Alphabetically speaking, Revolution Stage Company’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a hit from A to Z!
The show is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by William Finn, with a book by Rachel Sheinkin. Its Broadway stint garnered six Tony Award nominations and two wins in 2005, for Best Book of a Musical and Best Actor in a Musical. Through hilarious, touching and catchy songs, we follow the journey of the spellers as they navigate the ups and downs of the competition, revealing their hopes, struggles and passions along the way.
Six quirky adolescents compete in the bee: Olive Ostrovsky (Candace Coe), Chip Tolentino (Carlos Garcia), Marcy Park (Keanna Garcia), Leaf Coneybear (Samuel Neal Moffatt), William Morris Barfée (Joseph Portoles) and Logainne “Schwartzy” Schwartz&Grubenierre (Christine Michele). The spelling bee is run by three equally quirky grown-ups: Rona Lisa Peretti (Kelly McDaniel), Douglas Panch (Nathan Cox) and Mitch Mahoney (Alisha Bates)
As the moderator Rona—the top real estate agent in the county, by the way—McDaniel has a fantastic vocal range and plays Rona with a hilarious soccer-mom-style enthusiasm. Cox’s Vice Principal Panch is back as a judge after an incident of some sort made him take some time off; he has some of the best lines as he gives definitions and places words in a sentence. Cox’s timing is impeccable.
An ex-convict, Mitch is performing community service as the “comfort counselor,” handing out juice boxes to losing contestants. Bates seems a bit underutilized in the role as written—until she opens her mouth to sing. She brought down the house at the performance I saw with “Pandemonium.”
Olive is a newcomer to competitive spelling; her mother is in India, and her father is working late and is supposed to arrive sometime during the bee. Coe deftly handles the deeply poignant moments of her story.
Portoles steals the show as Barfée. He was a finalist in the bee last year—before being eliminated because of an allergic reaction to peanuts. Portoles’ voice is exceptional, especially the song about his character’s spelling method, “Magic Foot.”
Logainne, the youngest contestant, is a neat freak with a lisp and two overbearing gay fathers. Due to the lisp and Michele’s racing line delivery, she was often difficult to understand.
Keanna Garcia’s Marcy is a recent transfer from Virginia. To call her an overachiever would be an understatement, between the six languages she speaks, the multiple sports and musical instruments she plays, and the three hours of sleep she gets per night. Garcia is a talented actress and plays the brilliant shift in her character with strength and grace.
Moffett charms his way through his role of Leaf Coneybear, a homeschooler who got into the bee as the runner-up in his district because the first-place finisher had a conflict. Moffett makes you forget he is an adult playing a child; he’s a gifted comedic actor who makes this sweet little boy very real.
“Chip” Tolentino is a Boy Scout and the bee’s returning champion. Carlos Garcia performs a side-splitting song, “Chip’s Lament” which shows off his skill as a young character actor.
Director/producer James Owens keep the pace both light and deeply moving when appropriate. This is a delightful musical experience—yet another unforgettable show filled with laughter and joy at Palm Springs’ newest, most-innovative theater company.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will be performed on various days and times through Sunday, April 28, at the Revolution Stage Company, 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. Tickets are $45 with discounts, and the show is 100 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission. For tickets or more information, visit www.revolutionstagecompany.com.