THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE to Open at Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theater, 6/15

In "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee", set to open June 15 at the Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theater in Hagerstown, Maryland, all of the hilarious and heartwarming events you wish had happened at your own childhood spelling bee actually occur, and they are turned into musical numbers!

"Everyone will see some aspect of their childhood self in at least one of the characters. They may even identify with the child characters as an adult today" said director Jeff Wine.

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" tells the story of six quirky middle school spelling bee contestants, guided by three adults who barely grew up themselves, competing to go to the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. Throughout the course of the show, they learn that "winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser". The Tony award winning musical features music and lyrics by William Finn and a book by Rachel Sheinkin.

"This show is completely personality based. Each actor brings his or her own quirks to the already quirky roles, so each performance is different" said Allison Banzhoff, who plays spelling bee host Rona Lisa Perretti.

"Every single person in the cast is incredibly talented. It is a great mash-up of people from different theatrical backgrounds" said Conrad Meylard, who plays Vice Principal Douglas Panch.

A unique aspect about "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" the cast is quick to point out is the amount of improvisation and audience participation in the show. Each performance, three to four audience members who volunteer before the show begins are chosen to go up onstage and compete in the spelling bee along with the six character spellers. The Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theater is an ideal location to perform the audience-interactive musical.

"The stage at the Washington County Playhouse is set up really well for this show. The actors are really close to the audience, so we are talking and singing right to them. The show is very audience-involved and a genuinely funny show to do" said Zachary Levin, who plays Leaf Coneybear.

"We are much closer to the audience, so we can use the audience reaction in our performances. I actually prefer it [the in-the-round stage] to a proscenium stage" said Banzhoff.

"This is the first show I have directed on this stage and it is in-the-round, so there are certain 'rules of directing' to follow. It has been a challenge, but also a very enjoyable learning experience. I had an awesome cast who made the job a lot easier" said Wine.

Though the show features middle school-aged characters, it is a light-hearted musical comedy for adults with adult humor. The musical addresses some serious issues, such as child neglect, homophobia and bullying, through the varied back stories of the six spellers.

"Everyone in the cast did their own characterization. They didn't really need much of my help or input because everyone understands these characters so well. Watching all of the characters grow through the cast members was very enjoyable" added Wine

"This show is so much fun because everybody in the audience will remember a little piece of their own childhood" said Banzhoff.

The show is directed, musically directed and choreographed by Jeff Wine, with Kenny Lee serving as a rehearsal assistant and Courtney Bullock as accompanist. The cast features Allison Banzhoff as Rona Lisa Perretti, Mat Levine as Chip Tolentino, Zoe D'heedene as Logan Schwartzandgrubenniere (Schwarzy), Zachary Levin as Leaf Coneybear, Shannen Banzhoff as Marcy Park, Ed Conn as William Barfee, Johnna Leary as Olive Ostrovsky, Conrad Meyland as Vice Principal Panch and Andre Brown as Mitch Mahoney. The cast members also serve as waiters, busers and bartenders for theater patrons during the dinner hour before every performance.

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" will open June 15 and run June 22, 28, 29, July 12, 19, 20, 26 and 27 at the Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theater, with dinner hour beginning at 6:00 PM and the show beginning at approximately 8:00 PM. There will also be one Sunday matinee on June 23, with lunch hour beginning at 1:00 PM and the show beginning at approximately 3:00 PM. Reservations can be made by calling the box office at (301) 739-7469 or visiting the website, www.wcpdt.com. Dinner and show reservations for adults are $39.95. Student and senior citizen reservations are $35.00 and reservations for children are $29.00 Show-only options are also available for Friday evening performances.

Photo Credit: Jeff Czerbinski, Courtesy of Washington County Playhouse

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