The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
May 30 - June 23, 2019
Winner of the TONY and Drama Desk Awards for Best Book of a Musical, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is a musical comedy that centers around a spelling bee set in Putnam Valley Middle School. Six quirky, over-achieving tweens compete in the Bee, run by three equally-quirky grown-ups. As they navigate the tournament’s pressures, the eccentric group finds a new sense of belonging and learns that there is more to life than winning a trophy! A delightful and unpredictable ride, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is a musical theatre comedy at its best.
Cast & Creative Team
Cast: Graham Baker, John C. Baker*, Amy Hutchins*, Colin Miyamoto*, Phil Sloves, Morgan Billings Smith*, Emma Tattenbaum-Fine, Ryan Williams*, Sumi Yu*, Swings: Tara Feeley, Robert Peterpaul
Book: Rachel Sheinkin
Music & Lyrics: William Finn
Conceived: Rebecca Feldman
Additional Material: Jay Reiss
Director: Michelle Tattenbaum
Choreographer: Ilana Ransom Toeplitz
Music Director: Katya Stanislavskaya
Music Supervisor: Bryan Perri
Scenic Designer: Jack Mehler
Lighting Designer: Marika Kent
Costume Designer: Stephanie Levin
Props Coordinator: Theresa S. Carroll
Sound Designer: Megan Culley
Originally Directed on Broadway: James Lapine
Originally produced on Broadway: David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo, Barrington Stage Company, Second Stage Theatre
* Indicates member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
“After seeing ACT’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, one hardly needs to go further than their own proverbial backyard to see great, and I mean GREAT theatre...””
“The overall experience of it all, is both special and endearing, an ACT of CT trademark you’re not likely to forget for quite some time.””
“The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee at ACT is a rollicking romp of a good time with a meaningful message of what really matters, delivered by a spectacular cast.””
“...utterly delightful and hilarious...””
“This is one of the best productions of this show to come around and reflects its Equity status.””
“You’ll enjoy everything from the initial musical recitation of ‘The Rules’ to the interim ‘Pandemonium’ all the way to the crowning of ‘The Champion.’””
