25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE Breaks House Record

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the Tony Award-winning new musical with music and lyrics by William Finn, with a book by Rachel Sheinkin, conceived by Rebecca Feldman and directed by James Lapine, has broken the Circle in the Square Theatre's house record and filled the theatre to 103.3% capacity (including standing room) for the week ending July 4, 2005. In a theatre with just 684 seats, the musical grossed $451,332 for the week.

In The 25th Annual Putnam County 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.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee cast features Derrick Baskin as Mitch Mahoney, Deborah S. Craig as Marcy Park, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Leaf Coneybear, Dan Fogler as William Barfee, Lisa Howard as Rona Lisa Peretti, Celia Keenan-Bolger as Olive Ostrovsky, Jose Llana as Chip Tolentino, Jay Reiss as Douglas Panch, and Sarah Saltzberg as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre. In addition to performing, Mr. Reiss also writes additional material for the show.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee began performances at Broadway's Circle in the Square (50th St., between Broadway & 8th) on April 15 and had its press opening on May 2. Tickets are $25-95. The new performance schedule is (beginning week of July 11): Mondays at 8 PM; Tuesdays at 7pm; Wednesdays at 2PM & 8PM; Thursday and Fridays at 8pm; Saturdays at 2 PM & 8 PM. Tickets are available through Telecharge, or at the Circle in the Square box office.