Rachel Sheinkin News

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Andrew Levine, Executive Director), present a one-night only benefit concert celebrating up and coming musical theatre writers, with the NEO 9 on Monday, May 20, 2013 at The York Theatre (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). Festivities begin at 7:30 p.m. followed by a champagne and dessert reception to toast the evening.

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.

Do I have to spell it out for you? This show is fun!

Complete casting is set for SUMMERWORKS 2013 - the annual season of new plays presented by the four-time Obie Award-winning theater company Clubbed Thumb -- it has been announced by Maria Striar, Clubbed Thumb's Producing Artistic Director. SUMMERWORKS 2013 will be presented May 24 to June 29 at The Wild Project (195 E. 3rd St.) in Manhattan.

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, has announced it has received a $10,000 National Fund grant from the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT), for its Musical Theatre Lab world premiere production of the musical, Southern Comfort, July 19 - August 10.

The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Andrew Levine, Executive Director), will present a one-night only benefit concert celebrating up and coming musical theatre writers, with the NEO 9 on Monday, May 20, 2013 at The York Theatre (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). Festivities begin at 7:30 p.m. followed by a champagne and dessert reception to toast the evening.

The York Theatre Company will present a one-night only benefit concert celebrating up and coming musical theatre writers, with the NEO 9 on Monday, May 20, 2013 at The York Theatre (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). Festivities begin at 7:30 p.m. followed by a champagne and dessert reception to toast the evening.

Student-Run Musical Theater Group at Shepherd University to Perform 'Hillarious and Heartwarming Musical' April 18-21

Following the model of the original Broadway production, four people were pulled from the Theatre Palisades 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.

After riveting audiences with an emotionally raw and intellectual inaugural production of Stephen Sondheim's ASSASSINS, MJR Theatricals/Music Box Musicals is serving up a wondrously side-splitting, laugh-a-minute presentation of the Tony-award winning musical THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE. The clever and hilarious musical is based on Rebecca Feldman's C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E improvisation performed by The Farm, with music and lyrics by William Finn and a book by Rachel Sheinkin. It treats the audience as if they are really at the fictional spelling bee, and the cast gleefully breaks the fourth wall to interact with members of the audience. The musical follows six quirky kids (played by adults) through the spelling bee, and introduces the audience to three adults that are just as peculiar as the kids.

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.

SUMMERWORKS 2013 - the annual season of new plays presented by the four-time Obie Award-winning theater company Clubbed Thumb -- is set for its 18th season May 24th to June 29th at The Wild Project (195 E. 3rd Street) in Manhattan, it has been announced by Maria Striar, Clubbed Thumb's Producing Artistic Director.

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.

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and TriStan Wilson, Managing Director, presents the 10×10 New Play Festival, today, February 14 through March 3, part of the 2013 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival.

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.

Second Stage Theatre just celebrated its annual All-Star Bowling Classic last night, February 4 at Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge For over 25 years, stars of stage and screen have come out to bowl in support of Second Stage's award-winning seasons and to assist the theatre in its fund-raising efforts. BroadwayWorld was there for the festivities and you can check out the second part of photo coverage below. CLICK HERE to check out part 1!