The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is based on 'C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E', an improvisational play by Rebecca Feldman performed by The Farm, a New York-based improv group.
The musical won two Tony Awards in 2005, including Best Book for Rachel Sheinkin and Best Featured Actor for Dan Fogler.
The Broadway production involved audience participation with four real audience members competing in the bee each performance.
An adult-themed version of the show called 'Parent-Teacher Conferences' features R-rated ad-libs and is intended for audiences over 16.
During the 2005 Tony Awards, Al Sharpton, a former presidential candidate, participated onstage as one of the spellers.
The official pronouncer in the show, often an improv comedian, provides humorous and ridiculous usage-in-a-sentence examples for the words.
The musical had successful international productions, including in Australia where it won the 2006 Helpmann Award for Best Musical.
The original Broadway cast recording was released by Ghostlight Records and was nominated for a Grammy Award.
The musical has seen various special performances, including a 10th anniversary concert in 2015 where the original Broadway cast reunited.
Words such as 'astrobleme', 'cat', and 'dinosaur' are spelled by characters during performances of Spelling Bee.
Audience volunteers in Spelling Bee spell words that are often unscripted and improvised, adding a unique interactive element to each show.
Julie Andrews, as a guest speller, missed spelling 'supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' during 'KIDS night on Broadway' in 2007.
Walt Disney Pictures announced plans for a film adaptation of Spelling Bee, set to be produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, with a tentative release for 2021 that has yet to materialize.
