The Ensemble (Photo: Joan Marcus)
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
By Matthew Roland
Remember back in school when you were told to stand up in front of your peers and read from a textbook? Now imagine raising the stakes: not simply reading what’s in front of you, but spelling a word out loud, letter by letter, with nothing to rely on but memory, instinct, and nerve. Suddenly, every vowel feels like a gamble, every consonant a potential catastrophe. We witness that familiar mix of ambition, anxiety, and adolescent vulnerability when we take our seats at New World Stages for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Directed and choreographed by Danny Mefford, this revival marks the return of the beloved Tony Award–winning musical to New York, twenty years after its debut. Mefford’s direction is generous and full-bodied, filling the theatre with love, laughter, and genuine joy. The audience responded with waves of belly laughs and thunderous applause. Perhaps it was the matinee crowd, filled with students, but I can’t remember the last time I heard such an enthusiastic reaction to a production not driven by a headline “celebrity” drawing automatic cheers from devoted fans.
With absolutely stunning music and lyrics by William Finn and a cheeky, sharp-witted book by Rachel Sheinkin, the piece feels nothing short of magical. Rarely do you encounter a revival that requires so little adjustment to remain relevant.
Teresa L. Williams’ set design transforms the stage into an astonishingly realistic middle-school gymnasium. From the looming halide lights overhead to the basketball hoop and even the simple “Bully Free Zone” poster lining the wall, every detail is thoughtfully rendered. Her meticulous attention to authenticity immerses the audience completely, making us feel less like spectators and more like anxious parents and classmates gathered for the big day.
Lili Cooper, Autumn Best, Kevin McHale, Leana Rae Concepcion, Justin Cooley, Philippe Arroyo, Jasmine Amy Rogers (Photo: Joan Marcus)
Though simple in design, the costumes are integral to each character’s individuality, and Emily Rebholz accomplishes this with precision. The bright vibrancy of each child’s outfit reflects their adolescence, while the quick addition of a muted jacket or yellow scarf allows the actors to shift seamlessly from their primary roles to a host of secondary characters, each transformation feeling effortless yet distinct.
Helping us suspend our disbelief is an exceptional cast of adults bravely portraying students between the ages of 11 and 13, arguably the most awkward stretch of adolescence. The plot is simple: nine “children” (three of them selected from the audience) compete for the title at the spelling bee. All they have to do is S-P-E-L-L correctly. It’s as easy as that.
Leana Rae Concepcion shines as Marcy Park. Brave and confident, she carefully builds toward her showstopping “I Speak Six Languages,” a high-energy number that showcases both her vocal precision and comedic timing.
Jahbril Cook, understudying Leaf Coneybear (usually performed by Justin Cooley), offers a timid, hesitant interpretation that blossoms into small but mighty bursts of energy particularly when Leaf surprises himself by realizing he is smarter than he’s been led to believe.
Autumn Best is electric as the fiercely progressive Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre. She nearly stops the show with what feels like an improvised aside, a perfectly timed dig at the current political climate that sends the audience into delighted uproar.
Philippe Arroyo delivers a sharply defined take on self-proclaimed resident heartthrob Chip Tolentino. His performance remains self-assured throughout, culminating in “Chip’s Lament,” where he mines sharp humor from what is, for his character, a deeply humiliating predicament. Arroyo walks the line between boldness and embarrassment with impressive control.
Rounding out the young competitors are Kevin McHale and the ever-surprising Jasmine Amy Rogers. McHale, making his New York theatre debut, brings the snotty, lethargic William Barfée to life with clear character specificity. While his portrayal has strong moments, his delivery feels slightly more subdued than others in the ensemble.
The true standout, however, is Rogers. Having seen her fully glammed-up and effervescent as Betty Boop in Boop! The Musical last year, her muted and painfully shy Olive Ostrovsky here is a striking transformation. Her portrayal is delicate, precise, and deeply affecting, showcasing the full breadth of her range and leaving you eager to see where her career leads next.
Jason Kravits and Lilli Cooper, serving as our emcees, neatly tie the show together. Their portrayals of Vice Principal Douglas Panch and Rona Lisa Peretti are a masterclass in comedic chemistry, playing effortlessly off one another with razor-sharp timing and infectious energy.
Rounding out the adult ensemble is Matt Manuel, who breathes warmth and soul into comfort counselor Mitch Mahoney. His rich vocals are showcased beautifully each time a student faces disqualification, lending unexpected heart to those bittersweet moments. Manuel also steps into various parental roles throughout, demonstrating seamless versatility.
Autumn Best, Kevin McHale, Justin Cooley, Jasmine Amy Rogers, Leana Rae Concepcion, Philippe Arroyo (Photo: Joan Marcus)
There’s something deeply comforting about the return of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Its heart has always been in the right place, but what makes this revival so satisfying is that it doesn’t attempt to rewrite the formula; it refreshes it. With a vibrant new cast and thoughtfully detailed design, the production enhances what was already there while preserving the quirky, tender essence that made audiences fall in love with it twenty years ago. The humor still lands, the ache of adolescence still stings, and the earnest hope of each speller still makes us quietly root for them to bee-long. This revival doesn’t try to reinvent the hive; it simply lets it buzz again, reminding us why this little musical continues to hold such a sweet spot in our theatrical hearts.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
At New World Stages
340 W 50th St
Running time: 1hour 45 minutes, no intermission
Open run
