Rachel Sheinkin News

Tamworth’s venerable The Barnstormers Theatre finishes its 95 season with a spectacular production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the Tony Award-winning musical by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin.

Barrington Stage Company presented a one-night only celebration and tribute to the Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist and Associate Artist William Finn last night (August 19) on it’s  Boyd-Quinson Mainstage. Check out photos from the event.

The Sustain, an original musical by Aaron Drescher, Alice Jankell and Pamela Weiler Grayson, will receive 5 developmental workshop presentations at the Sargent Theatre. Learn more and see how to attend!

Three cast members have joined the first New York revival of the Tony Award-winning musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee! Learn more about the show here!

The Barnstormers Theatre will close its 95th season with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, running August 22–30, 2025. Directed by Clayton Phillips.

Penfold Theatre Company has revealed the cast and creatives for the musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with music and lyrics by William Finn and a Tony Award- winning book by Rachel Sheinkin. Learn more!

The first New York revival of the landmark Tony Award-winning musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has found its initial cast members! Learn more here!

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will return to the New York stage this fall.  The musical will begin previews on November 7, with opening night set for November 17, 2025. The show is now teasing its cast via Instagram. Can you guess the spellers from these emojis?

Theatre Now is accepting submissions for SOUND BITES 13, the 13th Annual Festival of 10-Minute Musicals, now through December 1st. 10 finalists will be selected for presentation on Monday, May 4, 2026 at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center.

Greg Reiner will be the new Managing Director of Barrington Stage Company. Reiner, who most recently served as Director of Theater and Musical Theater at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), joins BSC as of August 4, 2025. 

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is returning to New York City! Learn more about The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and see how to purchase tickets.

​​​​​​​Theatre Now New York will host a Master Class with Tony Award-winning writer Rachel Sheinkin (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) next week.

Theatre Now will host a special Industry Night specifically for musical theatre composers on Monday, May 19th at 6:30pm featuring a workshop on Dorico, the music notation and composition software.

For Broadway fans, the highlight of every spring is the announcement of the Tony Award nominations—the most prestigious recognition in American theatre. But how are Tony nominees chosen, and who gets to decide? In this guide, we break down the Tony Awards nomination process and reveal how Broadway’s biggest honors are determined.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee follows an unusual group of kids as they nervously make their way through a local spelling bee. While candidly revealing hilarious and heartfelt anecdotes from their home lives, these kids spell their way through a series of increasingly difficult words.

​​​​​​​Theatre Now New York will host a Master Class with Tony Award-winning writer Lisa Lambert (The Drowsy Chaperone) next week. Learn more about the event here!

Clague Playhouse will present The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, conceived by Rebecca Feldman, with Additional Material by Jay Reiss, Music and Lyrics by William Finn, and Book by Rachel Sheinkin.

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that composer and lyricist William Finn has died at age 73. Finn is best known for his Tony-winning work on the musical Falsettos, as well as The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, A New Brain, and more.

Arkansas’ newest professional theatre. The Link Theatre Company, is blossoming in Northeast Arkansas, and it’s well worth the drive. Founded by Broadway couple Matt Cavenaugh and Jenny Powers, I had the pleasure of seeing a very entertaining production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Sunday, March 16, at The Fowler Center on the Arkansas State University Fowler Center.

The newest production at the Copley Theatre in Aurora is The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. It’s the story of “12” year olds competing in a spelling bee. Under the direction of Jeff Award-winning Stephen Schellhardt and a set designed by Lauren M. Nichols showcasing a gymnasium, this group of actors brings forth the anxieties, awkwardness, innocence, doubt, fear and ultimately joy of this age group.