Manatee Players open '25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'
If you've dreamed of being on the stage, in front of an audience at the Manatee County Performing Arts Center, this could be your chance.
The next musical coming up in MPAC's Stone Hall is "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," an acclaimed and popular show about middle-school students in a prestigious regional spelling competition.
One of the hooks of the show is that four audience members are brought up onstage for each performance.
"It's an actual spelling bee," director Steven Flaa said, "and they really have to try to spell the word."
You won't just get pulled onstage against your will, though. The show's stage manager will be in the lobby, seeking volunteers and doing some quick screening."
"We do not want actors," Flaa said. "And we don't want people who are going to freeze."
Once they're onstage, the audience participants will actually have to spell words. And if they misspell, they leave the stage.
It's a bit of a gimmick, and it's been a part of "Putnam County Spelling Bee" since its off-Broadway and Broadway runs a decade ago. But "Spelling Bee" is not a gimmicky show.
"The characters," Flaa said "are the kind of misfits all of us know. They have all found a place for themselves in spelling bees. That's something they can do well."
The music comes from William Finn, who's best known for "Falsettos," for which he won the Tony Awards for Best Original Score and for Best Book of a Musical in 1992.
"I love the really contemporary music," said Brian Craft, who plays one of the spellers, Leaf Coneybear. "There's some really beautiful music and his lyrics are so incredibly clever."
Craft is a Manatee Players regular. He was in "Cats" and "Spamalot," and will be in the upcoming productions of "The Little Mermaid" and "Yank! A WWII Love Story."
Flaa has directed "Putnam County Spelling Bee" several times before, and he counts it as one of his favorite musicals.
"It's very funny," he said, "But there are moments that will absolutely break your heart."
The story takes place in a fictional county in an unnamed state. The spelling bee is a big annual event there, and the kids who make it to the county level are serious about their spelling.
Rachel Sheinkin won the Tony Award for her book for the show. It's the only Broadway show she has ever worked on.
As for those people from the audience who will be brought up on stage, Flaa said that adds a fun element but can also be challenging for the cast and the band.
They all have to leave the stage before the play's over, he said, but it's not good if they have to leave too early. The play's designed so they get easy words to spell in the beginning, and get harder ones as the play goes on. But sometimes plans go awry and the actors and musicians have to be able to adjust.
"Every once in awhile," he said, "you get someone who misspells 'dog.' "
Details: Oct. 29-Nov. 15, Stone Hall at the Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton. Show times: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $27-$37. Information: 941-748-5875, manateeperformingartscenter.com.
Marty Clear, features writer/columnist, can be reached at 941-708-7919. Follow twitter.com/martinclear.
This story was originally published October 28, 2015 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Manatee Players open '25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' ."