Photo Flash: Party for New Spelling Bee Kid Barrett Foa

NEXT Magazine recently threw a party at Therapy, celebrating The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Barrett Foa, who joined the cast as Leaf Coneybear on July 25th. In attendance were such Spelling Bee cast members as Todd Buonopane, Kate Wetherhead and Deborah S. Craig.

Foa, who succeeded Jesse Tyler Ferguson in the role, has previously appeared on Avenue Q and Mamma Mia!, as well as Off-Broadway in Godspell and Cupid and Psyche, and regionally in such shows as Much Ado About Nothing, Camelot, Gypsy, The Fantasticks and Children of Eden.

"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 in this funny, tender and sardonic musical," state press notes on the show, which features a score by Tony Award-winner William Finn and a Tony-winning book by Rachel Sheinkin. James Lapine directs. There are currently two regional sit-down productions of the show, with a third on the way. A national tour will also begin in the fall.

Visit www.spellingbeethemusical.com for more information on Spelling Bee, or www.nextmagazine.com for more on NEXT.

Barrett Foa

Barrett Foa

Barrett Foa and Todd Buonopane

Todd Buonopane and Kate Wetherhead

Deborah S. Craig and Barrett Foa

Barrett Foa and party guests