IUP to Stage Season Finale, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE

IUP's Theater-by-the-Grove and Music Theater will present its season finale, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," April 14-16 and 20-23 at 8 p.m. and April 17 at 2 p.m.

The hit musical will be presented on the Waller Hall Mainstage of the IUP Performing Arts Center.

This quirky show centers on a middle school spelling bee and chronicles the experiences of six adolescents vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. The show includes improvisation and the participation of some audience members as spellers. Rob Gretta directs the production with music directed by Oliver Lo.

Based on an original improvisational play titled "C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E," the production was conceived by Rebecca Feldman and performed by The Farm, a New York improvisational comedy troupe. The music and lyrics are by William Finn with a book by Rachel Sheinkin.

Director Gretta explained, "'Spelling Bee' is one of my favorite musicals. It has such a lovely, heartwarming message about friendship, integrity and the importance of losing as well as winning. Finn's music and lyrics are so clever, funny and touching. I can't wait for audiences to fall in love with this show and its characters as much as I did."

The cast incudes Amos Glass as William Morris Barfee, Katie Sabo and Blakely Watkins as Olive Ostrovsky, Brian Kane as Chip Tolentino, Erin Murphy and Ali Walker as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, Justin Hardin and Evan Pearce as Leaf Coneybear, Stephanie Jo Clark and Logan Ferronti as Marcy Park, Hannah Huges and Crystal Shellhammer as Rona Lisa Peretti, J'Quay Lamonte Gibbs as Mitch Mahoney and Sean Michael Barrett as Douglas Panch.

Tickets for this event are available now online at IUPTickets.com or the Lively Arts' website at iup.edu/livelyarts. They can also be purchased at the Hadley Union Building ticket office on the IUP campus or by calling the HUB ticket office at (724) 357-1313.

Seats remaining will be sold at the door starting one hour before each performance. Tickets are priced at $18 for regular admission, $15 for senior citizens and groups of fifteen or more, and $12 for children, students and I-card holders. The play is not recommended for children under the age of 10.

For more information on this and other events within the Lively Arts, call (724) 357-2787 (ARTS) or email lively-arts@iup.edu.