Elon University’s Black Box Theatre recently hosted “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” the Tony-winning one-act musical about a middle school county spelling bee. While students are accustomed to the caliber of musicals at Elon, the “Bee” was not an average production. The “Bee” was an interactive musical. The audience in the show was made into the audience of the musical’s spelling bee, and was addressed as such on a number of occasions.
People from the audience were even chosen as other spelling bee contestants. They were stewarded through musical numbers and choreography by cast members. One particular “contestant,” senior Alyssa Iacono, caused a hysterical stir when the script called for her elimination, but she continued to spell the words correctly. That is the beauty of an offbeat, interactive show like the “Bee” – things don’t always go according to plan and the spontaneity usually results in excitement.
A show as personalized and fun as this one would not be complete without an homage to its alma mater. One of the judges, the no-nonsense Vice Principal Douglas Panch, was stepping in for the first time in five years, because the script had the BioBus hit the previous judge. Also, Leo Lambert was named time after time as an honored principal in the county.
But at the heart of this show was not the Elon personalization or the innovation that made it the two-hour uproarious spectacle it was. It was the characters. The “Bee” relied heavily on the audience falling in love with its characters, and with the cast of Elon’s rendition, it was hard not to fall in love.
There was Logainne SchwartzandGrubenierre, the ambitious rights activist with two dads and a predominant lisp, and the endearingly imperfect Leaf Coneybear, who spelled under a trance. Over-achieving Marcy Park wished for imperfection and Chip Tolentino, the reigning champion, lost his second shot at glory because of an ill-timed erection. Judge Rona Peretti reflected on her glory days as a former Putnam Bee speller, Vice Principal Panch delivered words to spellers with delightful deadpan and Mitch Mahoney was there to comfort losers with a juice box and a hug.
Each character, flawed but lovable in their own way, was carried brilliantly by their actor, but none so much as the last two spellers in the bee: senior Andrew Keeler’s William Barfee and sophomore Leah Green’s Olive Ostrovsky. Keeler sought acceptance, being unpopular with a magic foot to help him spell, while Green sought love from the mother who ran away and the father for whom she saved a seat the entire show. Both Keeler and Green shone as misfits who want the glory for ulterior reasons, but ultimately find friendship in each other.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is a story built on oddballs and how each finds a home and a place of acceptance within the confines of the bee. This show, simple and charming in its hilarity, can be completely credited to its actors, who wore their characters like a second skin and showed that even in the small events, win or lose, there can be big victories.