THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE to Return to Midtown

Producer Thommie Retter (Billy Elliot The Musical) and Director/Choreographer Ann Cooley (Victor/Victoria (Nat.Tour), The Producers (Nat. Tour), The Will Rogers Follies, ) bring together a team of 21 teen actors for a production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," with additional contributions from writer Anthony Giunta's ("Contest", the movie).

Featured performers include 16-year-old actor Marquise Neal ("Kinky Boots" Original Cast Member), 15-year-old actor Christian Dell'Edera ("A Christmas Story" National Tour) and 15-year-old actress Mabel L'Ecuyer ("Billy Elliot" National Tour). The actors are split in three casts of nine.

Actress/Talent Manager Jody Prusan and Jeremy Dalton will engage audience members with their own spelling bee as the audience arrive at the theatre.

A long-time coach to young talents, Retter aims to keep teenagers active in onstage productions; while in the teen years the number of roles on Broadway fall dramatically, "During this hiatus, Retter Entertainment takes pride in providing educational theater opportunities that keep the kids in practice in front of live audiences, raising their level of talent, preparing them for college entrance exams and, ultimately, a professional career on The Great White Way!" says Thommie Retter.

Joining Retter and Cooley, the creative team includes assistant director Chandler Converse, the music director Joe Baker (Broadway Youth Ensemble), the assistant music director James Harvey, the stage manager Elena Chapman, and the lightning designer Bill Stonehouse.

The show is suitable for children 8 and older. Performances of Retter Entertainment's "The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee" will take place from November 9-12 at the 777 Theatre (777 Eight Avenue between 47th and 48th Streets) with the following schedule: Thursday at 7 pm; Friday at 7 pm; Saturday at 1 pm and 5 pm; Sunday at 1pm and 5 pm. Tickets are priced $ 45.50 and can be purchased at web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/981676 or through www.RetterEntertainment.com.

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FULL CAST AND DATES:

Thursday, Nov 9th at 7:00pm & Saturday, Nov 11th at 5:00pm

Olive - Margaux Blau

Marcy - Samantha Kelleher

Schwartzy - Julia Lipsztein

Barfee - Christian Dell'Edera (Thursday)

Zachary Brod (Saturday)

Leaf - Joey Casali

Chip - Marquise Neal

Madge - Ali LeCroy (Thurs)

Amelia Firestone (Saturday)

Rona - Ginger Gordan

Vice Principal - Anthony Allocca (Thursday)

Adam Elsayed (Saturday)

Friday, Nov 10th at 7:00pm and Sunday, Nov 12th at 1:00pm

Olive - Michelle Moughan

Marcy - Clara Smith

Schwartzy - Bella Retter

Barfee - Christian Dell'Edera

Leaf Coneybear - Joey Casali

Chip - Marquise Neal

Madge - Ali LeCroy

Rona - Victoria Csatay

Vice Principal - Anthony Allocca

Saturday, Nov 11th at 1:00pm and Sunday, Nov 12th at 5:00pm

Olive - Chloe Hechter

Marcy - Liesl Landegger

Schwartzy - Alya Thackeray

Barfee - Zachary Brod

Leaf- Joey Casali

Chip -Ezequiel Pujols

Madge - Amelia Firestone

Rona - Mabel Lecuyer

Vice Principal - Adam Elsayed

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About Thommie Retter/ Retter Entertainment

Thommie has ongoing classes in NYC that are not just full of child celebrities from TV, film and stage. His classes also include kids from all backgrounds and talent levels. Thommie always has clients in a variety of Broadway shows including; School of Rock, Kinky Boots, Anastasia, Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Finding Neverland, Fun Home, Matilda, Annie, Honeymoon In Vegas and others. Also the US touring company's of A Christmas Story, Lion King, Matilda, The Sound of Music, Pippin, Annie and Billy Elliot The Musical. Thommie loves training young people and seeing them achieve their goals.

About The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School. Six quirky adolescents compete in the Bee, run by three equally quirky grown-ups. The 2005 Broadway production, directed by James Lapine and produced by David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo, Barrington Stage Company and Second Stage Theater, earned good reviews and box-office success and was nominated for six Tony Awards, winning two, including Best Book. The show has spawned various other productions in the United States, and other countries. An unusual aspect of the show is that four real audience members are invited on stage to compete in the spelling bee alongside the six young characters.

Meteors from Thommie Retter on Vimeo.

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Asteroids from Thommie Retter on Vimeo.