SPELLING BEE Runs At Grand Rapids' DeVos Hall 4/7-11

Phoenix Entertainment is pleased to announce that the Tony Award-winning musical comedy THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, is coming to Grand Rapids' DeVos Performance Hall from April 7-11, 2009 for 7 performances. Tickets are now on sale.

In THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. This tuneful, offbeat and at times heartwarming show offers audience members the opportunity (strictly voluntary) to become part of the action as on-stage spellers. Each performance will also feature a local celebrity speller.

The following celebrity spellers will be appearing to compete on the dates listed:

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 7:30pm
Tim Doty, WXMI FOX 17 Feature Reporter
After spending 14 years on the sports beat Tim has made the move to mornings and presents feature reports every weekday on FOX 17 Morning News. From cooking to the outdoors, to something that might make him look downright silly, Tim is willing to get out and try it. As far as adjusting to the new hours, well, that's a little tougher! A 1994 graduate of Michigan State University, Tim began his TV career in Alpena, Michigan in 1994, then worked in Lansing before coming to Grand Rapids in 2001. In his spare time he enjoys golf, travel and martial arts.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 7:30pm
Dr. Bernard Taylor, Superintendent of Grand Rapids Public Schools
Dr. Bernard Taylor, Jr., is in his third year as Superintendent of the Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS), Michigan's third largest district. Dr. Taylor's number one goal has been to continue the improvement of student academic achievement by setting the standards high for our district. We have recently entered into partnership, with the Pittsburgh Institute for Learning, in collaboration with the DeVos Foundation. This partnership project is providing professional development to staff to transform GRPS to an effort-based learning organization following the Institute's nine Principles of Learning. Dr. Taylor earned his Ed.D., M.P.A. and B.A. degrees at the University of Pittsburgh. He also served as Executive Director for School Leadership with the Kansas City School District, and as principal and teacher for the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Thursday, April 9, 2009 at 2:00pm
Gerry Barnaby, 95.7 WLHT Barnaby and Friends
Gerry Barnaby is the host of Barnaby & Friends on W-Lite 95.7 weekday mornings from 6-10a. His son Jack, who is 5, says his Daddy is in the perfect job because he loves to talk! Gerry's wife Alicia has been known to nod in agreement. Before radio Gerry spent 12 years doing feature reporting for WOOD-TV here in Grand Rapids. Before that he chased tornadoes in Oklahoma.

Thursday, April 9, 2009 at 7:30pm
Judge Sara Smolenski, Chief Judge 63rd District Court
Sara attended Grand Rapids Junior College, and then went on to the University of Michigan and then Cooley Law School. Before being elected judge, Sara was an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Grand Rapids, and was in private practice. Sara has been Chief Judge of the 63rd District Court since 1996, appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court.2008 Grand Rapids Business Journal - 50 Most Influential Women of West Michigan.

Friday, April 10, 2009 at 8:00pm
Todd Chance, 105.3 HOT FM Todd Chance Morning Show
Todd Chance began his career as a major-league baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals. After coming to terms with his inability to hit a curve ball, Todd left the game and moved to Connecticut to take a job as a live-in housekeeper. He quickly grew close to his employer Angela Bower and her children Jonathan and Samantha. Unfortunately, because of Angela's mother Mona and her repeated, unwanted advances, Todd was forced to, once again, change careers. Although it was very difficult to leave, Todd made his way to Michigan to become a radio broadcaster. While he no longer has to cook or clean, Todd sometimes longs to, once again, see Angela's flowing blonde hair, and you can hear that pain in his voice. He can be heard weekday mornings on 105.3 HOT FM in Grand Rapids. (If you believe any of this, you are not familiar with Tony Danza's character in "Who's the Boss".)

Saturday, April 11, 2009 at 2:00pm
Catherine Behrendt, WZZM 13 Take Five & Company Host
Catherine Behrendt came to WZZM 13 in 1987 as a news producer and special projects reporter. As a reporter, she covered a variety of "beats", from crime to education to the lakeshore. Catherine anchored the morning and noon news on WZZM 13 for ten years and then went off the air for three years, during which time she worked in station management. First, she became Special Projects Manager in News and in 2001, she was given her own department and named Community and Special Projects Director. Catherine continues to serve on the station's management team, but with a new department, Local Programming and Community. She oversaw the launch of a new Local Programming Unit at WZZM 13 and the first project to come out of that unit is Take Five & Company.

Saturday, April 11, 2009 at 8:00pm
Todd Michaels, STAR 105.7 PM Drive
Todd started working in radio at his high school radio station at the tender age of 16. Since then (a mere 5 years - not!) his broadcasting career has taken him to Denver, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Chicago, Detroit, Nashville, and, most recently, Grand Rapids where he joined the staff of STAR 105.7 almost three years ago. In addition to working in local radio, he has served as host of numerous syndicated radio specials, featuring artists like Al Green, MichaelW. Smith, dc Talk, and Ricky Skaggs. He is also an actor/singer and has performed in community theatre productions including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Miracle Worker, and the Nashville Passion Play. Off-air, his interests include music, photography, cycling (the non-motorized kind), movies, and reading. He lives in the lush, rolling orchard country just outside Grand Rapids and enjoys the beautiful Spring, Summer and Fall in West Michigan. Winter...well, he deals with that!
Todd wraps up your work-day and takes you home with the "Stress-Free Ride Home" weekdays from 2 to 7 on STAR 105.7.

The performance schedule for SPELLING BEE at DeVos Performance Hall is:
7:30 p.m. on April 7-9, 8 p.m. on April 10 & 11; plus matinees at 2 p.m. on April 8 & 11.

Tickets for SPELLING BEE are $27-$67. Students/Seniors can receive $17 balcony tickets. Group discount available. Tickets now on sale at the presenter's office: Broadway Grand Rapids, 122 Lyon NW in Grand Rapids, by calling 616-235-6285, or online at www.broadwaygrandrapids.org. Tickets may also be purchased at DeVos Place or Van Andel Arena walk-up box-offices, and through Ticketmaster, 616-456-3333; and at all Ticketmaster outlets, including D&W stores and Macy's. For more information about the show, log on to www.broadwaygrandrapids.org and click on the SPELLING BEE logo, which has links to the official show website and ticketmaster.com.

Broadway Grand Rapids' presentation of SPELLING BEE is sponsored by Harvey and Annie Gainey, Foster, Swift, Collins and Smith, Fifth Third Bank, The Grand Rapids Press, STAR 105.7 and WXMI FOX 17. Preferred hotels for the 2008-09 season are the Amway Grand Plaza and JW Marriott.
For more information about THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE,
please visit www.spellingbeethemusical.com.

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