Photo Credit: Ross Zentner
Let’s give Skylight Music Theatre an “A” for its “Bee,” that is, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The show’s title basically says it all, as the story follows the fortunes of a handful of students in their regional final of the American tradition of the spelling bee. Each student has a good shot at winning the trophy and a $200 prize. Although the prize isn’t handed out until the show’s final minutes, audiences will find a lot of entertainment along the way. Each contestant has their own quirks, insecurities, hopes and dreams, and these adolescent qualities will seem very familiar to those who can recall their own school years.
Even more entertaining is a first-act segment involving audience participation. Four brave patrons are asked to come onstage and take part in the bee (yes, they do have to spell real words until they are eliminated). On opening night, the volunteers did an excellent job of playing along with the cast, and their brief stint onstage added immeasurably to the show’s enjoyment factor. (Don’t worry if you’re not into participating: The volunteers fill out a consent form before the show prior to being selected.)
The cast members who play the adult roles include Skylight favorite Samantha Sostarich as a former spelling bee champ who serves as a judge; Robby McGhee as a somewhat unstable vice principal from a neighboring school, also a judge; and Shawn Holmes as a paroled convict who consoles the contest losers as part of his public service. All three actors double and sometimes triple their roles, displaying their versatility as artists.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Director-choreographer Brian Cowing has done an excellent job of crafting this must-see musical for the winter season. In order to update the 2005 Broadway version, Cowing has sprinkled in some relevant bits from today’s national headlines. These add to the show’s humor, as do McGhee’s hilarious examples of how certain words are used in a sentence. Laughter is a key ingredient in the show’s success, and Cowing has encouraged his cast to pull out all the stops.
Each of the students has a chance to take center stage during the bee, spell a word, and, sometimes, sing a song (the show’s songs mainly focus on each character’s life). Although each number is pulled off with panache, special mention must be made of William Barfée (James Carrington) and his outrageously talented “Magic Foot,” as well as Marcy Park (Kendyl Ito) and her over-scheduled life, told in “I Speak Six Languages.” Music director David Bonofiglio gets a much larger sound than you might expect from the small band.
Through Feb. 23 in the Broadway Theatre Center’s Cabot Theatre.
