“Spell ‘effervescent.’”
“Can you give me a definition?”
“Bubbling.”
“Vivacious.”
“Lively.”
“Sparkling.”
“Can you use it in a sentence?”
“The Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan, NJ’s, recent production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” was effervescent.”
And it truly was!
Directed by Robert Johanson, with musical direction by Stephen Strouse, choreography by Amy Saloman-Kohn, lighting by David A. Sexton, and set and sound design by Jan Topoleski, the Algonquin Arts Theatre’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” — which ran from May 13-22, 2016 — was a bubbling, vivacious, lively, sparkling, AND… effervescent smash!
The musical begins when event organizer Rona Lisa Peretti (Lynne Truex), enters the gymnasium where the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is just about to begin and introduces the spellers: former champ Chip Tolentino (Evan Krug), politically-aware Loraine “Schwartzy” Schwartsandgrubenniere (Nicole Curnan); easily distracted Leaf Coneybear (Tommy Gedrich), bold and hyper-allergic William Barfée (John Wisienski), overachiever Marcy Park (Julia Lupi), and sweet and shy Olive Ostrovsky (Kelly Zuzic).
Rona then welcomes the entire Algonquin audience to the bee, at which time she also invites several spellers from the audience to the stage. She speaks privately to Olive who has not yet paid her spelling bee entrance fee of twenty-five dollars. Because Olive’s parents have yet to arrive, Rona decides to temporarily let the fee slide.
Rona introduces the official “word pronouncer,” vice-principal Douglas Panch, in addition to the intimidating “comfort counselor,” Ms. Mahoney, who is helping at the bee as part of her court-mandated community service requirement.
The spelling bee begins and Leaf is called to spell. At this time, we learn that he has never gone to school; instead, his parents have homeschooled him with his siblings Marigold, Paul, Raisin, Pinecone, Landscape, and Brook. We also learn that none of Leaf’s family members consider him to be especially bright.
That said, somehow Leaf manages to correctly spell his word, “capybara,” while briefly under the influence of a mysterious trance.
When it is Olive’s turn to spell, we learn that she is quite timid and reserved, largely as a result of her two absent parents — her mother is in India on a spiritual awakening and, as is par for the course, her father is missing due to work priorities.
The first time William Barfée is called upon to spell, Rona fills the audience in on his unusual spelling technique — he always writes the word out on the ground with his foot before speaking it.
When a volunteer audience speller is given an easy word, “cow,” the other contestants complain. After several additional rounds, when yet another easy word is given to a different audience speller, the rest of the participants rant about how luck makes the bee so unfair in the animated group number “Pandemonium.”
When it’s Schwartzy’s turn to spell, she gets the word, “cystitis,” and we see a flashback of her studying with her two often-quarrelsome fathers (Stephen Szymanski and Brendan Flanagan).
When Leaf is called to the microphone a second time, he is given the word, “acouchi,” which he does not know how to spell. In his quirky yet wistful song, “I’m Not That Smart,” Leaf reminisces about how his family calls him “dumb,” yet again in a trance, manages to spell his word correctly.
When Barfée’s second turn arrives, he explains his unconventional spelling technique to the audience in the show-stopping extravaganza, “Magic Foot.”
On one of Chip’s turns, he’s caught not paying attention due to fantasizing about Leaf’s sister, Marigold, who is sitting in the audience. Snapped out of his daze, he begins to misspell his word and goes on to correct himself; in doing so, however, he breaks the rules of the bee. He begs for another chance, but Ms. Mahoney removes him from the stage while the others not-so-unhappily wish him “Goodbye.”
When all of the remaining spellers take a break, Chip is relegated to selling snacks, his punishment for being eliminated from the competition, a situation he expounds on in his funny yet off-color solo, “Chip’s Lament.”
During the break, Olive and Barfée apprehensively start up a conversation and Barfée begins to develop a crush on her.
When breaktime is over, Rona re-introduces the finalists. The bee rapidly progresses through many rounds, ending with Leaf’s elimination on the word, “chinchilla.” He walks away with his head held high, however, having proven to himself that despite his elimination, he is smart.
Marcy is called to spell and, in introducing her, Rona tells the audience that Marcy can speak five languages. Marcy reveals more about her trying life, where she is pushed to be successful at everything, and corrects Rona when she sings in her snappy featured number, “I Speak Six Languages.”
When Marcy is given the word, “camouflage,” she privately sighs, “Dear Jesus, can’t you come up with a harder word than that?” Jesus then appears to her and explains to her she is the only one who is in control of her own life. Resolved to do what she wants rather than what is expected of her, Marcy intentionally misspells her word and happily exits.
As the competition heats up, Schwartzy becomes upset and one of her fathers jumps onstage to calm her down. Despite his daughter’s protests, he pours some of his soda on the floor in order to make Barfée’s foot stick in an attempt to ruin his chances of winning the bee.
Olive is once again called up to spell. This time, her word is “chimerical,” and mirroring the word’s definition, she imagines her mother (Ali Gleason) and father (Howard Whitmore) being there for her, giving her the love she has always wanted and yearned for in the powerful and touching trio, “The I Love You Song.”
Barfée is called up next, but when he tries to use his signature spelling technique, the soda, which Schwartzy’s father intentionally spilled, causes his foot to stick. Much to his amazement, he is still able to spell his word correctly. Schwartzy is up next but she overthinks her word, “vug,” and misspells it.
Eventually, on one of Olive’s turns, she misspells “elanguescence,” giving Barfée a chance to win by spelling his next word correctly. He is torn between winning and letting Olive win but with Olive’s encouragement, he spells his word, “Weltanschauung,” correctly.
Barfée is declared the winner and is given a trophy and a two hundred dollar prize. In a surprise act of charity, however, vice-principal Panch gives Olive a fictitious runners-up prize of twenty-five dollars from his own pocket — the precise amount she needs to cover her entrance fee to the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
All in all, The Algonquin Theatre’s version of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”’ was a colorful and spirited production fueled by a delightful script and score, a talented production team, and a sparkling troupe of performers!
For information on upcoming theatrical events at the Algonquin Theatre — including “The Little Mermaid” from July 16–31 and “Little Shop of Horrors” from August 12–21, 2016 — in addition to an evening of “Standards and Stories” with Taxi and Who’s The Boss? star Tony Danza on June 9, please go to algonquinarts.org.
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