Theater review: An A for the ‘Bee’

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,' Four out of four stars

By Rosemary Ford The Weatherford Democrat Fri Oct 13, 2006, 10:23 AM CDT

BOSTON — B-R-A-V-O.

What else is there to say about “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a Broadway phenomenon that recently debuted for an open-ended run in Boston.

Between “Akeelah and the Bee” and “Spellbound,” the competitions that match brain power with physical and mental stamina have become an addictive pleasure for many, no matter what their spelling expertise. With their broadcast on ESPN, spelling bees have also begun to get the sort of recognition they deserve.

With “Bee,” the creative team of Rebecca Feldman, Rachel Sheinkin, Jay Reiss and composer William Finn got every letter, word (and note) right.

“Bee” follows six kids as they vie for the spelling championship and a chance to go to the national spelling contest in Washington, D.C.

The cast features Aaron J. Albano as Chip Tolentino, a Boy Scout and former winner struggling with puberty; Jared Gertner as William Barfee (pronounced bar-fay for the record), the nerd who spells words with his magic foot; and Sara Inbar as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, the uptight young president of the grammar school gay-straight alliance who has two dads. There’s Jenni Barber as Olive Ostrovsky, the shy girl in pigtails; Greta Lee as Marcy Park, the overachiever who speaks six languages; and Stanley Bahorek as Leaf Coneybear, the spacey home-schooled kid with a bit of attention deficit disorder.

Rounding out the cast is James Monroe Inglehart as Mitch Mahoney, Betsy Wolfe as former champ and MC Rona Lisa Peretti, and Daniel Pearce as Douglas Panch, the announcer (because there were complaints about Boston Mayor Thomas “Mumbles” Menino’s pronunciations).

The show also tapped members of the audience as spellers. Some were eliminated early by difficult (and not so difficult) words, though one speller had to take three turns at the microphone of terror to be cast off at the appropriate point in the show.

This Boston version kept the show topical with some Beantown references — like nods to the Sox-Yankees rivalry and a shot at Gov. Mitt Romney’s bid for the presidency.

This show does everything right. It brings vivid and lively characters to the stage with a fresh and creative premise for a musical comedy. However, there’s no small amount of drama in the show — from the usual will-they-spell-it-right nail-biting to the heart-rending ways these “youngsters” are tossed out of the competition one by one.

The music sets a light, uplifting tone while touches like a juice box and a hug for departing spellers add a bizarre sort of authenticity to the irreverent show.

And last but not least: There’s free candy.

While the show ends in a mere 90 minutes, without taking an intermission, it packs those minutes with humor and heart, the topical and the timeless. If you haven’t seen this production (which actually debuted in the Berkshires before Broadway), take the time. It’s worth it.

Rosemary Ford writes for The Eagle-Tribune in North Andover, Mass.

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