Brelby's 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is Funny, Heartfelt, and Just Plain Fun

Monica Hernandez Bollt plays Rona Lisa Peretti, the number-one realtor in Putnam County, a former Putnam County Spelling Bee Champion herself, and returning moderator.

"For me," said Bollt, "the role of Rona Lisa Peretti has been particularly challenging because so much of the pacing of the show relies on one other character and me. We are, essentially, in charge of the audience volunteers and improvising fun and colorful commentary about each person. I've never rehearsed a role like this, where we have to account for improvised sections."

Aubrea Robards plays Logainne SchwartzandGrubenierre, the youngest and most politically aware speller. Logainne often makes comments about current political figures, with two overbearing, gay fathers pushing her to win at all costs.

"This show is going to be so unbelievably heartwarming," said Robards, "and sad at times, but I think what people are going to love about it is just how genuinely funny it is. There is dry sarcasm mixed with physical humor. On top of all that you have adults acting like obnoxious, overachieving children - many with pretty severe speech pathologies. I'm confident there will be at least three to four I-laughed-so-hard-I-just-wet-my-pants incidents throughout the run of the show," she giggled.

"Not breaking character has been so hard," Robards continued. "This script is hilarious and in addition to that, the show is known for being very improv heavy. A lot of the things that we came up with for our characters have been worked into the show permanently and the actors continue to come up with witty new quips and comebacks all the time. The problem with this is my fellow cast mates are very clever and I am notoriously horrible at keeping a straight face. To be totally honest, it's a nice problem to have. Rehearsals stay fresh and scenes never seem to grow old, keeping the energy high," she said enthusiastically.

Bollt interjected, "There have been so many amazing parts of this rehearsal process. Frm the first read-through, I think we all knew that this cast was something special. I've had an amazing time working with this incredibly talented cast. Having the songs come together and seeing different character choices has been so much fun. It's hard not to smile during this show. It's funny and heartfelt, the music is great, and the whole thing is just plain fun. People won't be able to stop themselves from falling in love with these word nerds! Not to mention, each show is a little bit different because of the audience volunteers. How exciting is that?"

Brelby partners with local downtown Glendale businesses to offer more options for audience members. By showing their digital ticket, audiences can receive 10% off of their bill at the Hop Stop Diner, 10% off of any entrée at Haus Murphy's Restaurant, and 10% off of a customer's bill at the Olde Towne Glendale (OTG) Beer & Wine Bar or the Gaslight Inn.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee plays March 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, 31, April 1 at 7:30PM and March 12, 19, 26 at 2PM. Tickets are available by visiting the official web sit e at brelby.com/tickets. General admission is $25 per performance. Admission to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is included in the benefits of Brelby's ShowGO subscription: brelby.com/showgo. The Brelby Playhouse is located at 7154 N 58th Dr, Glendale, AZ 85301.