Review: THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE perfect capper for Weathervane's summer season

Behind every competition, no matter how noble or earnest its aims might be, are a group of ruthless, cut-throat competitors trying to win. THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is no different. Watching the six "competitors" go after the county's coveted spelling trophy provides the perfect closer to the summer schedule for the Weathervane Playhouse.

The fan-favorite show, known for incorporating the audience into the action, closes out its run with 8 p.m. performances on Friday, Aug. 5 and Saturday, Aug. 6 at The Playhouse (100 Price Road in Newark).

The great part about THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is that, when done properly, it can be an acting tour de force. Directed by Erika Wills, the Weathervane production offers each of its nine member cast to show off his or her acting chops. That leaves a lot of discussion for who your favorite character was for the ride home.

In this production, there are a lot to choose from. With his homemade cape and his well-used cranial helmet, Leaf Coneybear (Bradley Johnson) was a crowd favorite. He began the show, sitting upside down in one of The Playhouse seats and adding his own wry commentary to managing artistic director Adam Karsten's welcome - "This is going on forever."

At 30 characters long, Logainne Schwartzandgrubennierre (Eli Brickey) has one of the longest names in the show and delivers one of the most memorable performances. Brickey, a Weathervane veteran, brings to life the lisping, ambitious speller who struggles to live up to the expectations of his two dads.

As Chip Tolentino, Ben Hartwig gives a performance that stands on its own as the defending Putnam County champion who is defeated by his own, ahem, excitement during the competition. In one of the show's funnier bits, Tolentino is sentenced to selling concessions to the crowd during the intermission.

Sharon Kibe turns in a memorable performance as Marcy Park, the ultra competitive speller who is a winner at nearly everything she tries. She delivers one of the show's signature tunes "I Speak Six Languages" and is perfectly cast as a world-weary, "I-am-so-bored-with-it-all" challenger. And yet, she makes a joyful transformation after being told by Jesus that it's OK to lose every once in a while.

Paula Shtein is mesmerizing as Olive Ostrovsky, a teenager whose best friend appears to be a dictionary. In this light-hearted show, Ostrovsky's duet with her absentee parents, "The I Love You Song" gives the show depth, prospective and soul.

Christopher Marth also brings to life his character William Barfee, a competitor who relies on his magic foot to help him achieve success in the world of competitive spelling. Marth is excellent at conveying Barfee's annoyance of having his name mispronounced every time he is introduced and his romance with Olive at the end of the show seems quite believable.

Behind every good spelling bee, there are a host of adults trying to control all the chaos. Playhouse veteran Barbe Helwig is perfect as Rona Lisa Perretti, the moderator whose life seems to revolve around the spelling bee, and BArt Smith is a joy to watch as Vice Principal Douglas Panch, whose slow fuse of self-control burns out midway through the second act. JarEd Smith shines while playing three separate roles. His most notable role is as Mitch Mahoney, who is performing his community service as a comfort counselor to losing contestants and over-the-edge judges.

Under the musical direction of Kevin Wines, the show's orchestra of Will Blount (percussion), Melanie Richards (reed) and Harrison Ponce (keyboards) handle the many nuisances of THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE.

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