THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE Extends Run at New World Stages
The production will open tonight, Monday, November 17, but a gala celebration was held on Sunday, November 16.
By: Stephi Wild Nov. 17, 2025
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will extend its run off-Broadway through April 12, 2026, due to popular demand. The production opens tonight, Monday, November 17, at New World Stages, and celebrated with a gala on Sunday, November 16.
The cast includes Grammy Nominee & SAG Award winner Kevin McHale (“Glee”), in his New York stage debut as William Barfée, Tony Award nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers (BOOP!) as Olive Ostrovsky, Grammy & Tony Award Nominee Justin Cooley (Kimberly Akimbo) as Leaf Coneybear, Philippe Arroyo (& Juliet) as Chip Tolentino, Autumn Best (Netflix’s Woman of the Hour; The CW’s 4400) as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, Leana Rae Concepcion (Merrily We Roll Along) as Marcy Park, Tony Award nominee Lilli Cooper (Spring Awakening, Tootsie, POTUS) as Rona Lisa Peretti Jason Kravits (The Drowsy Chaperone, Sly Fox) as Vice Principal Douglas Panch, and Matt Manuel (Ain’t Too Proud) as Mitch Mahoney. Rounding out the cast as understudies are Brandon L. Armstrong, Jahbril Cook, Emily Nicole Rudolph, and Cecilia Snow.
Featuring a Tony Award-winning book by Rachel Sheinkin (Striking 12, Sleeping Beauty Wakes) and a vibrant score by Tony Award winner William Finn (Falsettos, A New Brain), this new production of the musical is directed & choreographed by Danny Mefford (Kimberly Akimbo, Dear Evan Hansen).
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a fast-paced and funny D-E-L-I-G-H-T. As six wonderfully unique and impassioned contestants vie for the championship by spelling their way through vexing vocabulary, hilarious and poignant personal stories unfold…along with a dash of riotous audience participation.
Six spellers enter, but only one can win The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee! This charmingly witty and touching musical has entertained audiences across the world since its Tony–winning Broadway debut in 2005. It now returns to New York in a special 20th Anniversary production that celebrates the singular heart, humor, and verve that cemented its place in the musical theater canon.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was conceived by Rebecca Feldman with Additional Material by Jay Reiss and is based on "C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E," an original play by The Farm. First developed at Barrington Stage Company, the show debuted Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theater in 2005 – earning widespread critical acclaim and winning the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding New Musical. The show immediately transferred to Broadway’s Circle in The Square Theatre, where it won two Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards, and enjoyed a hugely successful run of nearly three years.
The new production of Spelling Bee features Scenic Design by Teresa L. Williams (The Preacher’s Wife), Costume Design by Emily Rebholz (Dear Evan Hansen), Lighting Design by David Weiner (Suddenly Last Summer), and Sound Design by Haley Parcher (Spamalot). The Music Supervisor is Carmel Dean (The Notebook), and the Music Director is Elizabeth Doran (Water for Elephants). Casting is by Geoff Josselson Casting (Sweeney Todd), General Management is by 321 Theatrical Management (Wicked, The Outsiders), and the Production Stage Manager is Rachel Zucker (Pirates! The Penzance Musical).
The musical is produced by Barbara Whitman, Aaron Glick, and Timothy Bloom by special arrangement with David Stone, and co-produced by James L. Nederlander, Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Debra Martin Chase, Rachel Sussman, Patrick Catullo and Ryan Solomon.
