By Rebecca Feldman
Music and lyrics by William Finn
Book by Rachel Sheinkin
Additional material by Jay Reiss
November 16-19, 2016 (preview Nov. 15)
Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday matinee at 2:30 p.m.
The award-winning Broadway musical comedy, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spelling bee set in the geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School. Six quirky adolescents compete in the Bee, run by three equally quirky grown-ups. An unusual aspect of the show is that four real audience members are invited on stage to compete in the spelling bee alongside the six young characters. All roles are played by adults. Laughter, tears, improv, surprises and general pandemonium are guaranteed!
This production will be a fundraiser for the Do It For Daron (DIFD) campaign which encourages young people to talk openly about mental illness and to ask for help when needed.