Jay Reiss News

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) has announced details for its 2013-14 Studio Series of opera, musical theatre, drama and dance productions.

Darren Day and Niki Evans are set to star in the first UK tour of William Finn's Tony Award Winning musical comedy - 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee', which embarks on a short national tour later this year.

Playhouse on Park, Hartford county's most affordable and intimate professional theatre, is ready to announce its 5th Anniversary Season. In 2013-2014 the Playhouse will feature 6 productions that will entertain, challenge, and engage audiences.

The Theatre Group at SBCC is excited to open the 2013-2014 season with the quirky musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Music and Lyrics by William Finn, Book by Rachel Sheinkin, Conceived by Rebecca Feldman, and additional material by Jay Reiss. Directed by R. Michael Gros and Musical Direction by David Potter, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a hilarious tale of overachievers' angst chronicling the experience of six adolescents vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. The show's Tony Award-winning creative team has created the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time.

The show's Tony Award-winning creative team has created the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time. Check out a first look below!

The Theatre Group at SBCC is excited to open the 2013-2014 season with the quirky musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Music and Lyrics by William Finn, Book by Rachel Sheinkin, Conceived by Rebecca Feldman, and additional material by Jay Reiss. Directed by R. Michael Gros and Musical Direction by David Potter, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a hilarious tale of overachievers' angst chronicling the experience of six adolescents vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. The show's Tony Award-winning creative team has created the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time.

Today in 2005, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre, where it ran for 1136 performances. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a one act musical comedy conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School. Six quirky adolescents compete in the Bee, run by three equally-quirky grown-ups. The 2005 Broadway production, directed by James Lapine, was nominated for six Tony Awards, winning two, including Best Book. The show has spawned various other productions in the U.S., including a national tour with performances in Canada, and Australian productions.

American Stage Theatre Company opens the 28th annual American Stage in the Park with the musical production of THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, running April 24, 2013 and closing May 26, 2013. THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is a musical comedy sure to get the audience laughing. This production was conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The core of this play centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley High School with six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves. These kids eventually learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is a hilarious tale of overachievers' angst chronicling the experience of six adolescent outsiders vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. The show's Tony Award winning creative team has created the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time.

Wayside Theatre Artistic Director, Warner Crocker, announced the cast and schedule for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the last show of Wayside's 51st Season. This show was conceived by Rebecca Feldman, with music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin, and additional material by Jay Reiss. This production is sponsored by WVPT - Your Source for PBS and More and TV3-Winchester.

Berkeley Playhouse has announced the lineup for its sixth season. The family-friendly season of musicals timeless and new opens in October with Andrew Lippa and Brian Crawley's enchanting A LITTLE PRINCESS, directed by Berkeley Playhouse Artistic Director Elizabeth McKoy. Marissa Wolf returns to the company to direct Meredith Wilson's THE MUSIC MAN in February, followed by THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE in April, directed by Kimberly Dooley. Closing the MainStage season is SHREK THE MUSICAL directed by Elizabeth McKoy in July. In addition to the MainStage season, the company will present winter, spring, and fall YouthStage productions. The entire 2013-14 season will be staged at the Julia Morgan Theater (2640 College Avenue) in Berkeley. Subscriptions ($54-$112) on-sale March 23; single tickets ($17-$60) on-sale August 1. For tickets and information, the public may visit berkeleyplayhouse.org or call 510-845-8542x351.

The Theatre Group at SBCC has announced the 2013/2014 season beginning in July 2013 with the musical, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE. Following in October 2013 will be the classic BUS STOP, in March 2014 the hilarious comedy, NOISES OFF and in April/May 2014 the thought-provoking drama GROUND.

Ford's Theatre Director Paul R. Tetreault announced the Theatre's 2013-2014 season will open with a new production of The Laramie Project, 15 years after the killing of Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard. The play is presented as the cornerstone production for the Ford's Theatre Society's Lincoln Legacy Project, a multi-year effort dedicated to sparking dialogue in the nation's capital around issues of social injustice and the ideals of equality for which Abraham Lincoln stood. A series of free special programs and events will be offered in connection with the play in September/October 2013.

Mark Hollmann, the Tony and Obie award-winning composer and lyricist of Urinetown, was recently named the 2013 Composer-in-Residence at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, according to Kaitlin Hopkins, the head of the Musical Theatre program at Texas State.

Bella Signature Design presents The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee tonight, February 8 - 17 at BPA. It's the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes - a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time and where they learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser.

New Century Players' THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, featuring Music and Lyrics by William Finn, Book by Rachel Sheinkin and Conceived by Rebecca Feldman with Additional material by Jay Reiss, will play the Milwaukie High School Blackbox Theater, tonight, February 8-17, 2013, directed by Ron K. Palmblad with musical director John Quesenberry.

Bella Signature Design presents The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee February 8 - 17 at BPA. It's the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes - a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time and where they learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. Get a first look at the cast in the photos below!

Bella Signature Design presents The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee February 8 - 17 at BPA. It's the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes - a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time and where they learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser.