A spoof of the contests that pit children against children to determine who has the best command of their voluminous vocabulary. Among the competitors are the incumbent, Wentworth Miller III, and Grammarcy Park, who placed first in the Math Bee. Presiding over the test are four-time champion Rhona Janet and vice principal Douglas Panch.
Director-choreographer Danny Mefford doesn’t attempt a radical reinterpretation, nor does he need to. The material is bulletproof. But he infuses the evening with a welcome sense of kinetic play, giving each scene and musical number a brisk, physical charge. “Magic Foot” remains a guaranteed showstopper, and the decision to run without an intermission—keeping the show at a tight 1 hour and 45 minutes—maintains the breathless pacing that makes the bee feel like a single, unbroken event.
Finn’s tunes remain toe-tapping treats, and the whole cast throws themselves into the numbers with a youthful energy that suits their characters’ ages. Spelling Bee is the perfect antidote to these dreary anxiety-ridden times, and it’s worth settling down for a long, laughter-induced spell.
| 2004 | Regional (US) |
Workshop Regional (US) |
| 2004 |
World Premiere |
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| 2005 | Off-Broadway |
Original Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
| 2005 | Broadway |
Broadway Transfer Broadway |
| 2006 |
San Francisco Production |
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| 2006 | US Tour |
First National Tour US Tour |
| 2006 | Boston |
Boston Production Boston |
| 2011 | West End |
Donmar Warehouse Production West End |
| 2014 | Washington, DC (Regional) |
Ford's Theatre Society Production Washington, DC (Regional) |
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
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