Farmers Alley Theatre Presents THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE

With popular demand outstripping the capacity of Farmers Alley Theatre's 100 seat venue in downtown Kalamazoo, the theatre has announced a temporary move to the campus of Kalamazoo College.

In this exciting new partnership with the college's Theatre Arts Department, the rest of a season full of critically acclaimed productions, sold out shows, and added performances (Working: a Musical, Every Brilliant Thing, Native Gardens, Skeleton Crew, and Sondheim on Sondheim) will be presented in the beautiful 280 seat Festival Playhouse.

This collaboration begins with a hysterical production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee this June and continues with School of Rock: The Musical this July.

In The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee an eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime while candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives. The tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming "ding" of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; but only one will leave a champion! (At least the losers get a goodbye song and a juice box.) It's a joyful night of comedy and quirk that celebrates the pursuit of victory and the gift of being true to oneself.

At the core of the show are the six young spellers, brilliantly performed by talented adults all channeling their inner tween. Farmers Alley Theatre is thrilled to welcome three returning cast members from its 2023 production of Rent, including Mariangeli Collado (Mimi Marquez) as Olive Ostrovsky, Teddy Huff as Chip Tolentino, and Alexis Aponte as Marcy Park. Joining them are Angela Calleja as Schwartzy, Jeff Meyer as Leaf Coneybear, and Charlie Turner as William Barfée. The cast also includes Farmers Alley Theatre Founder Denene Mulay Koch (just seen in Sondheim on Sondheim) as spelling bee moderator Rona Lisa Peretti, Aaron Pottenger (also just in Sondheim on Sondheim) as Comfort Counselor Mitch Mahoney, and Michael P. Martin as Vice Principal Douglas Panch.

This zany and heartfelt musical is directed by Farmers Alley Theatre founder and Executive Director Rob Weiner, who returns to directing here for the first time since 2019's hysterical Avenue Q. He also directed the theatre's memorable productions of The Toxic Avenger and [title of show].

Rob says, "Spelling Bee is just plain F-U-N. It has so many of the things I look for in a supremely entertaining night out at the theatre: catchy songs with clever lyrics, memorable characters, a hilarious 90-minute script, and just the right amount of heart that has you feeling all warm and fuzzy at the show's conclusion. I've had the pleasure of performing in the show once before, and I'm so thrilled to be able to share our vision of this joyous musical with our audiences at the Festival Playhouse on the campus of K College. Fun, energetic, and colorful - it's the perfect summer show!"

"We are so excited to present a wildly funny and heartwarming modern classic musical like Spelling Bee,” says Managing Artistic Director Jeremy Koch. “This show is so well written — it is all about embracing our unique qualities, accepting others for who they are and never giving up on your dreams. The script is timelessly hysterical, the score is exciting, there's even a little audience participation — and I promise it's the fun kind!”

He adds, “Our team is top notch: we've got two founders, as well as veteran stage managers, designers, musicians and crew members. Plus, we have a perfect blend of performers: we're bringing in local talent as well as a few professionals from Chicago and NYC who are sure to become new Farmers Alley favorites. And in the spirit of education: we are featuring students (and alumni too!) from Western Michigan University and the University of Michigan. I'm endlessly grateful to our core Farmers Alley team, our friends at Festival Playhouse and our sponsors who help make these events possible."

Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee shines with effortless wit and humor. Conceived by Rebecca Feldman and Jay Reiss, it was based off of C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E, an original play by The Farm. It features a book by Rachel Sheinkin with music and lyrics by Broadway legend William Finn (Falsettos). It was directed on Broadway by three time Tony Award-winner James Lapine. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs for just two weeks from June 12 to June 23, 2024. Tickets start at $45. $10 rush tickets are offered for all performances starting 1 hour prior to curtain (subject to availability, theatergoers must be present at the box office). Student ticket pricing is $15 for all shows. Preview performance tickets on Wednesday, June 12th are $25. ASL Interpreted Performance on Sunday, June 16 at 2:00pm. Tickets are available for purchase at www.farmersalleytheatre.com or by calling the Box Office at (269) 343-2727. 

The show contains mild adult language and innuendos. Recommended for audiences 13 and up.

Farmers Alley Theatre is Michigan's premier professional arts organization, known for producing exciting and innovative work of the highest professional quality. Celebrated for its eclectic programming of both contemporary and classic productions, the theatre is the recipient of 49 Wilde Awards – Michigan's equivalent of The Tony Awards for professional theatre in the state. 

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