If you have never been to a spelling bee, this show will not
give you a clear picture of what it is all about. What it will do
is give you a musical evening of bright, clever fun and a broad
insight and caricature of what spelling bees are all about.
If you have never been to a spelling bee, this show will not give you a clear picture of what it is all about. What it will do is give you a musical evening of bright, clever fun and a broad insight and caricature of what spelling bees are all about.
Timothy Near directs the six-time Tony-nominated production with loving care and gets the most from each dysfunctional character. This is Near’s last production after 21 years as artistic director of the San Jose Reperatory Theatre, after bringing the Rep to its illustrious present.
We find ourselves in a high school gym where six finalists and four audience volunteers are competing for a county spelling championship. As the group is dispatched with misspelled words, the candidates each gives us an insight of who they are and what makes them tick. This also includes the three questionable adult supervisors – a guidance counselor and former spelling champ, a school vice principal “with a past,” and a security hulk doing his community service sentence and who acts as a comfort counselor as the contestants err and leave the contest.
Six nerdy local champs vie for a slot in the National Spelling Bee. There is a winner-takes-all satirical and, at times, a sad attitude in Putnam County’s final six. They finally show that there really are no losers and the need for love and understanding is more important than winning.
The casting of these inspired loonies is as good as it gets and each actor gives a solid performance. The idiosyncrasies and bits and pieces of the characters’ lives are a delicate kaleidoscope and must be seen to be appreciated. Their timing and chemistry is hilarious with strong direct voices that show the subtle reasons of why they are the way they are.
William Finn’s music and lyrics are quirky and original. Rachel Sheikin’s won a Tony in 2005 for her book, reworked from the original non-musical production by Rebecca Feldanman, about these overachieving kids with eccentricities and mental ticks that compromised their lives.
“Spelling Bee” might not be for everyone, but of you have a penchant for edgy inspired comedy and music, this could be an evening well spent.
***
‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’
Where: San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose
Through: June 14
Details: (408) 367-7255 or visit www.sjrep.com.
