Interview: Julia Krohn of THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE at Theatre Under The Stars

Julia Krohn is a Houston theater icon. She's been in shows all around town, including Theater Under the Stars, Catastrophic, Stages, and Main Street Theater. She's performed in dramas, musicals, and several world premieres. She was in a Vegas production of JERSEY BOYS. She's been a Disney princess as Belle in a production of BEAUTY AND THE BEST. She was in THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS and ALL SHOOK UP for Theatre Under the Stars (her parents were in those, too!). She's just amazing, and BROADWAY WORLD writer Brett Cullum got to talk with her about her appearing in the TUTS season opener, The 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE. 

Brett Cullum: Tell me a little bit about the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. What's the story for those who've never seen it? 

Julia Krohn: It is a show that is so close to my heart! When I was living in New York, from 2004 to 2008 was when it came to Broadway, and I saw it there. I was brought in quite a bit for Olive at the time. I'm too old for that [role] now! But this character that I'm playing, Rona, has actually been a dream role for me since then, because I was so touched by that role, and especially the song that's sung later, which we'll get into. But the show itself. It's about a spelling bee. Yes, it's adults playing kids, and yes, there's a lot of silliness, but there's so much heart, and each speller, each child, is so unique and brings a lot of aspects to childhood and just people in general that I think speak to all of us. It shows little quirks and idiosyncrasies, and even struggles that kids might have. It sort of runs the gamut; it's a comedic musical theater piece, and there is this heart that is the through line, and it speaks to you in a way that might surprise you. So you're gonna have a great time, and I think you're also gonna walk away with something pretty deep.

Brett Cullum: Now, there's some audience interaction in this show? 

Julia Krohn: Audience participation, which always sounds like bad words to some people. It's like saying improv to a group of people who've never done it. But yes, some lucky, lucky audience members will be onstage. There will be an interview process happening in the lobby, as I understand it, to recruit some audience members to become members of the spelling bee, and one of the things that's so fun about that is they will be adults, but they will be playing children, just like our actors. And they'll get some preparation beforehand, but some of it is improv, and it's in the moment. They won't know what word they're gonna be given. It's made me love participating with the audience in that way. Getting people to step outside their comfort zone and throw themselves into it. It's pretty cool in that respect.

Brett Cullum: As a kid, I was traumatized by spelling bees. Even though I write for BROADWAY WORLD, I live for Grammarly and Spell Correct! I mean, come on. I'm not sure I could do it. I could be the first one out. So, you're playing Rona Lisa? Who is she?

Julia Krohn: She leads the spelling bee. She won the Spelling Bee many years before, and has carried that torch with her, and she lives and breathes this world. She continually sings about it, she continually says, “That's my favorite moment of the bee!” And she says that about, you know, 10 or 12 different aspects of the spelling bee. And I think near the end is where you really get to the core of what her favorite moment is. But yes, this is her world. This is where she thrives. And she also has some bumps along the way, things that catch her off guard, and she has to think on her feet. So again, like with any good show, everybody's learning, right? They're not stagnant characters. Everybody has to go on a journey, and she has a really fun one.

Brett Cullum: Well, it sounds like the whole cast is in for a wild ride. Improv, singing, audience on stage with you! There's a lot going on in this. How did you get cast in this one?

Julia Krohn: Dan Knechtges is our artistic director and is also a dear friend of mine. I think partly because of working together with him on UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER. That was his play that he co-wrote with his dear friend Megan Larche Dominick and directed and staged at TUTS. He saw me get to do so much of that audience participation, and he knows my voice and sort of my character well, so he asked me to play this role, and I was able to tell him what a dream this is for me.

Brett Cullum: Well, let me ask you, Julia, how did you get into theater? What was little Julia like? 

Julia Krohn: Her entry started in the womb. Both of my parents are staples of this theater community in Houston. My mom has taught and performed in Houston for her whole life. She's 80. My dad was a member of The Acting Company at the Alley for 55 years. He's 96, and both of them worked for Tutz when it was the Music Hall, and then on to the Hobby Center. So I've… I've grown up, quite literally, in the theater scene here. I have three older brothers; two of them decided to go into finance. Smart men, but myself and my eldest brother really got bit by this bug, and like Rona, I've sort of lived and breathed this world my whole life, and it's always been my passion, and I've really gotten into the education side of it as well, over the last 10, 15 years, and that's been really rewarding. So, yeah, it's just kind of in my DNA.

Brett Cullum: I saw you on stage with your incredible mom at Main Street Theater in their world premiere of MEMORIAM, Chesley Ann Santoro. What was that like?

Julia Krohn: It's hard to put it into words. I know that sounds trite, but obviously, I've lived my whole theater life with my mom. She's directed me, and she's choreographed me, and she's always been side-by-side with me in so many ways, performing, but we've never been able to stand on stage together and look in each other's eyes, because we did ALL SHOOK UP together, but we never had scenes together. And my dad and I have been lucky enough to do some plays together, but it was so special. And that play in particular, because of the nature of our relationship, of her being my grandmother, and it being so close, and a very intense play, the kind of interactions we were able to have on stage were just so special, and I will carry it with me always.

Brett Cullum: I saw it, and it was magical to see you with her. I really hope you find another show to do together. 

Julia Krohn: Yeah, it was pretty special, and it being a world premiere, and a very cool, very edgy play, speaking to so much of what's happening in our world right now, and being brave enough to speak that, you know, our playwright, and then getting to say her words. It was really special.

Brett Cullum: So you live and teach here in Houston, correct? What's it like being a teacher of students in the theatrical arts? 

Julia Krohn: Oh, it's… It's wonderful. I graduated from HSPVA, so getting to be back there teaching has just been so incredible. And I've been there on and off, really, since 2008, 2009, but I've been there more consistently since 2020, actually, when the world ended, and then was rebirthed. However, I have also recently started teaching with the education department at the Alley, and that has been such a special experience. Because of my connection to the theater, Chaney Tullos, who heads up the education department there, he's the best. The work we've been doing has actually been with adults, so we're bringing acting to medical professionals, people at Shell Oil, and lawyers. So getting to bring education away from people who are used to it, away from people who know anything about it, and getting to use those fundamentals, maybe in surgery, maybe fighting a case for a client, has been pretty special.

Brett Cullum: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. It opened on October 21st. It runs through November 2nd at the Hobby Center. Six spellers, one Bee, lots of laughs. Yes. So artistic director Dan Knechtges is choreographing and directing this one, right? So you're working with him again. What's that like, coming back, working with Dan again?

Julia Krohn: So easy. It really is! He's such an actor's director. I think being a performer himself for so long, he just understands and listens and hears you and sees you in a way that's very unique and makes you feel so much more confident in what you're doing.

Brett Cullum: Well, Julia Krohn, you go break all the legs, run that bee, like the queen you are! The little girl who grew up even in the womb onstage! 

Julia's Krohn: Alright, and thank you. Thank you so much, Brett.

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Best Musical - Top 3

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7.4% of votes

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