One More Productions Presents THE 25th...SPELLING BEE, Closes 4/17

Time to dust off the dictionaries and brush up on Scrabble, because One More Productions-one of Southern California's leading musical theater companies-is presenting the hit musical comedy 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee through April 17 at The Gem Theatre in Garden Grove. The show is directed by Damien Lorton.

In Spelling Bee, six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. This hilarious tale of overachievers' angst chronicles the experience of six adolescents vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. The show's Tony Award winning creative team has created the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time.

Before each show, four guest spellers will be selected from the audience to join in the spelling bee. This audience involvement allows for new and unexpected experiences on stage and makes each performance unique.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a musical with a book by Rachel Sheinkin and music and lyrics by William Finn. The show started as a non-musical play named C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E done by the improvisational group "The Farm." From there, creator Rebecca Feldman worked with William Finn to turn the show into a full-length musical. The show débuted at the Barrington Stage Company and then moved to Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theater where it broke box office records. After moving to Broadway's Circle in the Square in 2005, Spelling Bee won two 2005 Tony Awards: Best Book of a Musical and Best Featured Actor.

"We hope this show will spell F-U-N for our audiences," says One More Productions Artistic Director Damien Lorton with a laugh. "It's a clever, comedic piece with endearing characters, and the opportunity for audience involvement adds a unique improvisational element. We think audiences will become truly invested in the story, whether or not they choose to participate on stage."

The cast for 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is: TJ Mundy-Punchard (Mitch); Adriana Sanchez (Rona); Kyle Myers (Panch); Danny Diaz (Leaf); Rebecca Silverman (Olive); Reesa Ishiyama (Marcy); Matt Takahashi (Barfee); Andrew Paskil (Chip); Nicole Cassesso (Logainne).

Tickets & Contact Info

Single tickets are on sale now. Tickets are $25 each ($35 for opening night gala). Thursday previews are Locals Night-Garden Grove residents pay only $10! For more details, call the box office at (714) 741-9550 ext. 221, or visit the website at www.onemoreproductions.com.

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