Lilli Cooper and Jasmine Amy Rogers to Depart SPELLING BEE This Summer

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee cast members Lilli Cooper and Jasmine Amy Rogers will each complete their extended runs in the production this summer —  Ms. Cooper through Thursday, August 6, and Ms. Rogers through Sunday, August 9 at New World Stages. The new cast members joining the recently announced television star and singer/songwriter Laura Marano (Disney Channel’s “Austin and Ally,” Netflix’s The Perfect Date), who begins performances on June 24, and two-time Emmy Award-winner Jon Cryer (“Two and a Half Men,” Pretty in Pink), will be announced shortly.
 
Ms. Cooper received a 2026 Drama Desk Award Nomination for her performance as Rona Lisa Peretti and Ms. Rogers received 2026 Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations for her performance as Olive Ostrovsky. The duo of triple threats depart to pursue new, soon-to-be announced projects.
 
Additionally, Ms. Rogers will be on a brief leave of absence beginning Thursday, June 11 and will return to the production on Thursday, July 9.
 
The first-ever major revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee currently features a musical theater all-star cast, including two-time Emmy Award winner Jon Cryer as Vice Principal Douglas Panch, Grammy nominee and SAG Award winner Kevin McHale in his New York stage debut as William Barfée, Tony Award nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers as Olive Ostrovsky, Grammy and Tony Award nominee Justin Cooley as Leaf Coneybear, Philippe Arroyo as Chip Tolentino, Autumn Best as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre through June 22, Leana Rae Concepcion as Marcy Park, Tony Award nominee Lilli Cooper as Rona Lisa Peretti, and Matt Manuel as Mitch Mahoney. Rounding out the cast as understudies are Brandon L. Armstrong, Jahbril Cook, DeMarius Copes, Vanessa Magula, Emily Nicole Rudolph, and Cecilia Snow.
 
Featuring a Tony Award-winning book by Rachel Sheinkin and a vibrant score by Tony Award winner William Finn, this new production of the musical is directed and choreographed by Danny Mefford. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a fast-paced and funny D-E-L-I-G-H-T. As six wonderfully unique and impassioned contestants vie for the championship by spelling their way through vexing vocabulary, hilarious and poignant personal stories unfold, along with a dash of riotous audience participation. This charmingly witty and touching musical has entertained audiences around the world since its Tony-winning Broadway debut in 2005.