Last year, more than 9 million Americans tuned in to watch the final rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, an annual contest of juvenile wits that will turn 100 next year.
Despite the many other forms of streaming entertainment available these days, watching these sometimes-eccentric junior geniuses strut their intellectual stuff is fascinating, impressive and inspiring.
This year’s national bee concluded May 30. But don’t worry — there’s a hilarious, musical spelling bee you can attend this summer at Lamb’s Players Theatre in Coronado.
Lamb’s is presenting “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a 2005 musical by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin that has worn very well with age. The 95-minute comedy features adult actors in the roles of six middle-school contestants, and they are joined at each performance by four volunteers from the audience. It opened June 8.
Lamb’s producing artistic director Robert Smyth directed the production, which is charming, well-sung and very funny. With the addition of audience members who are asked to spell words both easy and hard, there’s an element of surprise that requires strong improvisational skills from the bee’s hosts, played by the multitalented married theater artists Nancy Snow Carr and Geno Carr.
The musical is also quite poignant in capturing the complicated lives of these exceptional children, who struggle with perfectionism and eccentricity, pushy or uninvolved parents, troubled home lives and — in one 13-year-old boy’s case — an unfortunately timed erection.
The nine-member cast is a true ensemble of actors who complement each others’ skills and are all on the same wacky page.
Omri Schein is the cast standout as William Barfeé, the awkward brainiac who silently spells out words with his “magic” right foot before spelling them at the microphone. Ernest Sauceda is earnest and endearing as Chip Tolentino, the returning champ who’s undone by his crush on a fellow contestant. Ben van Diepen is goofy and ethereal as Leaf Coneybear, the child of hippies who arrives in a cape and helmet.
Megan Carmitchel looks and sounds every bit the 10-year-old as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, the over-achieving and lisping daughter of two dads. Caitie Grady brings sweetness, sadness and heart to Olive Ostrovsky, the bee newcomer with family problems. And Isabella Pruter is beautifully restrained as the fiercely driven Marcy Park, who longs to be a normal kid. Bryan Barbarin amusingly completes the cast as Mitch, the ex-con who serves as the students’ “comfort counselor.”
Colleen Kollar Smith served as choreographer and assistant director, Mike Buckley designed the school gymnasium set, Jemima Dutra designed costumes, Michelle Miles designed lighting and Patrick Duffy designed sound. G. Scott Lacy was the show’s music director and Ben Read leads a four-piece onstage band.
No matter who wins the Putnam County Spelling Bee each night, the Lamb’s version of the bee is the true winner.
‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’
When: 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Aug. 18
Where: Lamb’s Players Theatre, 1142 Orange Ave., Coronado
Tickets: $38-$92
Phone: (619) 437-6000
Online: lambsplayers.org