25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Dare to Defy Productions is bringing the H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S Broadway musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” to Dayton. 

This Tony Award-winning musical is the jubilant and touching story of a group of prepubescent overachievers who are pitted against one another in the spelling challenge of a lifetime. The New York Times raved that “Spelling Bee” is “irresistible, riotously funny and remarkably ingenious – gold stars all around!”

** The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will also be performed in the Schuster Center's Mathile Theatre January 6 & 7.

“Spelling Bee” was conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn and the book by Rachel Sheinkin. The musical centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School. Six quirky adolescents compete in the Bee, run by three equally-quirky grown-ups. Part of the unique aspect of “Spelling Bee” is that four audience volunteers are chosen nightly through a pre-show interview process to be participants of the spelling bee, making each performance unique. Amid infectious songs and whip-smart lyrics, these nerdy and wordy kids learn that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser. The Wall Street Journal said, “Spelling Bee is a super-smart show that is also a bona fide crowd pleaser.” Nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, it won two Tonys, including Best Book of a Musical. The Philadelphia Inquirer said “The word for ‘Spelling Bee’ is w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l!”
“Spelling Bee” is directed by Matthew Smith, with musical direction by Charles Larkowski, choreography by Jessica Eggleston, stage managed by Christine Stapleton, lighting design by Derryck Enard and costumes by Olivia Dakin. The cast includes a top notch line-up of local talent that includes Brad Bishop (Vice Principal Panch), Jamal Cann (Mitch Mahoney), Laura Falb (Olive Ostovsky), Brent Hoggatt (Chip Tolentino), Tori Kocher (Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre), Abby Land (Marcy Park), Brett Norgaard (Leaf Coneybear), Brennan Paulin (William Barfee), and Sherri Sutter (Rona Lisa Perretti). 

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is Recommended for ages 13+ 

Links & Tags

Dayton Art Institute

25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is taking place at Dayton Art Institute, which is located at 456 Belmonte Park North in Dayton. Dayton Art Institute - Committed to enriching the community by creating meaningful experiences with art that are available to all. Visit us often to enjoy our diverse collections, world class exhibits and more.

TheatreLab Dayton.

TheatreLab Dayton - TheaterLab Dayton (formerly Dare to Defy Productions) is a place where artists come together to cultivate their ideas into works of art.