BWW Reviews: SPELLING BEE is Musical Theatre Candy at Its Absolute Best

MJR Theatricals/Music Box Musicals' Founding Artistic Director Michael J. Ross directs the show fantastically. Doing double duty as the Director and Musical Director, he brilliantly individualizes each and every character (even the minor ones that the cast doubles) to guarantee that they are both mesmerizing and memorable. Moreover, every joke lands perfectly, reducing the audience to thunderous guffaws and boisterous brays time and time again. This show is so funny that you will find yourself doing much more than simple chortles or chuckles. So, if your loudest and heartiest laugh is embarrassing, bring your friends and not a date. Furthermore, every song is sung with practiced precision, pizzazz, and pleasantly palpable presence, which wows the audience while wholly entertaining us.

Choreography by Adam Delka is ingenious, energetic, and fanciful. Adam Delka never misses an opportunity to add a delightful sight gag into the mix either, ensuring that even the choreography will amiably amuse the audience and tickle our ribs.

Glenn Sharp conducts the band with liveliness and passion, moving the show forward and keeping the tone bright, mirthful, and merry. Likewise, his band plays the score without a single imperfection.

As the champion of the 3^rd annual spelling bee, Putnam Valley's leading real estate agent, and contest adjudicator, Kristina Sullivan easily gives one of her best performances as Rona Lisa Peretti. Her commentary on each of the children and the four audience members that compete in the spelling bee is priceless and hysterical. She pristinely utilizes perfected poise for devastating affect, particularly when showing Olive how to be confidant. Moreover, Kristina SulliVan Dexterously impresses the audience with her gorgeous and uplifting singing voice, making each of her numbers outstanding.

Chip Tolentino is perfectly and uproariously portrayed by Marco Camacho. As last year's champion, he exudes confidence and cockiness. Marco Camancho keeps his chest puffed out and his ego inflated, until the script requires him to do otherwise. His bright and rich vocal instrument shines and floats through the air; yet, it is his perfectly timed and highly comedic delivery of "Chip's Lament (My Unfortunate Erection)" that audiences will remember his performance for.

Martha Katherine Patton brings the house down time and time again as lisping Logianne SchwartzandGrubenniere, especially when she gets to have an incredibly topical and remarkably funny comedy set in the second act. She left the audience in stitches ranting about North Korea at Saturday night's performance. Likewise, Martha Katherine Patton expertly sings with a convincing lisp, making her solos on "Woe is Me" and "Woe is Me (Reprise)" comical and dazzling.

As Leaf Coneybear, Braden Hunt masterfully plays on the audience's sympathies while making us laugh uproariously. Leaf Coneybear is an awkward homeschooled kid who spells only after being touched by some unseen and presumably somewhat divine intervention. Every time he gets to the microphone he rambles and plays, but then his eyes cross and his voice changes as he spells words with nimble precision. His charming vocals captivate on "I'm Not That Smart" and "I'm Not That Smart (Reprise)."

Rick Evans steals the show with his deft portrayal of Willam Barfee (pronounced Bar-fey). Rick Evans take on the nerdy, brainiac who has never been able to breathe through both nostrils is simply inspired. He talks and sings with a nasal tonality and moves with a noticeably unique gait. At all times his presence is faultlessly discombobulated and adroitly fun. His repeated know-it-all mantra of "I know" never failed to make me laugh out loud. Rick Evans commits to every zany element of the character, earning deafening cheers and applause at every turn, but especially with his showstopping rendition of "Magic Foot."

Rigid and stern Marcy Park is perfectly played by Beth Lazarou. She moves with military precision and training, having been educated in strict private schools. Beth Lazarou emphasizes the dry wit of Marcy Park, playing into the shows ever-present and enjoyable highbrow humor. Her performance of "I Speak Six Languages" is amazingly athletic and she never misses a beat or a note of the song. Moreover, her stamina astounds as she leaps, flips, and bounds around the stage without ever showing a sign of fatigue. As Marcy Park, Beth Lazarou is tremendously impressive!

Cay Taylor skillfully plays the neglected and oft-forgotten Olive Ostrovsky with a zeal for cuteness. Cay Taylor tenderly plays with our heartstrings and leaves us rooting and hoping for her. Her performance of "My Friend, the Dictionary" is charming and charismatic; however, when she sings "The I Love You Song," with gorgeous back-up from Kristina Sullivan and Chioke Coreathers, she steals our hearts and souls. The number is nothing short of is exquisite and compelling.

Luke Wrobel's Douglas Panch, the spelling bee's official word reader, is delightfully droll. He brings mind-bogglingly comedic life to the one-liners he delivers for word's definitions and the sentences, some of which appear to be fully adlibbed. Moreover, his act two meltdown is a total riot.

Chioke Coreathers is impeccably entertaining as Mitch Mahoney, who is performing as the spelling bee's Comfort Counselor due to court mandated community service hours. He keenly makes the audience roll with laughter, using stereotyped behaviors, clichés, and over-the-top caricature to his advantage. However, it is his divine and immaculate soulful R&B vocals that leave a lasting impression on the audience, especially as he astonishingly utilizes his instrument on the first act finale, "Prayer of the Comfort Counselor."

Costume Design by Adam W.Delka and Michael J. Ross is phenomenal. They have found and made ensembles that mirror these funky characters with ideal accuracy. Whether it be the Boy Scout uniform worn by Marco Camacho, the pink overalls worn by Cay Taylor, the purple cape worn by Braden Hunt, or any other of the various pieces, everything mirrors the characterizations of the actors and completes the picture for the audience.

Property Design by Eric Edward Schell is fabulous. I couldn't stop gushing about how funny the use of Beanie Babies were and the sharply comic illusion that occurs a few minutes into act two while driving home.

Slide Design by Thomas Schanding deftly shows the setting of the play, and perfectly incorporates the fantastic photos and videos made by Morris Malakoff and Marco Camacho for perfectly timed and flawless laugh out loud affect.

MJR Theatricals/Music Box Musicals' production of THE 25^TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is the most fun I have had a theatre in recent memory. I left the theatre sore from laughing so hard and so often. When it comes to musical theatre candy, it doesn't get any better than this. This production is sure to put you in a good mood and send you out the door with your toes tapping and a huge smile on your face.

THE 25^TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BREE runs through May 4, 2013 at The Music Box Theater at 2623 Colquitt. For more information and ticket, please visit http://www.themusicboxtheater.com or call (713) 522 - 7722.

Photos courtesy of MJR Theatricals/Music Box Musicals.

L to R: Cay Taylor (Olive Ostrovsky), Marco Camacho (Chip Tolentino), Beth Lazarou (Marcy Park), Braden Hunt (Leaf Coneybear), Rick Evans (William Barfee), Martha Patton (Logainne SchwartzandGrubenierre).