Beanie Feldstein, Kevin McHale, Noah Galvin to Star in SPELLING BEE at the Kennedy Center

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts revealed the complete cast and creative team for the Broadway Center Stage production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee featuring music by two-time Tony Award winner William Finn and a book by Tony Award winner Rachel Sheinkin.

Directed and choreographed by Danny Mefford (Kimberly Akimbo, Dear Evan Hansen) with musical direction by Roberto Sinha (New York, New York; Hamilton), the all-star cast includes Philippe Arroyo (& Juliet, Aladdin) as Chip Tolentino, Beanie Feldstein (Drive-Away Dolls, Booksmart) as Logan Schwartzandgrubenierre, Noah Galvin (Dear Evan Hansen, Booksmart) as Leaf Coneybear, Alex Joseph Grayson (Parade, Into the Woods) as Mitch Mahoney, Taran Killam (Spamalot, Saturday Night Live) as Vice Principal Douglas Panch, Kevin McHale (Glee, American Horror Stories) as William Barfee, Tony Award® winner Bonnie Milligan (Kimberly Akimbo, Encores! Titanic) as Rona Lisa Peretti, Nina White (Queen of Versailles, Kimberly Akimbo) as Olive Ostrovsky, and Anna Zavelson (Encores! The Light in the Piazza, 13 Reasons Why) as Marcy Park. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee plays the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater October 11–20, 2024.

“Only when all of the unlikeliest of stars align in ‘perfect syzygy’—to quote Bill Finn—do you get a group of such talent in one room together to create something that is sure to be hilarious, moving, and once-in-a-lifetime. I know that this production will bee nothing short of brilliant,” said Broadway Center Stage Artistic Director and Kennedy Center Vice President and Executive Producer of Theater, Jeffrey Finn.

Six spellers enter, but only one can be named winner of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. This charmingly witty and touching musical has entertained audiences since its Tony Award®–winning debut. A group of six mid-pubescents compete in the title championship, spelling their way through vexing vocabulary while sharing hilarious and poignant personal stories. A riotous ride, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a fast-paced and funny D-E-L-I-G-H-T.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will include scenic design by Paul Tate DePoo III, costume design by Emily Rebholz, lighting design by David Weiner, and sound design by Haley Parcher. Casting is by Geoff Josselson. Matthew Lacey is the Production Stage Manager.

Tickets:

Tickets for Broadway Center Stage: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee are now on-sale via the Kennedy Center website, in-person at the box office, or by calling 202-467-4600.

The Broadway Center Stage series has been acclaimed by the Washington Post as “a raging success at the Kennedy Center reflecting a Broadway sheen.” Its hit production of Monty Python’s SPAMALOT recently enjoyed a critically-acclaimed Broadway engagement and will embark on a national tour in 2025.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was originally produced on Broadway by David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo, Barrington Stage Company, and Second Stage Theatre.