Music Theater Works is off to a S-T-R-O-N-G start to its 2024 season with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, in the North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts In Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie (now playing through March 31). An entertaining show perfect for all ages (with an adult only performance), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee invites the audience to join this group of unique and dedicated students, as they compete for the spelling bee championship in this hilarious and touching musical!
Envisioned by Rebecca Feldman, additional material by Jay Reiss, music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Rachel Sheinkin, Spelling Bee is directed and choreographed by Christopher Pazdernik, assistant directed and choreographed by Keely Vasquez and music directed by Michael McBride. Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, Spelling Bee has won the hearts of theatergoers across the country with its mix of wit, wills and audience participation. Join this group of unique and dedicated students as they compete for the spelling bee championship that celebrates the pursuit of the ultimate prize while finding the joy of being oneself.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee boasts the following talented cast: Neala Barron (Rona Lisa Peretti), Zach Kunde (Douglas Panch), Michael Davis Arnold (Mitch Mahoney), Will Koski (William Barfee), Rachel Guth (Olive Ostrosky), Jamie Dillon Grossman (Logainne Schwartzandgrubeniere), Mai Hartwich (Marcy Park), Joe Lewis (Coneybear) and Brandon Acosta (Chip Tolentino).
Spelling Bee is a very D-E-L-I-G-H-T-F-U-L production to watch. The cast members bring Spelling Bee and a variety of middle school personalities all striving to be the winning speller. You learn about their unique back stories, their hopes and their dreams, as they try their hardest to win with their own spelling strategies, such as Logainne’s spelling arms and Will’s famous “dancing foot,” which is apparently not capable of spelling out words on a floor with sticky soda.
The show brings out constant laughs from the audience. Each character and scene you connect and identify with, as you join the contestants on their spelling bee journey to glory. Though they are all middle school children, the actors are adults, who truly embodied the mentality of a kid.
Throughout the show, the performers and their characters emotionally pulled me in, and I was unable to look away. One is drawn to each and every journey the spell bee contestants are on, and I could not help feeling emotionally attached to them and where they end up at the end.
The show also offers an immersive experience by encouraging audience involvement of being part of the show. They have the option to volunteer to be a character onstage, whether it is a spelling bee kid, or confession snack vendor tossing food at us.
The message of this musical clearly communicates to its audience: Keep your eye on the prize, but don’t forget who you truly are, along with the joy of find yourself while on that path.
Spelling Bee is also witty and very funny. It is entertaining from beginning to end. I do not wish to give away the entire show, but the script cleverly pokes fun with the spelling bee words and “can you use it I’m a sentence?”, such as “mustache, I used to hate the idea of having a mustache, but then it grew on me see me!,” and “capybara, I was driving in my car and hoped that I hit a capybara.” The show even got local and spelled “Mexican, The Mexican restaurant in Skokie serves bagels!”
Spelling Bee is an entertaining and effective show with memorable music, lyrics and characters that allow you to be a kid again, where imagination runs free and your care free, inner child comes out. I highly recommend you do not miss this heartwarming and hilarious musical!
Photos by Brett Beiner
North Shore Center For The Performing Arts In Skokie9501 Skokie Blvd.Skokie, IL 60077
Tickets: $39 to $106, tickets for guests 25 years old and younger are available for half-price.
Saturday, March 23 and 30 at 7:30 p.m. are Adults Only performances.
Music Theater Works Box Office: (847) 673-6300Order tickets by calling the box office or visit the Music Theater Works website.
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