By ROBERT TRUSSELL
July 15th, 2010 - The Kansas City Star
Director /choreographer Steven Eubank captures all the quirky charm of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" in his production at the American Heartland Theatre. And he throws in some agreeable quirks of his own.
Eubank has made a name for himself in recent years by directing campy alternative material — the recent "Eating Raoul," "Reefer Madness" and several productions of "The Rocky Horror Show" — and with this production shows himself equally adept at staging more mainstream material.
The humor in this PG-13 show is sometimes broad, sometimes nuanced and unpredictable, but consistently good-natured. Rachel Sheinkin's dialogue and composer William Finn's lyrics are formidably witty. The show is also written to allow theatergoers to be invited on stage as guest competitors in the fictional spelling bee.
The writers imagine a small-town spelling competition between brainy adolescents, all of whom are social outcasts of one sort or another. William Barfee (Michael Dragen) is a kid plagued by allergies. Leaf Coneybear (Adam Branson) goes into a sort of dissociative trance when he spells.
Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (Olivia Marsh) has a lisp and two dads. Olive Ostrovsky (Lauren Braton) is sure her absent father will arrive at the competition any minute. Marcy Park (Jamie Lin) is so accustomed to monotonous success that failure looks attractive; and Chip Tolentino (Price Messick) is the reigning champion whose effort to claim the trophy a second time is derailed by the stirrings of puberty.
Running the contest are vice-principal Douglas Panch (Ken Remmert), who has returned as the official pronouncer after an unspecified "incident" five years earlier, and Rona Lisa Peretti (Colleen Grate), a one-time champion who is now Putnam County's most successful realtor. Consoling the kids who are knocked out of competition is Mitch Mahoney (Jermaine Blackwell), an intimidating ex-convict fulfilling his community service.
This is a very funny show but it contains just enough reality to become a poignant depiction of adolescence. Olive, who rides a bus to the contest and whose parents are missing in action, becomes an irresistible character as played by Braton, and her budding friendship with William, played with keen comic timing by Dragen, is a sweet little love story.
Indeed, this is a terrific cast. Remmert once again demonstrates his skill as one of Kansas City's most talented comic actors. Branson sustains a crazed intensity throughout. Grate is a classy presence with an appealing comic sensibility. Messick, as usual, brings an eccentric sense of humor to the show. And Blackwell, Lin and Marsh deliver strong performances in their Heartland debuts.
The two-man band — Anthony Edwards on keyboards and Tod Barnard on percussion — create an impressively full sound. Paul Hough and Shane Rowse teamed up on the inventive scenic design, while Rowse's effective lighting scheme supports the action with subtle shifts in mood. Costume designer Cheryl Weaver had some fun, especially with the outfits for the nerdy teenagers.
If you're looking for deep meaning, you won't find it in this show. You will, however, encounter an enjoyable night at the theater.
ABOUT THE SHOW
"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" runs through Aug. 22 at the American Heartland Theatre. Call 816-842-9999 or go to www.ahtkc.com.
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