BWW Reviews: THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE Offers Audience Members a Chance to Participate

THE 25^TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE with book by Rachel Sheinkin, music and lyrics by William Finn is now playing at Theatre Palisades through May 12, directed by Lewis Hauser with musical director Brian Murphy, choreography by Victoria Miller and produced by Shirley Churgin and Martha Hunter. The cast includes Brad Akerman, Dorothy Blue, Candice Courtney, Ariella Fiore, David Holguin, Kana Koinuma, Peter Miller, Cynthia Rothschild and Darcy Silveira.

At the 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, young regional winners hope to qualify for the National Bee and a shot at further prizes and glory. And what a mixed bunch of contestants they are. There's Chip (Brad Akerman), last year's winner who is hopelessly distracted by hormones. Logainne (Darcy Silveira), the daughter of two fussy gay dads, wants the world to know she believes her dads have the right to lose half of their stuff in a divorce just like everyone else! Super Speller in her handmade cape, Leaf Coneybear (Dorothy Blue) flies across the stage and only seems able to stay focused at the microphone as she spells her word correctly, much to her own amazement.

Barfée (agile Peter Miller) is a chunky, defensively antagonistic boy who uses his foot to spell. Marcy Park (Kana Koinuma) is a girl from a family of ethnic overachievers who wishes that she wasn't expected to be perfect all the time. And then there's Olive (Candice Courtney), whose mother is literally an ocean away while her dad never seems to have time for her.

The focus of its story is on a spelling contest, under the guidance of Rona Lisa Perretti (Cynthia Rothschild), a former bee winner who professes that each moment of the bee is her favorite. Rothschild uses her lovely professional appearance and authoritative presence to keep order at the bee. School VP Panch (David Holquin) announces the words to spell, giving their definitions and using them in sentences which offer no help whatsoever to the contest participants.

There's also an interesting wrinkle. Following the model of the original Broadway production, four people were pulled from the audience and asked to participate in the contest. These visiting spellers were thrown into the mix, led into musical numbers by the cast, and asked to spell words until disqualified and sent back to their seats by Madge Mahoney (Ariella Fiore), a rough ex-con on parole, doing her community service work by giving comfort to the losers as she escorts them off the stage.

Victoria Miller's choreography works well on the small stage, especially during the "Pandemonium" sequence as the kids tear apart everything in sight. And each character has their own moment to shine in the spotlight, sharing their lives in song accompanied by Brian Murphy on piano.

"The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" at Theatre Palisades, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272, with performances April 12- May 12, 2013 on Fri. & Sat. at 8pm, Sun. at 2pm. ADMISSION is $24 on Saturday nights, $22 on Friday nights and Sunday matinees. Seniors and students receive a $2 discount RESERVATIONS: (310) 454-1970. ONLINE TICKETING: www.theatrepalisades.com

Photos by Joy Daunis