Bella Signature Design Presents THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE at Bainbridge Performing Arts, Now thru 2/17

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.

Spelling Bee... features music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Rachel Sheinkin. It was conceived by Rebecca Feldman, includes additional material by Jay Reiss, and was produced by special arrangement with Musical Theatre International (MTI).

BPA's production is directed by Ken Michels (director of last season's hit The Full Monty) and includes musical direction by Josh Anderson. The small but stellar cast includes Ted Dowling as Vice Principal Panch, Gina Russellas Rona Lisa Peretti, Todd Baylor as Mitch Mahoney, Justin Lynn as William Barfee, James Sgambati as Chip Tolentino, Ryan P. O'Donnell as Leaf Coneybear, Colleen Gillon as Olive Ostrovsky, Lauren Stone as Marcy Park, Michelle Abad as Logainne Schwartz And Grubenierre, and...guest audience spellers (this could be you!). Before each performance four audience volunteers will be recruited to participate onstage as guest spellers, so each show will be as hilariously unexpected and unique as the next.

Bella Signature Design presents The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at BPA tonight, February 8 - 17, with shows Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. plus Sundays at 3:00 p.m. A special Pay-What-You-Can Preview is Thursday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m., and the Opening Night Reception is Friday, February 8 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets, $27 for adults, $22 for seniors, and $19 for students, youth, military, and teachers, may be purchased online at www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org, by phone at 206.842.8569 or in person at BPA, 200 Madison Avenue North, Bainbridge Island. BPA Box Office hours are 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and one hour prior to each performance.

Bainbridge Performing Arts extends special thanks to Spelling Bee's... Title Sponsor, Bella Signature Design. BPA is supported, in part, by One Call for All.