Review: 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE at 2nd Generation Theatre

An utterly charming afternoon of fun perfectly sums up THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, now playing at Shea's Smith Theatre. Second Generation Theatre Company has a track record of presenting quality productions in this cozy theatre, and they continue to produce at a very high level

SPELLING BEE was the little musical that could, winning the TONY AWARD for Best  Book  of a Musical in 2005. It's small cast and unit set make it the perfect fit for smaller theatre companies, and it's comedic script by Rachel Sheinkin hits all the right chords. Six finalists are competing for spelling bee champ, and the nerdy cast of characters ensures that the laughs are non stop.  A teacher and a Vice Principal moderate, inviting a few willing audience members onstage to also compete.

The score and lyrics by William Finn  is catchy and  corny when needed, but also more endearing and sweet, as the personal lives of the students and adults come to light.

The cast is the ultimate ensemble show, where each member plays off  of the other, while sometimes also playing teo parts. Direction by Kristin Bentley is swift, but allows space for each character to develop over the quick 2 hours.

Amy Jakiel is the awkwardly wonderful teacher Rona Lisa Peretti, a former spelling bee winner herself. Jakiel has a lovely clarion singing voice and imbues the role with a motherly demeanor. On the other hand, Steve Copps is marvelously nerdy as vice Principal Douglas Panch. His burning desire for Rona, along with an unspoken past "incident" make him a comic dream. Copps is on fire as the reader of each spelling word, giving great definitions and derivations, appearing snide and cooky.

But those 6 "kids" are where this cast shines. Stevie Kemp is the lisping daughter of two gay dads, Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre ( That name alone is hysterical on it's own). Kemp's petite stature and crystal clear singing voice make her instantly endearing. 

Derrian Brown gets the wonderfully juicy role of William Barfee, whose indiosyncratic talent is being able to spell each word on the ground with his "magic foot." Brown epitomizes the  awkwardness that comes from being uber smart but unable to interact well with others,  while suffering from sensory issues. But he lets it rip when his  magic foot starts dancing.

Sabrina Kahwaty plays Olive Ostrovsky, the girl whose parents are perpetually absent. Olive is the most "human" of the kids, and Kahwaty does a fine job conveying the heartbreak of being endlessly disappointed. 

Sofia Siracuse is the perfect parochial school girl overachiever. Clad in her plaid school uniform and a master of 6 different languages, she suffers no fools. Siracuse gives the perfectly straight laced, strident portrayal of the girl you love to hate. By the time she sings " I Speak Six Languages" while dancing, tossing a baton and tumbling across the stage, you instantly remember that girl in your own High School class that overachieved in everything. Her elimination from the bee was unexpected and wonderful at the same time.

Preston Williams embodies Leaf Coneybear from his first entrance. Williams revels in the role of this wildly clad kid with the wild hair,  hopelessly goofy and clumsy. His family back story helps us understand his view of the world. Williams also plays one of Logainne's dads and shows he has the acting chops for both roles.

Brandon Smalls as Chip Tolentino is tall and geeky, dressed in his scouts uniform. Smalls embodies those teenage trials and tribulations of puberty, and delivers an often side splitting performance. His hormones get the best of him and Smalls delights in his performance.

Brian Brown plays Mitch Mahoney, the "official comfort counselor" who is doing community service, comforting the losers of the bee. Brown has a great set of pipes, riffing and belting as he escorts the despondent losers off stage and hands them a juice box.

All of the kids assist the audience contestants who are brought on stage, and the result appears equally funny for the cast and audience alike. At Sunday's matinee, some of the audience spelling bee contestants  were so wonderful , I wondered if they may have been planted in the audience. But they weren't.

Choreography by Kelly Copps was simple but effective on the small stage. Music Director Allan Paglia  led the fine off stage band. Set Design by Chris Cavanagh is picture perfect, along with the great costumes by Lindsay Salamone.

With a strong cast and high production values, SPELLING BEE is a winning hit of a musical that is sure to charm even the grinchiest of grinches. Treat yourself to a little silliness before this show closes. 

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is presented  by Second Generation Theatre at Shea's Smith Theatre through November 17, 2024. Contact sheas.org for information and tickets.

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