Based on "C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E," an original play by The Farm, the production was conceived by Rebecca Feldman and featured additional material by Jay Reiss. It premiered on Broadway on May 2, 2005 following sold-out runs at Second Stage Theatre and the Barrington Stage Company. The critically acclaimed musical was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and won two: Best Book of a Musical (Rachel Sheinkin) and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Dan Fogler). The production ran for nearly three years closing on January 20, 2008 after playing 1,136 performances.
BroadwayWorld has decided to take you back to the bee to look back at the extremely talented original cast as we prepare for the one-night only reunion!
One of the biggest breakout stars of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Jesse Tyler Ferguson has had a prosperous career on both the stage and television. Prior to his role as Leaf Coneybear, he made his Broadway debut in On the Town. Since Spelling Bee, Ferguson has taken over television in the career-defining role of Mitchell Pritchett in the Emmy-Award winning TV show, Modern Family. His work has earned him five Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Right now, Ferguson can be seen in the Shakespeare in the Park production of The Tempest.
Lisa Howard has taken Broadway by storm this year, but her Broadway career started in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as Rona Lisa Peretti. Since Spelling Bee, Howard has been part of several Broadway productions such as the recent Tony Award winning revival of South Pacific, 9 to 5 and Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Right now she is turning heads as Jenny in It Shoulda Been You. Her work has earned her critical accalim including a 2015 Drama Desk Award nomination. Just listen to her performance of "Jenny's Blues" at the Tony Awards and fall head over heels in love.
After making her Broadway debut as Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Celia Keenan-Bolger has taken Broadway by storm. After departing the musical, she played Eponine in the 2006 revival of Les Miserables. Keenan-Bolger later originated the role of Molly in Peter and the Starcatcher and was nominated for a 2012 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. In 2013, Keenan-Bolger gave a rousing performance as Laura in the revival of The Glass Menagerie. She began performances at the American Repertory Theatre that year and then followed the production when it transfered to Broadway. Her work earned her a 2014 Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award nomination. Celia Keenan-Bolger pulled out of the concert event last week siting the demands of having a newborn prevent her from attending the concert.
Jose Llana was one of the few Broadway veterans when he originated the role of Chip Tolentino in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Llana made his Broadway debut as Lun Tha in 1996 revival of The King and I. He went onto play roles in Rent, Street Corner Symphony, Flower Drum Song and Wonderland. This summer he is taking over the role of The King of Siam from Ken Watanabe in the Tony Award winning revival of The King and I opposite 2015 Tony Award winner Kelli O'Hara.
Dan Fogler originated the role of William Barfee in The 25th Putnam County Spelling Bee and earned a Tony Award for his work in the musical. Since ending his run in the musical, Fogler has gone onto have roles in both television and film. He is known for his work as the voice of Zeng in the film Kung Fu Panda. He also wrote and starred in the film comedy Don Peyote. In 2012, Fogler was one of the main characters in the short lived ABC comedy Man Up! Other recent television appearance include Secrets and Lies, The Good Wife, The Goldbergs, Hannibal and more.
Deborah S. Craig originated the role of Marcy Park in The 25th Putnam County Spelling Bee. Since ending her run in the musical Craig has gone onto have multiple roles on hit television series. In 2012 she has a recurring role on the CW hit show Hart of Dixie and in 2013 she held a major recurring role in the NBC hit drama The Blacklist as Luli Zheng. She also is a recurring guest star on the Golden Globe winning comedy Transparent as Kristin and also guest starred on Disney's Dog With a Blog. Later this year she can be seen in the film The Outfield.
Derrick Baskin's claim to fame on Broadway was as "Comfort Counselor" Mitch Mahoney in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Baskin earned a Drama Desk Award alonside the rest of the Spelling Bee cast for "Favorite Ensemble Cast." He went on to play Jetsam as part of the original cast of Disney's The Little Mermaid and Gator, a man who finds his voice, in Memphis.
Jay Reiss made his Broadway debut as the unhip Vice Principal Panch in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The role marked Reiss' first and last apperance on Broadway as an actor. He's a playwright and writer at heart and still remains very active in the Broadway community.
Sarah Saltzberg made her Broadway debut in The 25th Putnam County Spelling Bee as Logainne Schwartzandgru-benierre. Since leaving the musical she has appeared in comedy and improv shows in the NYC area. She has appeared off-Broadway as Helen in The Donkey Show, Cherry in Sinfully Rich, as Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream and in her one-woman show Dear Diary. Right now she is represented as a writer in the off-Broadway comedy "Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, and Marriage."
Photo Credits: Joan Marcus and BroadwayWorld
Videos
