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Regional Reviews: Florida - Southern The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Also see John's reviews of Wicked and Anything Goes
The audience is welcomed by our host Ms. Peretti (Kaitlyn O'Neill) to the Putnam County Middle School for the 25th annual spelling bee finals. Ms. Peretti, herself a former winner of the Bee, reminisces as she explains the rules and welcomes each of the contestants. She is assisted by Vice Principal Douglas Panch (Matthew Korinko), who has just been allowed to return to the Bee after a behavior incident five years earlier, and Mitch Mahoney (Kunya Rowley), who is serving out court ordered community service at the Bee as a "comfort counselor." What little comfort he offers the children who are eliminated consists of a juice box and a hug. But that would seem to be more affection and validation than some of the quirky contestants receive in their home lives. The six eccentric contestants, all but one of them champions of their respective schools, enter one by one, each vying for their chance to make it to the national spelling bee. And you can be sure that each of them take it all quite seriously. There's the long-suffering William Barfee (Mark Della Ventura) whose last name is continually mispronounced "Barf-ee" instead of "Barf-ay". Though cursed with a chronic sinus condition and a peanut allergy, he is blessed with a magic spelling foot. Olive Ostrovsky's (Anne Chamberlain) perpetually absentee parents leave her with an oversized dictionary and a love of words as solace. The ultimate over-achieving Marcy Park (Jen Chia) excels at everything but knowing how to relax and enjoy her own childhood. A neurotic Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (Jessica Brooke Sanford) is the product of her two over-involved Dads' focus on her success. Flighty Leaf Coneybear (Christian Vandepas) has both the innocence and the attention span of an 8-year-old, but somehow manages to spell correctly by entering a fugue state. Chip Tolentino's (Rick Pena) raging hormones cruelly distract him from his mission of winning the Bee. Four pre-selected adult audience members join the other contestants on stage. For a large portion of the show they participate along with the other contestants, coached to always ask for a definition and usage in a sentence. Eventually, they are escorted back to their seats with a conciliatory juice box and a hug. Director Patrick Fitzwater has breathed life into characters that approach caricatures. Their flaws and foibles are balanced with their vulnerability and desire to be accepted and loved. There is not really a stand-out song in the show, as this is a strong ensemble piece with many moments in which individual actors shine. Scenic design by Sean McClelland gives us an entertaining school cafeteria done in the all too familiar primary colors we recall from our own school days. Anne Chamberlain gives the strongest performance in the cast as Olive, with a lovely singing voice and a tentative tenderness. Olive's growing affection for Barfee as they share their love of words is unexpectedly sweet. Jen Chia masters a nicely robotic take on the all too perfect Marcy. Christian Vandepas does double duty as the lovably goofy Leaf and Logainne's uptight and prissy Dad. Matthew Korinko's dead-pan dry delivery as Panch is a delight in moments such as the following:
It's humorous moments like this, mixed with miniature character studies of a most unlikely group of adolescent misfits that propel the show forward and make The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining. The Slow Burn Theatre production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will be appearing in the Abdo New River Room of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts through April 19, 2015. The Abdo space features cabaret style seating and table service, offering a full bar and an a la carte selection of appetizers and desserts. Table service begins 90 minutes prior to the performance time. Tickets for the show are $45. Food, beverage and gratuity is separate. For tickets or other information, contact them by phone at 954-462-0222 or online at www.browardcenter.org. For more information on Slow Burn you may contact them by phone at 866-811-4111 or visit www.slowburntheatre.com. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District at 201 SW Fifth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, FL. It houses the Au-Rene Theater, the Amaturo Theatre, and the Abdo New River Room, and has affiliated venues at the Parker Playhouse, the Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center, and the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center. Slow Burn Theatre Company is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) professional theatre company hiring local actors and actresses. They are committed to bringing high-quality contemporary musical theatre to South Florida, and to proving that modern Broadway can rock. The company also offers technical internships to local students, providing them with professional experience. Cast: Crew:
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