New Spelling Bee for Melbourne
Get out your dictionaries! The Tony Award winning musical comedy, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is heading to the Melbourne’s Lawler Theatre for a strictly limited season from March 30 to April 10, 2016, in a new production from the Vic Theatre Company.
Set in a school gymnasium, Spelling Bee takes a hilarious and heartwarming look at the pressures of growing up through the eyes of six quirky yet lovable characters competing for the title of spelling bee champ. Vic Theatre Company are delighted to present this production whose witty and endearing music and lyrics are created by Broadway favourite William Finn with a book by librettist Rachel Sheinkin and conception by Rebecca Feldman.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee follows six young people in the throes of puberty, who are overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, as they learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. At each performance, four audience volunteers are selected and invited on stage to participate in the Bee, making each performance unique.
Spelling Bee originally opened Off-Broadway in 2005 where it was an instant hit, prompting its move to Broadway where it ran for nearly 3 years clocking up 1,136 performances. It was nominated for six Tony Awards including Best Musical and took home two 2005 Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical and Best Featured Actor in a Musical.
The cast of Vic Theatre Company’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Beefeatures Carina Way (Rona Perretti), David Spencer (Vice-Principal Douglas Panch), Michael Linder (Mitch Mahoney), Caitlin Mathieson (Olive Ostrovsky), Andrew Hondromatidis (William Barfee), Sage Douglas (Schwarzy), Teresa Duddy (Marcy Park), Henry Brett (Leaf Coneybear), James Coley (Chip Tolentino) and Riley Nottingham (Janitor), all supported by a five piece band.
The creative team behind Spelling Bee includes Benjamin Giraud (director),Trevor Jones (music direction), Bernie Bernard (choreography), William Bobbie Stuart (set designer), Marcello Lo Ricco (sound designer) Zoe Felice (costume designer) and Glenn Ferguson (producer).
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee contains some adult content and is recommended for theatergoers 13 and over.
VIC THEATRE COMPANY
present
THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE
Southbank Theatre, The Lawler, 140 Southbank Blvd, Southbank
March 30 – April 10, 2016
Tuesday-Friday 7:30pm
Saturday 3:00 & 7:30pm
Sunday 3:00pm
Running time: 1hour 40minutes – No intermission
Tickets: $65
Bookings www.mtc.com.au | 03 8688 0800
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