'Putnam County Spelling Bee' Is A W-I-N-N-E-R

Staff Writer

On its delightfully funny surface, "The 25th Annual Putnam CountySpelling Bee," is about the competition between six Putnam Countyspellers vying to win and go on to the national spelling bee.

But at it's charmingly poignant core, the show is about a bunchof misfits trying to grow up and find their places in what theyalready know can be a cruel world.

The show, which opened Thursday night at the Ephrata PerformingArts Center, is a modest affair set in a school gymnasium. It runsabout 90 minutes with no intermission. There are no complex plots orgrandiose numbers.

But it's those modest shows that often have the most heart, andthis show is overflowing with it.

Not the sappy sentimental kind, but the edgy kind that feelssuccinctly real while being outrageously funny.

I haven't laughed this hard at a show in a long, long time.

We meet the junior high contestants, including: William Barfee(Bob Breen) who has sinus conditions, a severe peanut allergy and amagic foot that spells out the words for him, thus allowing him toavoid eye contact with everyone.

The lonely Olive Ostrovsky (Danielle Marsh), declares thedictionary to be her best - and possibly only - friend, thoughWilliam might become one.

There's the earnest and lisping Logainne Schwartzandgrubenieere(Marisa Hoover), whose two fathers (Bobby Checchia and Matthew Rush)push her to be a winner at all costs.

Marcy Park (Tanya Roman) is a calm, cool overachiever who speakssix languages and comes to realize that losing is kind of fun.

Chip Tolentino (Caleb Seip) is last year's champ whose raginghormones destroy his concentration.

And Leaf Coneybear (Checchia in a quick and effective charactertransformation) has attention deficit disorder and has been toldhe's stupid so often he believes it, even though he can get into thezone and spell with the best of them.

Then there are the adults, who are misfits themselves.

Rhona Perretti (Kathy Robb) is a former champion who stillobsesses about the bee and gives color commentary.

Mitch Mahoney (Rush, also in a quick and effective charactertransformation) is on parole and his community service is being thecomfort counselor for the kids who spell a word incorrectly,offering a hug and a juice box before he kicks them out.

And then there's Vice Principal Panch (Jeff Marsh), who doesn'twant to be there, but is running the bee.

His cynical attitude is never overdone, but whenever he uses aword in a sentence for the kids, it's totally inappropriate andunbelievably funny.

The humor in the show is slightly risque, but generally kind ofsweet.

Adding to the fun are the four spellers chosen from the audience,who are contestants in the bee and get to stay until they misspell aword.

The improvisational origins of the show are never far from thesurface and that's a big part of its charm.

Director R. Matthew Good has brought together a wonderful castand made them all hum. There isn't a weak link in the bunch.

Breen shines the brightest as William, who confidently answers "Iknow," after he's told he spelled a word correctly, but knows a lotof people don't like him.

And Jeff Marsh's timing is impeccable as he reads thoseinappropriate sentences or responds to a kid's question.

The music is pretty forgettable, though I will remember DanielleMarsh's beautifully sad "The I Love You Song," and Rush's knockoutvoice on "Prayer of the Comfort Counselor."

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is so joyfully funnyand silly, it will make you forget your cares and woes.

But at the same time, it will remind you that being a junior highkid is a rough time in life, and being a nerd, which all of thesekids (and adults) really are, makes it even harder.

That combination makes for a wonderful show.

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" runs throughSaturday at the Ephrata Performing Arts Center.

jholahan@lnpnews.com

'Putnam County Spelling Bee' Is A W-I-N-N-E-R

Staff Writer

On its delightfully funny surface, "The 25th Annual Putnam CountySpelling Bee," is about the competition between six Putnam Countyspellers vying to win and go on to the national spelling bee.

But at it's charmingly poignant core, the show is about a bunchof misfits trying to grow up and find their places in what theyalready know can be a cruel world.

The show, which opened Thursday night at the Ephrata PerformingArts Center, is a modest affair set in a school gymnasium. It runsabout 90 minutes with no intermission. There are no complex plots orgrandiose numbers.

But it's those modest shows that often have the most heart, andthis show is overflowing with it.

Not the sappy sentimental kind, but the edgy kind that feelssuccinctly real while being outrageously funny.

I haven't laughed this hard at a show in a long, long time.

We meet the junior high contestants, including: William Barfee(Bob Breen) who has sinus conditions, a severe peanut allergy and amagic foot that spells out the words for him, thus allowing him toavoid eye contact with everyone.

The lonely Olive Ostrovsky (Danielle Marsh), declares thedictionary to be her best - and possibly only - friend, thoughWilliam might become one.

There's the earnest and lisping Logainne Schwartzandgrubenieere(Marisa Hoover), whose two fathers (Bobby Checchia and Matthew Rush)push her to be a winner at all costs.

Marcy Park (Tanya Roman) is a calm, cool overachiever who speakssix languages and comes to realize that losing is kind of fun.

Chip Tolentino (Caleb Seip) is last year's champ whose raginghormones destroy his concentration.

And Leaf Coneybear (Checchia in a quick and effective charactertransformation) has attention deficit disorder and has been toldhe's stupid so often he believes it, even though he can get into thezone and spell with the best of them.

Then there are the adults, who are misfits themselves.

Rhona Perretti (Kathy Robb) is a former champion who stillobsesses about the bee and gives color commentary.

Mitch Mahoney (Rush, also in a quick and effective charactertransformation) is on parole and his community service is being thecomfort counselor for the kids who spell a word incorrectly,offering a hug and a juice box before he kicks them out.

And then there's Vice Principal Panch (Jeff Marsh), who doesn'twant to be there, but is running the bee.

His cynical attitude is never overdone, but whenever he uses aword in a sentence for the kids, it's totally inappropriate andunbelievably funny.

The humor in the show is slightly risque, but generally kind ofsweet.

Adding to the fun are the four spellers chosen from the audience,who are contestants in the bee and get to stay until they misspell aword.

The improvisational origins of the show are never far from thesurface and that's a big part of its charm.

Director R. Matthew Good has brought together a wonderful castand made them all hum. There isn't a weak link in the bunch.

Breen shines the brightest as William, who confidently answers "Iknow," after he's told he spelled a word correctly, but knows a lotof people don't like him.

And Jeff Marsh's timing is impeccable as he reads thoseinappropriate sentences or responds to a kid's question.

The music is pretty forgettable, though I will remember DanielleMarsh's beautifully sad "The I Love You Song," and Rush's knockoutvoice on "Prayer of the Comfort Counselor."

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is so joyfully funnyand silly, it will make you forget your cares and woes.

But at the same time, it will remind you that being a junior highkid is a rough time in life, and being a nerd, which all of thesekids (and adults) really are, makes it even harder.

That combination makes for a wonderful show.

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" runs throughSaturday at the Ephrata Performing Arts Center.

jholahan@lnpnews.com

'Putnam County Spelling Bee' Is A W-I-N-N-E-R

Staff Writer

On its delightfully funny surface, "The 25th Annual Putnam CountySpelling Bee," is about the competition between six Putnam Countyspellers vying to win and go on to the national spelling bee.

But at it's charmingly poignant core, the show is about a bunchof misfits trying to grow up and find their places in what theyalready know can be a cruel world.

The show, which opened Thursday night at the Ephrata PerformingArts Center, is a modest affair set in a school gymnasium. It runsabout 90 minutes with no intermission. There are no complex plots orgrandiose numbers.

But it's those modest shows that often have the most heart, andthis show is overflowing with it.

Not the sappy sentimental kind, but the edgy kind that feelssuccinctly real while being outrageously funny.

I haven't laughed this hard at a show in a long, long time.

We meet the junior high contestants, including: William Barfee(Bob Breen) who has sinus conditions, a severe peanut allergy and amagic foot that spells out the words for him, thus allowing him toavoid eye contact with everyone.

The lonely Olive Ostrovsky (Danielle Marsh), declares thedictionary to be her best - and possibly only - friend, thoughWilliam might become one.

There's the earnest and lisping Logainne Schwartzandgrubenieere(Marisa Hoover), whose two fathers (Bobby Checchia and Matthew Rush)push her to be a winner at all costs.

Marcy Park (Tanya Roman) is a calm, cool overachiever who speakssix languages and comes to realize that losing is kind of fun.

Chip Tolentino (Caleb Seip) is last year's champ whose raginghormones destroy his concentration.

And Leaf Coneybear (Checchia in a quick and effective charactertransformation) has attention deficit disorder and has been toldhe's stupid so often he believes it, even though he can get into thezone and spell with the best of them.

Then there are the adults, who are misfits themselves.

Rhona Perretti (Kathy Robb) is a former champion who stillobsesses about the bee and gives color commentary.

Mitch Mahoney (Rush, also in a quick and effective charactertransformation) is on parole and his community service is being thecomfort counselor for the kids who spell a word incorrectly,offering a hug and a juice box before he kicks them out.

And then there's Vice Principal Panch (Jeff Marsh), who doesn'twant to be there, but is running the bee.

His cynical attitude is never overdone, but whenever he uses aword in a sentence for the kids, it's totally inappropriate andunbelievably funny.

The humor in the show is slightly risque, but generally kind ofsweet.

Adding to the fun are the four spellers chosen from the audience,who are contestants in the bee and get to stay until they misspell aword.

The improvisational origins of the show are never far from thesurface and that's a big part of its charm.

Director R. Matthew Good has brought together a wonderful castand made them all hum. There isn't a weak link in the bunch.

Breen shines the brightest as William, who confidently answers "Iknow," after he's told he spelled a word correctly, but knows a lotof people don't like him.

And Jeff Marsh's timing is impeccable as he reads thoseinappropriate sentences or responds to a kid's question.

The music is pretty forgettable, though I will remember DanielleMarsh's beautifully sad "The I Love You Song," and Rush's knockoutvoice on "Prayer of the Comfort Counselor."

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is so joyfully funnyand silly, it will make you forget your cares and woes.

But at the same time, it will remind you that being a junior highkid is a rough time in life, and being a nerd, which all of thesekids (and adults) really are, makes it even harder.

That combination makes for a wonderful show.

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" runs throughSaturday at the Ephrata Performing Arts Center.

jholahan@lnpnews.com

'Putnam County Spelling Bee' Is A W-I-N-N-E-R

Staff Writer

On its delightfully funny surface, "The 25th Annual Putnam CountySpelling Bee," is about the competition between six Putnam Countyspellers vying to win and go on to the national spelling bee.

But at it's charmingly poignant core, the show is about a bunchof misfits trying to grow up and find their places in what theyalready know can be a cruel world.

The show, which opened Thursday night at the Ephrata PerformingArts Center, is a modest affair set in a school gymnasium. It runsabout 90 minutes with no intermission. There are no complex plots orgrandiose numbers.

But it's those modest shows that often have the most heart, andthis show is overflowing with it.

Not the sappy sentimental kind, but the edgy kind that feelssuccinctly real while being outrageously funny.

I haven't laughed this hard at a show in a long, long time.

We meet the junior high contestants, including: William Barfee(Bob Breen) who has sinus conditions, a severe peanut allergy and amagic foot that spells out the words for him, thus allowing him toavoid eye contact with everyone.

The lonely Olive Ostrovsky (Danielle Marsh), declares thedictionary to be her best - and possibly only - friend, thoughWilliam might become one.

There's the earnest and lisping Logainne Schwartzandgrubenieere(Marisa Hoover), whose two fathers (Bobby Checchia and Matthew Rush)push her to be a winner at all costs.

Marcy Park (Tanya Roman) is a calm, cool overachiever who speakssix languages and comes to realize that losing is kind of fun.

Chip Tolentino (Caleb Seip) is last year's champ whose raginghormones destroy his concentration.

And Leaf Coneybear (Checchia in a quick and effective charactertransformation) has attention deficit disorder and has been toldhe's stupid so often he believes it, even though he can get into thezone and spell with the best of them.

Then there are the adults, who are misfits themselves.

Rhona Perretti (Kathy Robb) is a former champion who stillobsesses about the bee and gives color commentary.

Mitch Mahoney (Rush, also in a quick and effective charactertransformation) is on parole and his community service is being thecomfort counselor for the kids who spell a word incorrectly,offering a hug and a juice box before he kicks them out.

And then there's Vice Principal Panch (Jeff Marsh), who doesn'twant to be there, but is running the bee.

His cynical attitude is never overdone, but whenever he uses aword in a sentence for the kids, it's totally inappropriate andunbelievably funny.

The humor in the show is slightly risque, but generally kind ofsweet.

Adding to the fun are the four spellers chosen from the audience,who are contestants in the bee and get to stay until they misspell aword.

The improvisational origins of the show are never far from thesurface and that's a big part of its charm.

Director R. Matthew Good has brought together a wonderful castand made them all hum. There isn't a weak link in the bunch.

Breen shines the brightest as William, who confidently answers "Iknow," after he's told he spelled a word correctly, but knows a lotof people don't like him.

And Jeff Marsh's timing is impeccable as he reads thoseinappropriate sentences or responds to a kid's question.

The music is pretty forgettable, though I will remember DanielleMarsh's beautifully sad "The I Love You Song," and Rush's knockoutvoice on "Prayer of the Comfort Counselor."

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is so joyfully funnyand silly, it will make you forget your cares and woes.

But at the same time, it will remind you that being a junior highkid is a rough time in life, and being a nerd, which all of thesekids (and adults) really are, makes it even harder.

That combination makes for a wonderful show.

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" runs throughSaturday at the Ephrata Performing Arts Center.

jholahan@lnpnews.com