![\"Photo](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/IMG_5086.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n
I had seen the Broadway company of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee<\/em> about a decade ago, and I enjoyed it, but I don\u2019t remember going as ga-ga over it as I did last week at the opening of this one at the Sierra Madre Playhouse.<\/p>\n Everything about this show is good. Everything. The direction by Robert Marra, the set, the humor, the songs, the (hidden) musicians, and most importantly, all the portrayals are spot-on. There is not even one little weakness! This is a Broadway-quality production, on every level.<\/p>\n I swear, I was not bored for even one second. And I was pretty depressed when I arrived at the theatre because my beloved Roger Federer had lost in the Wimbledon Semi-Final earlier that day. I didn\u2019t think anything on earth could cheer me up. But I found myself laughing heartily the whole time, somewhat akin to the inmates towards the end of the classic 1941 film, Sullivan\u2019s Travels<\/em>. I actually forgot about Roger for those couple of hours!<\/p>\n In case you\u2019re not familiar with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee<\/em>, it\u2019s just what it says it is\u2014a spelling bee. But with lots of singing and wit. The contestants are a bunch of misfit kids, each one with an interesting backstory that gets revealed as the evening goes on.<\/p>\n The Jeff Cason-designed set. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n The Sierra Madre Playhouse is actually the perfect venue for this show. Since the theatre has a sort-of small-town feel to it, (which I absolutely adore\u2014it\u2019s like I\u2019m a kid again, seeing summer stock in Bucks County, Pennsylvania,* when I\u2019m there.) You feel as though you\u2019re witnessing a real<\/em> spelling bee at times, rather than a show<\/em> about one. (*I hope I spelled P-e-n-n-s-y-l-v-a-n-i-a correctly!)<\/p>\n And there\u2019s a cute little audience twist. If you fancy yourself a good speller, you can sign-up in the lobby before the show, and you just might wind-up on stage, as one of the bee entrants! The quartet who were chosen on opening night looked like they were having the time of their lives. (I don\u2019t think any of the on-stage audience members stays past the first act, so don\u2019t be afraid to do it.)<\/p>\n Photo by Gina Long.<\/p><\/div>\n Even outside of that little extra bit of mirth, the audience I saw it with was engaged the entire time. I\u2019ve rarely seen a theatre crowd so into a show. That made it extra fun.<\/p>\n Now let\u2019s get to some specific praises. There\u2019s no need for me to say more about the creators and writers of the The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee<\/em> than to laud them in general\u2014this show has been around for over a decade, so that the concept and writing are good is a known fact by now.<\/p>\n But kudos to this entire cast<\/em>! They are all so wonderful that I hesitate to single any one of them out. Seriously. Some sing great, some are wonderful comedians, and some are experts at physical comedy. It all just works.<\/p>\n The cast, with Jaq Galliano in front on the left. Photo by Gina Long.<\/p><\/div>\n But I have a surprise favorite. I don\u2019t want to ruin any of the special moments for you, but there\u2019s a big, motorcycle-gang-looking guy who plays the smallest part, of someone who just sits on the side at first and doesn\u2019t say much. So, when Jaq Galliano opened his mouth to sing a bit, I almost fell out of my seat. This big guy\u2019s voice is like old-time soul! I wanted everything else to stop, so I could just listen to him sing for the rest of the night! He\u2019s that<\/em> good. (And, as many of you know, I went nuts over Adam Lambert long before he<\/em> was famous! So I think you\u2019d agree that I know a thing or two about vocal talent.)<\/p>\n The spelling bee contestants. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Now, as a former teacher, I do have one minuscule caveat about the show, which I feel compelled to mention. To those of you who are as sensitive as I am, it may seem that the show is making fun of the misfits of the world. But that’s not really the case, as evidenced by the wrap-up. It all comes out okay in the end, so, even if you\u2019re an Empath such as I am, you don\u2019t have to be in even an ounce of pain as it goes along. I thought I was all cried-out that day, (because of the aforementioned Roger Federer loss,) but the end of this show got me all choked-up again, (which is a good<\/em> thing, not a sad one.) And remember–it was written more than a dozen years ago, when it was a marginally gentler time, and people weren\u2019t as cruel as they are now, so no malice with the choice of characters was intended, I\u2019m sure. [Note: One of the kids reminded me exactly of one of the strangest guys in my high school graduating class. Under his picture in the yearbook, where the rest of us listed our most attractive school credits, (such as Sophomore President and Sing Choreographer for mine,) he wrote simply \u201cEspionage.\u201d And he became probably the most successful of us all.]<\/p>\n So, there you have it. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee<\/em> at the Sierra Madre Playhouse is the perfect summer entertainment. And the area itself is so adorable; go early or stay after to get something to eat around there. The town is basically just two streets, but they have something for everyone\u2014stores, restaurants, ice cream shop, and not one, but two<\/em>, tea rooms! There\u2019s even a pub. I brought a pal who had never been there before, and I don\u2019t know which she loved more\u2014the town, the show, the lobby display, or the theatre itself!<\/p>\n So do yourself a favor and go see this show right away, because chances are, as I definitely do, you might want to see it again! And maybe you should brush up on your spelling skills beforehand, just in case.<\/p>\n The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee<\/em> running through August 21, 2016<\/strong> THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE This was the easiest, happiest time in a theatre ever! Besides that the musical\u00a0itself is so good, this production is even better! I had seen the Broadway company of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee about a decade ago, and I enjoyed it, but I don\u2019t remember<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\n Sierra Madre Playhouse 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre\u00a0 626-355-4318\u00a0 www.sierramadreplayhouse.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"