“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” Reviewed by Julia W. Rath

***** “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is a fun and exciting coming-of-age musical. Superbly directed by Christopher Pazdernik and music directed by Michael McBride, this production is a real treat.

The key to this show is the storyline, based on the book by Rachel Sheinkin and music and lyrics by William Finn. In the course of the 100-minute performance, we come to understand how and why high school students from Putnam County choose to compete in the spelling bee, and we learn about their personal stories. We see how each individual has their own unique family situation, and we watch the various pressures that these kids are under: some of whom want to live up to their parents’ expectations; others want to show their parents and others that they can actually succeed at doing something; and some come from dysfunctional families or are trying to overcome some handicap. The teenage contestants include: William Barfée (Will Koski) who spells out letters with his foot; Olive Ostrovsky (Rachel Guth, with a marvelous singing voice); Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (Jamie Dillon Grossman); Marcy Park (Mai Hartwich); Chip Tolentino (Brandon Acosta), and Leaf Coneybear (Joe Lewis, who brilliantly acts like a deer in headlights and he crosses his eyes). The irony of a show about a spelling bee is that some of the characters have names that are difficult to spell and are often mispronounced.

In addition, we learn something about their mentors. They are teacher/activity sponsor Rona Lisa Peretti (Neala Barron), who introduces each of the contestants; former superintendent Douglas Panch (Zach Kunde), who reads them their questions and clues; and coach Mitch Mahoney (Michael Davis Arnold), who consoles those who misspell a word and are eliminated from the tournament. Lots of humor is thrown in to the mix, especially when Superintendent Panch crafts clever or ridiculous lines whenever the students ask how the word in question might be placed in a sentence. Considering that the Music Theater Works production is taking place at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, in Skokie, many of these lines have been tailormade to a local audience in the Chicago/Skokie area. That makes the laughs even funnier.

The show even incorporates some audience participation. When I attended the “soft opening” on Thursday night (the same night as the Presidential State of the Union address), four volunteers from the audience were selected to participate in the bee, most of whom were given very tough words. While I did not volunteer to be one of the spellers (since that would be a conflict of interest), I wondered what would have happened if there were a ringer in the audience.

The set design of the Putnam High School gymnasium works very well for this script, thanks to the work of Ben Lipinski plus prop design by Ab Rieve. I liked the fact that the school mascot is a panda bear, which has the reputation of being large and strong animal but also one that is soft and cuddly. I was especially impressed with the lighting design by Levi J. Wilkins. It could not have been any better! The lights change to reflect a student’s mood or when they come upon a past memory or when they think about their home lives; flat lighting basically represents the current moment during the spelling bee itself. Costumes by Kristen Brinati are very good and appropriate for the modern era. I especially liked the handmade clothing that Lewis wore. Sound design by Forrest Gregor could not have been any better.

Yet it is the lively music that turns a good show into a great one, namely, the 24 musical numbers which add pizzazz to the performance. As each of the contestants sing about their woes, their heartache doesn’t seem as terrible as it could have been, had this been a drama and not a light comedy. Moreover, Pazdernik and assistant director Keely Vasquez have done a beautiful job with the choreography, which is easy-going and charming. The orchestra must be credited too: Kudos to music director McBride and Heidi Joosten (conductor/keys 1), Kevin Disch (keys 2), Patrick Rehker (reeds), Rachel Schuldt (cello), and Ben Heppner (percussion).

One important takeaway from the story is that involvement in the spelling bee means different things to each of the students. While the teenagers generally seem to take things much too hard—and perhaps lack the maturity to see past that—the skills being learned in the process of competition can be invaluable. Attention to detail, persistence, and the ability to work well under pressure can become lifelong skills which can be applied to all sorts of settings, at work and at home. Specific skills related to learning the dictionary can also be valuable, such as gaining an understanding of foreign languages and the roots of the English language. In theory, one’s knowledge of the world can be expanded as one’s vocabulary increases. Then there are the social skills gained in competition, such as traveling to various venues, meeting other contestants, and gaining the ability to present oneself before an audience. These social skills are perhaps the most important of all in an era of Google search and artificial intelligence—and automatic spell check.

The show celebrates the fact that each teenager is a unique human being who doesn’t think or act the same as others, or learn in the same way as their peers do. Watching them perform might bring back memories of our own high school days and what it felt to be at that awkward age. Then too, we might think about what it means to accomplish something you love to do and to have put lots of time and hard work into it. Success in any area often means dealing with failure and learning from it—and learning how to grow from it. The larger question then becomes: What is the relationship between being successful in a valued task and being successful in life in general? As director Pazdernik writes in his director’s note: “The ‘Bee’ reminds us of a few life lessons we are never too old to hear again:

Work hard and be proud of yourself;
Winning isn’t everything;
Be kind to others; and
Don’t take life so seriously.

As the numbers of students eventually left in the contest dwindle over time, a champion finally comes to the fore. But who will it be? Of course, the finalist is more than capable in terms of spelling, but this is ultimately a story about character. We see how the participants are worthy in many other ways as well. Hence, by the end, the audience comes to the realization that all the students are winners, whether they are being awarded the trophy or not.

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is playing through March 31, 2024, in the North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie.

Tickets are $39 – $106
Tickets for guests 25 years old and younger are available for half-price.
Group discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more by contacting 847-920-5360.

Performance schedule:

Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 16 at 2:00 p.m.
Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Two performances Saturday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m. are Adults Only. These are for guests 18 years old and above, as words spelled will be of an adult nature and may not be suitable for children.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.musictheaterworks.com/2024-season/spelling-bee/ or call the Music Theater Works Box Office at the North Center, 847-673-6300.

For general information about Music Theater Works or to learn of some of their other offerings, go to: https://www.musictheaterworks.com/.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at ” The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”.

Editor’s notes:  I have seen countless productions of this zany musical and I am proud to say that the Music Theater Works production is right up there with the best! This show relies on sparkling talent to make it work. The actors must be able to portray kids who are in a huge competition that has far more meaning than the audience might expect. I found myself looking at Will Koski as William Barfee ( pronounce BARFAY) as a young Frank Galati. I went to high school with Galati and  in fact we were double cast as Applegate  in “Damn Yankees” at Glenbrook H.S. in 1960). Koski is very good. Olive Ostrosky is played to perfection by Rachel Guth who shows a powerful stage presence and voice. Brandon Acosta truly shines as Chip and when he does his audience greet, a riot.

All of the contestants were strong which makes this a worthwhile theatrical experience. I went to the Wednesday matinee where the audience was more seniors than normal- guess what , they had a ball and so did I! 90 minutes of fun!