Theatre Horizon begins its 2010/2011 Season with the Tony Award winning musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with book by Rachel Sheinkin and music and lyrics by William Finn. Theatre Horizon's Founder and Co-Artistic Director Matthew Decker directs the Philadelphia-area ensemble in this hilarious musical about overachievers' angst.
This one-act musical follows six adolescent oddballs in their quest to become champion spellers. Beneath the riotously funny songs, Spelling Bee explores the pressure of competition and the struggle to discover one's own identity. The quirky pubescent contestants learn that winning isn't everything and losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser.
Winner of two Tony Awards, Spelling Bee is based upon C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E, an original improvisational play created by Rebecca Feldman. Tony Award winning composer William Finn (Falsettos, A New Brain) and book writer Rachel Sheinkin adapted the play, which was workshopped and developed at the Barrington Stage Company in Massachusettes, then moved Off-Broadway and subsequently premiered on Broadway in 2005. Sheinken was awarded the Best Book of a Musical Tony for her efforts on Spelling Bee.
A unique aspect of each performance is that four volunteer audience members are chosen as contestants at the Bee and invited onstage. After seeing the musical on Broadway, Decker knew it was the perfect match for Theatre Horizon's audience. "Spelling Bee fulfills Theatre Horizon's mission of creating a community of artists and audiences through theatre," says Decker. "By welcoming these audience members on stage, we're creating a instant connection between the actors and the audience. Each night these audience members will be asked to sing, dance, and act on the spot. It will be thrilling to watch."
Theatre Horizon continues its tradition of working with up and coming top Philadelphia artists. The cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee features two time Barrymore Award winner Jennie Eisenhower (Walnut Street Theatre's Fallen Angels and Forbidden Broadway), as "The Hostess of the Bee" Rona Lisa Perretti, Dave Johnson (Lantern Theatre's Scapin) as "Word Pronouncer" Vice Principal Douglas Panch and Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Walnut Street Theatre's Eclectic Society, 11th Hour/Theatre Horizon's Little Shop of Horrors) as "Bee Comfort Counselor" Mitch Mahoney. Featured as the spellers are Rachel Camp (Theatre Horizon's Honk and Working) as Olive Ostrovsky, Michael Doherty (Arden's The History Boys, Theatre Horizon's Holiday Show) as Leif Coneybear, Barrymore winner Alex Keiper (11th Hour/Theatre Horizon's Little Shop, 11th Hour's Rooms) as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, Greg Nix (Media Theatre) as Isaac "Chip" Berkowitz, Amanda Morton (Kitchen Theatre Company of Ithaca, NY) as Marcy Park, and Barrymore winner Steve Pacek (Arden Theatre's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, 11th Hour/Theatre Horizon's Little Shop of Horrors) as William Barfee.
"When producing theatre in Philadelphia, you have access to a large pool of extraordinary talent. We are fortunate to have assembled the leading young musical theatre actors in the region. Casting the perfect ensemble is crucial to the success of this production. It needs inventive actors who possess improv skills, an amazing sense of humor that are fearless. We have those actors in this cast," says Decker. And how does a director prepare actors for the new nightly spelling bee contestants? "It going to make for an interesting rehearsal process."
Theatre Horizon's Spelling Bee will begin preview performances September 10th and run through October 3rd at the Centre Theater on 208 DeKalb Street, Norristown. This production is recommended for theatergoers over the age of thirteen. On Thursday, September 9th, a special Pay-What-You-Can final dress rehearsal is open to the public. After opening, the cast will go back into rehearsal to prepare for a special "Parent-Teacher Conference" Night on Friday, October 1 at 10pm, where all words presented to spellers are for adult ears only.
Spelling Bee begins Theatre Horizon's sixth season, which is also set to continue their tradition of writing an original work for the holidays. This time the theatre invites Philly Fringe Festival favorites, The Berserker Residents' Justin Jain, Dave Johnson, Brad Wrenn and Tim Sawicki to pen a highly comedic composite of well-known holiday classics. The season concludes with The Credeaux Canvas by Keith Bunin, a powerful drama set in a paint-splattered apartment in the East Village.
Theatre Horizon's mission is to encourage audience members, artists, and students to create a community through theatre. Theatre Horizon is an active participant in the Norristown Arts Task Force as well as a founding member of Arts Hill along DeKalb Street in downtown Norristown. The goal of the Arts Task Force is to revitalize the old industrial riverside town by bringing arts and nightlife to the suburban downtown area.
Tickets for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee may be purchased through the Theatre Horizon box office by calling 610-283-2230 or online at
www.TheatreHorizon.org. Box office hours are Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 5pm. Visit Theatre Horizon on Facebook in August to watch videos following the Spelling Bee contestants as they prepare for the competition.
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