The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, I Spell Hysterical A R T I S T R Y in Bloomington

Furthermore I can use it in a sentence. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Artistry in Bloomington is hysterical! I haven’t laughed this hard in the theater since I almost wet my pants at The Play That Goes Wrong tour at the Orpheum Theatre. Wipe that smirk off your face, I said almost. Luckily, I emptied my bladder before tonight’s show but no amount of pre-show preparation can guard against stomach pains from laughing so hard. And those are what I am experiencing now as I sit down to write this. If I ever see this show on the schedule again, I’ll be sure to begin core strengthening exercises well in advance. Having never seen this show which has been around for almost 20 years I can’t honestly say if it’s the script itself or this dead brilliant cast. I’ve always said that the best comedy comes not from simple one-liners but from characters. The best comedic actors are also the best actors, because in spite of the silliness they imbue their characters with a reality. This cast doesn’t play the jokes, they play the characters which make the jokes land harder. That also allows us to feel for them in the few moments where a little pathos is permitted to seep through.

So their are a lot of credits for this show. It was conceived by Rebecca Feldman, I assume on the couch watching a Spelling Bee unfold on TV, but perhaps in a bed like you and I presumably were. The music and lyrics are by William Finn with book by Rachel Sheinkin and just for good measure some additional material was thrown in by Jay Reiss. Sometimes too many cooks spoil the soup, but in this case each added just the right measurements of each ingredient, as it may take place in a school gymnasium but it’s way better than any cafeteria lunch. It’s the story of six adolescents who are competing in the county spelling bee in hopes of winning and going to nationals in Washington D.C.. They each have their own little stories and quirks and are joined by four members of the audience who each have their own little quirks. For Instance, one of our audience members got their word correct, when I think they were supposed to get it wrong, and so they immediately called them back for another turn so they could eliminate them. Which is one of the great things about live theater, that stuff happens and it adds even more laughs to the night. Aside from the kids there are three adults two are the Spelling Bee hosts, former Spelling Bee winner Rona Lisa Peretti and Vice Principal Doug Panch. The third is the Official Comfort Counselor Mitch Mahoney, who is an ex-con doing his community service at the Bee.

I can give you specific examples of moments of brilliance from each of the actors but I don’t want to spoil the jokes for you so I’ll be as vague as possible. Brendan Nelson Finn plays William Barfee who uses his magic foot to spell out the words before he says them aloud. Finn is all in on this performance, his characters mannerisms alone when simply sitting in the bleachers while others were spelling had me rolling on the floor. Tom Reed is Leaf Coneybear, the homeschooled kid, who is there because the first and second place winners from his school couldn’t make it. I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll be saying it again many times, Reed unfailingly finds the funniest way to say any line he is given. Wesley Mouri as Chip Tolentino, last year’s champion, brings the house down with what is the most memorable song in the show “My Unfortunate Erection“. In what is the second best song “I Speak Six Languages” Emma Schuld plays Marcy Park an over-achiever who made it to nationals last year placing ninth. With this song she finally gets to show her emotions and truly let loose, it’s a show stopping number that Schuld makes the most of and makes her final decision feel like she’s won it all! Jillian Sjoquist is Olive Ostrovsky who is the one with a little bit of a melancholy backstory and she’s a great example of what all of the performers do, whatever is happening on stage, she is always playing her character, when she isn’t in the spotlight, you can see her watching the door for her father to arrive. Gabrielle Dominique plays Logainnne Schwartzandgrubenierre who has two Dads that pressure her to be the best and even try and resort to cheating. Dominique plays the entire show affecting a speech impediment flawlessly and breaks our heart a little bit when she wonders aloud if she loses will her Dad’s still love her?

The actors playing the adults are not overshadowed by those playing the children, it’s a show where everyone nails it. Stephanie Cousins and Tod Petersen play the hosts. Cousins leans into the caring empathetic former contestant and there is real warmth flowing from her to these collection of misfit kids. Petersen is perfect, reading out the words, giving the giggle inducing definitions, and using the words in sentences that contribute to those aching stomach muscles. He also plays the character throughout, little moments of frustration sneak through and we realize this is a man who dreamed of being a Principal, but will never get a chance to rise above the number two job. Wariboko Semenitari plays Mitch Mahoney who has a moment that so perfectly puts the emotions and the importance of the event in perspective. He’s the outsider who hasn’t participated in anything like this before and convey’s exactly how this is really in the grand scheme of things, not that important.

The show is directed by Tyler Michaels King and knowing his skills as an improv performer I can imagine what rehearsals might have been like and the discussions around finding the characters. Michaels King stages the show in a way that eskews the sedentary, monotone, and deliberate pace of a real Spelling Bee. Instead, he injects it with near constant motion, that never feels unjustified and uncontrolled but adds an infectious energy to the production. There is never a moment wasted including the time before the show begins. The set design by Sarah Bahr is a full of surprises, which I will not spoil but I will mention the Bleachers that split apart so they can be whisked off and on stage at the drop of a silent letter add to the the shows ability to be light on its feet and constantly shaking things up. Costume/Hair/Makeup Designer Samantha Fromm Haddow certainly puts her stamp on the show, favorites are William Barfee’s ensemble and Leaf Coneybear’s pants. The Musical Director is Raymond Berg who plays piano in the five piece band that backs the show and as is always the case at Artistry, the music is note perfect.

There are great shows I see every season that I recommend but are not for everyone, this is not one of those. This is a great show for everyone and should be seen by everyone. I talk a lot with my fellow bloggers and with theater personnel throughout the city about creating new audiences. The way to get new people into the theater is get them to see one show, that they love, then they will want to go again. This is that kind of show, the kind that can turn a person into a theatergoer. And if people who don’t go to the theater will love it, imagine how much those of you who do are going to love it! So everyone who loves theater make sure you get to this show, it’s one of the reasons you love theater. To have an experience that cannot be replicated with a community that is all enjoying it together. But go a step further, bring someone who hasn’t been to theater in a long time or ever with you. This is the kind of show that can build theater up, it’s the positive experience that audiences will want to have again and again. We have to grab shows like this and build the audiences through them. Once we have them, then we can get them interested in those great shows that are not for everyone. And that is the way forward, that is the way to help ensure that we maintain the thriving and diverse artistic community we have in the Twin Cities.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs through October 29th at Artistry in Bloomington. For more information and to purchase dozens of tickets go to https://artistrymn.org/spellingbee. And when you are done with that go tell two friends, invite them along, the show runs about an hour and forty minutes, there is no intermission, so plenty of time to go out for a drink afterwards and share your favorite moments and make plans to see another show together.

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