'Spelling Bee' Opens T-u-e-s-d-a-y!

 

CAN YOU SPELL F-O-R-T-L-A-U-D-E-R-D-A-L-E ?

BROADWAY'S TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL COMEDY THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE TO COMPETE AT THE BROWARD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS MARCH 13 – 25, 2007. PRESENTED BY BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA – FT. LAUDERDALE AND FLORIDA THEATRICAL ASSOCIATION.

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, the hit Tony ® Award-winning musical comedy that continues to sell-out at Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre, is in an open-end run at Chicago's Drury Lane Theatre, and at Boston's Wilbur Theatre, and is now on its first national tour as the hit show's fourth company, arrives for an exclusive South Florida engagement, Tuesday, March 13 through Sunday, March 25, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Performance times are Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8pm, and matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2pm with additional performances Sunday, March 18th at 7:30pm Wednesday, March 21st at pm. Tickets are on sale now.  Tickets are available though Ticketmaster by phones at 954-523-3309 in Broward, 305-358-5885 in Dade, and 561-966-3309 in Palm Beach or www.ticketmaster.com and in person at Ticketmaster outlets. Orders for groups of 15 or more may be placed by calling Broadway Across America at 1-800-6GROUPS (647-6877).

Produced by David Stone, SPELLING BEE is directed by James Lapine, the Tony ® Award and Pulitzer Prize-winner ( Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods) who also directed the Broadway production. The musical, conceived by Rebecca Feldman, with additional material written by Jay Reiss, features music and lyrics by Tony Award-winner William Finn (Falsettos, Elegies, A New Brain) and a Tony ® Award-winning book by Rachel Sheinkin. SPELLING BEE features scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Jennifer Caprio, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Dan Moses Schreier and choreography by Dan Knechtges.

In THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grownups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. This tuneful, offbeat and at times heartwarming show offers audience members the opportunity (strictly voluntary) to become part of the action as on-stage spellers. "Can you spell i-r-r-e-s-i-s-t-i-b-l-e?" SPELLING BEE is riotously funny and remarkably ingenious. Gold stars all around," says the New York Times. In the Wall Street Journal, SPELLING BEE was called, "perfect in every possible way – that rarity of rarities, a super-smart musical that is also a bona fide crowd-pleaser. An ingenious blend of simplicity and sophistication, it's not merely funny, it's wise."

Starring in THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE are Katie Boren (Marcy Park), Miguel Cervantes (Chip Tolentino), Alan H. Green (Mitch Mahoney), James Kall (Douglas Panch), Eric Petersen (William Barfee), Jennifer Simard (Rona Lisa Peretti), Sarah Stiles (Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre), Lauren Worsham (Olive Ostrovsky) and Michael Zahler (Leaf Coneybear).

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is based on C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E, an original play by The Farm improv group in New York City. SPELLING BEE had its world premiere production in July 2004 at Barrington Stage Company, Sheffield, MA. Under the direction of James Lapine, SPELLING BEE officially opened Off-Broadway on February 7, 2005 at Second Stage Theatre, where it ran from January 11 through March 20, 2005. The show then moved to Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre (where it continues its run), with previews beginning on April 15, 2005 and an official opening on May 2, 2005.

SPELLING BEE is produced by David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo, Barrington Stage Co. and Second Stage Theatre. To purchase tickets for touring Broadway shows go to www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com. For more information about THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, please visit www.spellingbeethemusical.com.

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