It’s not going too far to call “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” an “adorable” musical. With its clever book by Rachel Sheinkin and peppy music by William Finn, the title tells you all you need to know about where the musical takes place: a middle school auditorium, where six intelligent, unconventional students do battle over words. The Keegan Theatre is doing justice to the virtues of “Spelling Bee” in its current production, directed by Christina Coakley. The students who gather to participate in the competition are talented singers and dancers, giving the musical a jazzy surface appeal. But the real charm of “Spelling Bee” is in its structure, which gives each contestant a chance to reveal something about his or herself.
In his number “Magic Foot,” for instance, William Barfee (Dan Sonntag) explains how he draws a word with his foot before spelling it out loud, doing a dance routine in the process. Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere (Shayna Blass) sings plaintively of what it’s like to have two gay fathers who push her to compete.
| Onstage |
| ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ |
| Where: Keegan Theatre, Church Street Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW |
| When: 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, 3 p.m. Sundays; through July 9 |
| Info: $35 to $40; 703-892-0202; keegantheatre.com |
Michael Innocenti is brilliant as Leaf Coneybear, a goofball who sings “I’m Not That Smart,” dreading the word he can’t spell until he suddenly snaps into a trance and gets the word right. The brilliant Marcy Park is portrayed fiercely by Tina Ghandchilar. Marcy is the overachiever’s overachiever; her big moment comes in “I Speak Six Languages” when she learns how to take control of her life.
Christopher Mueller is given the musical’s high comic moment in “Chip’s Lament.” The most serious and touching character is Olive Ostrovsky (Madeline Botteri), who is waiting for her father to arrive, her mother being in an ashram in India. Botteri creates an aching sense of isolation around Olive, especially when she sings “My Friend the Dictionary.”
There are three adults in “Spelling Bee.” Katie McManus plays Rona Lisa Peretti, the administrator of the Bee, who is still celebrating her own big win years earlier. Dan Van Why plays Vice Principal Douglas Panch, who offers pronunciation tips and ridiculous, useless examples when asked how a word might be used in a sentence. RaMond Thomas sings exquisitely as Mitch Mahoney, a man who is doing community service who comforts the losers with juice boxes and hugs.
Whether you were a high school athlete or mathlete, you’ll find a lot to enjoy in this lighthearted view of competition, a show that has a novel and upbeat vision of winning and losing.
