BCP Present 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, 9/10 - 10/2

Bergen County Players will kick off its 2011-12 season with the multiple Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Featuring a book by Rachel Sheinkin with music and lyrics by William Finn, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will be performed under the direction of Larry Landsman at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell from September 10th through October 2nd, 2011, with shows at 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 2pm on Sundays. An additional performance is scheduled for Sunday, September 25th at 7pm, and a special, adults-only "blue" performance at 11pm on Friday, September 30th.

This tuneful, offbeat and at times heartwarming show also offers interactive fun, giving audience members the opportunity (strictly voluntary) to become part of the action as on-stage spellers. Anyone interested in being a guest speller should arrive at the theater 45 minutes prior to curtain.

The hit musical is about the unlikeliest group of heroes: a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time. Meet Chip Tolentino, a cocky Boy Scout and champion of the 24th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, returning to defend his title; Leaf Coneybear, a gentle soul and unlikely contestant who was second-runner up at his regional spelling bee; William Morris Barfée, whose untimely allergic reaction to peanuts knocked him from last year's Bee; Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, a perky young liberal with two competitive dads; Olive Ostrovsky, a lonely young newcomer to competitive spelling who made friends with her dictionary at an early age; and Marcy Park, a sleep-deprived Catholic School overachiever who speaks six languages and is tired of always winning. Chaperoning these young contestants are former Putnam County Spelling Bee winner and returning moderator of the Bee, Rona Lisa Perretti; Vice Principal Douglas Panch, who returns after a five-year hiatus to serve as judge of the Bee; and ex-convict and official Comfort Counselor for the Bee, Mitch Mahoney.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is directed by long-time BCP member Larry Landsman of Wyckoff, who asserts that the unique quality of the show does not end with the characters. "This is not your ordinary musical theater piece," said Landsman. "The authors realized that the improvisational feel of the piece provides much of the fun, so there are topical references, quick 'jump cuts' and character fantasies that seem to spring out of nowhere - techniques that we often see in film and TV, but are not often seen on stage. But in the midst of the mayhem, music, and laughter, it brings us back to those terrible and wonderful, middle school years and the beginning of the journey to discover who we are."

Landsman has amassed numerous acting and directing credits with BCP, directing musicals The Full Monty and Into the Woods and appearing most recently on the BCP stage as The Cat in the Hat in Seussical the Musical, Ira in Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Ivan in Art and Fagin in Oliver! He also served as BCP president for two years.

"It's impossible to resist," added Landsman. "When I first saw this show, I was stunned not just by its incredible sense of humor, but by how much it truly affected me. You don't just laugh at these sharp, kooky characters - you really come to care about them."

A talented cast brings these "kooky characters" to life. Chip Tolentino is played by Timothy Meola of Flanders, who was last seen on the BCP stage in two productions last season, as Benjamin in From Screen to Stage and as Paul in Company. Brad Forenza (Ridgewood), who plays Leaf Coneybear, has performed in several BCP productions including One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest and Urinetown. Several BCP newcomers also join the cast, including Phil Sloves (Fair Lawn) as William Morris Barfée, Elaine Thoman (Ridgewood) as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere, Lena Grotticelli (Mahwah) as Olive Ostrovsky, and Louanna Factora (Flushing, NY) as Marcy Park.

Rounding out the cast are BCP veterans Nancy Feldman of New City, NY as Rona Lisa Perretti, and Jim Lugo of Congers, NY as Vice Principal Douglas Panch, with Jeff Foote of Denville making his BCP debut as Mitch Mahoney.

The team behind the scenes includes Director Larry Landsman (Wyckoff), Musical Director Steve Bell (Teaneck), Choreographer Vanessa Pellecchia (Harriman, NY), Producer Kathie Robitz (Westwood), Assistant to the Director Emily Bosco (Closter), Improv Coach Staci Beth Block (Hackensack), and Stage Manager Alyson Cohn (Wyckoff). Set Design and Construction is by Chantale Bourdages (Nyack, NY) and Rob Ward (Washingtonville, NY), Lighting Design by Allan Seward (Bardonia, NY), Sound Design by Rob DeScherer (Woodcliff Lake), Costumes by and Sherry Iradi (East Hanover) and Rosella DeVincenzo (Oradell), Costume Assistance by Ruth Morley (Ridgewood), and Properties by Lisa Dahlborg (Lodi) and Kathleen Ruland (Lodi). Michele Roth (New Milford) and Joe Lanteri (Fort Lee) will serve as Lighting Operators, and Tom Lambrix (Franklin Lakes) as Sound Operator. Publicity, Stephanie Hughes Koenig (River Edge); Photography, Alan Zenreich (Oradell); Workday Photography, Barbara Schwartz (New Milford); Hair, Dana Robitz (Westwood); Crew, Eva Piccioni (Teaneck), Earle Ziff (Englewood), Jordan Kerin (Cresskill), and Amy Nadler (Wanaque); and Member-at-Large, Ron Siclari (Oradell). Programs by Leigh Adel-Arnold (Teaneck) and Chris Nelson (Westwood); Program Notes by Marci Weinstein (Teaneck). Audience Wranglers include Joe Lanteri (Fort Lee), Karin Wander (Harrington Park), Joanne Misha (Montvale), and Marci Weinstein (Teaneck).

Some content not appropriate for pre-teens.

Further information can be found at www.bcplayers.org.

The Bergen County Players, Inc. is a non-Equity, non-profit community theater company dedicated to presenting quality productions for the enrichment of the community and is a member of the New Jersey Association of Community Theaters.