Company has crafted a production hitting the right notes of silly and sincere

Photo by Kevin Berne

Published online December 12, 2023

Click HERE to go to Theatreworks webpage for this show

By Camille Bounds

Camille Bounds

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is a hilarious and heartwarming musical comedy directed by Meredith McDonough.

Theatreworks’ production of the six-time Tony-nominated show follows smart and dysfunctional middle schoolers as they compete in a spelling bee, going head-to-head for a spot at the national competition. Musical numbers and witty dialogue capture the chaos, emotions, and hilarity of this childhood rite of passage.

If you have never been to a spelling bee, this show will not give you a clear picture of what these academic competitions are all about. What it will do is give you a musical evening of bright, clever fun and a broad insight and caricature of these lexiconic tournaments.

We find ourselves in a high school gym where six finalists and a  few audience volunteers competing for a county spelling championship. As the group is dispatched with misspelled words the candidates each gives us an insight of who they are and what makes them tick. This also includes the three questionable adult supervisors: a guidance counselor and former spelling champ, a school vice principal “with a past,” and a security hulk who is doing his community service sentence and acts as a juice pack dispenser and comfort counselor  as the contestants err and leave the contest. All have great voices and deliver pleasing moments.

For the six nerdy local champs you find Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, Chip Tolentino, Marcy Park, Leaf Coneybear, William Barfée and Olive Ostrovsky (performed by Jenni Chapman, Dave J. Abrams, Mai Abe, Blake Kevin Dwyer, Beau Bradshaw, and Maia Campbell) who vie for a slot in this 25th National Spelling Bee. There is a winner-take-all satirical and at times sad attitude in the Putnam County’s final six. They finally show that there are really no losers and the need for love and understanding is more important than winning.

The cast shines in roles that require stellar comedic timing, stellar singing, and emotional honesty. Their chemistry gels into an endearing and kooky ensemble. The casting of these inspired loonies is as good as it gets and each actor gives a solid performance and adds adequate voices to the clever lyrics.

McDonough directs the production with clarity and draws strong performances from the talented adult cast playing adolescent characters. William Finn’s music and lyrics are quirky and infectious, matching the eccentric personalities on stage. Rachel Sheinkin’s Tony-winning book finds nuance and depth beneath the broad comedy. Touching moments offset laugh-out-loud spectacles, all set to William Liberatore’s versatile musical direction.

While the show caricatures academic competitions, it also celebrates the resilience of outsider kids finding their people. Beneath jokes about puberty and juice boxes lie bittersweet insights. Full of inspired frivolity, the show makes you laugh while tugging at the heart.

McDonough and company have crafted a production hitting the right notes of silly and sincere. “Spelling Bee” might not be for everyone, but if you have a penchant for edgy, inspired comedy this will be an evening well spent.

Camille Bounds is the theater reviewer for the Morgan Hill and Gilroy Life newspapers.

Photos: Kevin Berne, 2023