Florida Studio Theatre Extends THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE 1/17/2010

The competition will continue well into the New Year at Florida Studio Theatre due to popular demand! After a successful nine week run, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Music and lyrics by William Finn; Book by Rachel Sheinkin; Conceived by Rebecca Feldman; Additional material by Jay Reiss) will extend for a tenth week at the Keating Theatre, January 17 to January 24, 2010.

A "W-I-N-N-E-R" (Sarasota Magazine) with audiences and critics alike, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is a hilarious musical comedy of six young people in the throes of puberty and are overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves. Together they learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. The 2005 Tony Award-Winner for Best Book of a Musical, it played for over 1,000 performances on Broadway and continued to have success across the nation in both touring and regional performances. "We are thrilled that Florida Studio Theatre's production speaks to Sarasota audiences as it has world-wide. A lovable and humorous insight to the trials and tribulations of growing up...it is the quintessential American story," stated Artistic Director and Show Director Richard Hopkins.

The 25th Annual County Spelling Bee features an ensemble of talent; including New York Actress Rachel Cantor (Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre). Her Off-Broadway Credits include Captain Louie. Her National Tour credits include Les Miserables and Laura Ingalls Wilder (Laura). Some of her Regional Theatre credits include You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (Sally), Urinetown (Hope) and Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel).

Broadway Actress Robin Lee Gallo (Marcy Park) performed on Broadway in The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee where she performed as Marcy Park. Her Off-Broadway credits include Kahn & Kant (Michelle Kwan) and Corduroy (May). National Tour credits include Miss Saigon. Television credits include Law & Order: SVU (Jiao Wu) as a featured character and The Nanny Diaries (Diorama Nanny).

New York Actress Ashley Puckett Gonzales (Rona Lisa Peretti) performed in the 30th Anniversary tour of Annie where she played Lily St. Regis. Some of her Regional Theatre credits include The Full Monty (Vicki Nicols), Cabaret (Emcee), Grease (Frenchy) and Violet (Violet).
Broadway Actor Stephen Hope (Vice Principal Douglas Panch/ Choreographer) returned to FST for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, having most recently performed in Laughing Matters 2009. Hope most recently choreographed FST's 2008 productions A Murder, A Mystery and A Marriage and Steppin' Out. On Broadway Hope has performed in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Scarlet Pimpernel.

New York Actress Sarah Jane Mellen (Olive Ostrovsky) has performed for the Manhattan Children's Theatre in Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (Darzee/Teddy) and Peter & the Wolf (Bird). Some of her Regional Theatre credits include Bat Boy (Shelley), The Wiz (Dorothy), The Music Man (Marion Paroo) and The Sound of Music (Liesl). She was also a finalist on the MTV Reality Show Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods.

New York Actor Kavin Panmeechao (Chip Tolentino) performed in the 2nd National Tour of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as Chip Tolentino. His Regional Theatre credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie (Ching Ho), The King and I (Royal Dancer), Hello Dolly (Manny), and Bye Bye Birdie (Harvey Johnson).

Broadway Actor Erick Pinnick (Mitch Mahoney) appeared on Broadway in A Christmas Carol (Mr. Smythe) as well as Off-Broadway in The Tin Pan Alley Rag (Walter Payton). His National Tour credits include Sunset Boulevard (John) and Jesus Christ Superstar (Pilate). Some of his Regional Theatre credits include Dreamgirls (Curtis), Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Valentin) and The Wiz (Tinman).

New York Actor Christopher Totten (Leaf Coneybear) has appeared in a number of NY Theatre productions including The Black Dahlia (Sheldon Sherman), Thrill Me (Nathan Leopold) and Unlock'd (Barney). Some National Tour credits are Annie and Cinderella along with his Regional Theatre credits which include The Jungle Book (Mowgli), West Side Story (A-rab) and Godspell (Jeffrey/Lamar).

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New York Actor Bruce Warren (William Barfée) has appeared in a number of National Tours which include The Wizard of Oz (Uncle Henry/Oz Guard/Nikko), Cats: 25th Anniversary (Gus) and Oklahoma! (Harvey Chalmers). His Regional Theatre credits include The Producers (Franz Liepkind), Emmett & Hambone (Emmett), Bat Boy (Dr. Parker) and The Sound of Music (Max Detweiler).

Appearing on stage with the cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is the Mighty Tigers Jazz Band. LIVE on stage is pianist Jeff Theiss, drummer Tony Bruno and on the synthesizer Phyllis Gessler.
Florida Studio Theatre's Artistic Director, Richard Hopkins directed the production. Hopkins has served as Artistic Director since 1980; his numerous directing credits include Metamorphoses, The Bully Pulpit, god's Man in Texas, Hysteria, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wild, Over the Rainbow, Permanent Collection, Opus, Boleros for the Disenchanted, Laughing Matters 2009 among others. He will also direct FST's Ruined in 2010.

The production team also includes Music Director, Corrinne Aquilina and Choreographer Stephen Hope, Nayna Ramey as Scenic Designer, Michael Foster as Lighting Designer and FST staff member Marcella Beckwith as Costume Designer.

The lovable and hilarious, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee continues through January 24, 2010 at the Keating Mainstage. Tickets are $19 - $34 and may be purchased from the FST Box Office in person, by phone (941) 366 - 9000 or online at www.floridastudiotheatre.org !

Known as Sarasota's Contemporary Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre was founded in 1973 by Jon Spelman. Starting out as a small touring company, FST traveled to places such as migrant camps and prisons. The company eventually settled down into a permanent home, acquiring the former Woman's Club building -

now renamed the Keating Theatre. In the years that followed, Florida Studio

Theatre established itself as a major force in American Theatre, presenting contemporary theatre in its three theatre venues: the Keating Theatre, the Goldstein Cabaret and its newest space, the Gompertz Theatre.
Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to a broad-based audience. Under Richard Hopkins, Artistic Director and CEO, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world. As FST grows and expands, it continues to provide audiences with challenging, contemporary drama and innovative programs.

Florida Studio Theatre is grateful to Robert & Bonny Israeloff, Dennis and Graci McGillicuddy and Jules & Sheila Rose for underwriting the 2009 - 2010 Mainstage Season, show co-producers Jane Baisley, Jerome and Sydney Goldstein, Herald-Tribune Media Group, Janet Hevey, SNN News 6, Dorothy Waldron and The Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice .