Spelling Bee Celebrates 500th Chicago Performance, 7/15

Chicago's company of the new Tony Award-winning Broadway musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee celebrates its 500th performance this Sunday (July 15) at the Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place.  The acclaimed production, heralded by audiences and critics alike, is now the 4th longest running Broadway show in Chicago history since opening in March 2006.  The spelling continues through the end of the summer until September 2.

"Behind-the-scenes the Bee staff and crew remain hard at work to ensure every consonant and vowel is in place night after night – with that in mind the company is proud to recognize the following facts and figures to coincide with this important and significant milestone," state press notes.

"Reigning Bee champ, Chip Tolentino has tossed over 3000 bags of potato chips into the audience, 1500 packages of gummy bears, and 2500 bags of M&M's.  William Barfee consumes his 500th Twinkie on Sunday night (that's over 150 feet of the Hostess treat) and over 3500 juice boxes have now been distributed by Mitch Mahoney (that's 218 gallons of comforting juice).  Marcy Park is all business when it comes to karate kicking 500 planks of wood in half during her signature song – that's a total of 750 square feet to be precise (or enough wood to cover the floor of a sizeable Chicago studio apartment).  And Vice Principal Douglas Panch has prepared over 10,000 note cards (on recycled paper) with multiple word definitions, alternate spellings and pronunciations – Mr. Panch has offered to date 25,500 words and definitions to contestants at the microphone.

Spelling Bee audiences swarm from around the globe and Chicagoland to prove how well they spell.  2000 audience volunteers from places as far away as Australia & Alaska and as close as Lakeview & the Loop have all participated on-stage at the Bee.  In total they have received roughly 7500 words, depending on their success at the microphone, with one notable pediatrician from Skokie going a record 7 rounds into the competition. 

In the hilariously hip musical comedy, 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 show continues through September 2 only at Chicago's Drury Lane Theatre, located at 175 East Chestnut Street.

Individual tickets range in price from $25 - $69.50 and are available at the Drury Lane Box Office (175 East Chestnut Street) by calling (312) 642-2000 as well as all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (18 W. Monroe St, 24 W. Randolph St. and 151 W. Randolph St.), through the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (312) 902-1400, at all Ticketmaster ticket centers or online at ticketmaster.com.

Discounted parking for theatre-goers is available at garages conveniently located near the theatre, for as low as $7.50 (rates based on availability, time and garage location).  For complete information visit www.SpellingBeeTheMusical.com/Chicago.

Tickets are available for groups of 20 or more by calling (312) 977-1710. 

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