News Release: Only Two Weeks Left To See The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Only Two Weeks Left To See
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
at American Heartland Theatre
Closes August 22nd, 2010

By William Finn, Rachel Sheinkin and Rebecca Feldman

Kansas City, MO: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at American Heartland Theatre opened on July 9th, 2010 to rave reviews. The Kansas City Star calls this adorable tale of six young people in the throes of puberty, "a very funny show but it contains just enough reality to become a poignant depiction of adolescence." The show's Tony Award-winning creative team has created the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes for whom a spelling bee is the one place they can stand out and fit in at the same time. The Pitch Weekly agrees, proclaiming, "Spelling Bee attests to the power of the musical". Rated PG-13, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a light-hearted, feel-good show that prompts such easy-to-spell adjectives as charming, sweet, endearing and quirky, but may be best for mature audiences.

Four guest spellers, pre-selected from the audience, make every performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee an exciting one. Each speller competes along side the cast to win the coveted spelling bee trophy. Audience members can sign up to be spellers online at www.ahtkc.com or in person by signing up at the "Spelling Booth" in the theatre lobby 30 minutes prior to each production. American Heartland Theatre has already welcomed guest spellers from several local news stations, including Fox 4, KCTV5 and KMBC 9, and hopes to have more local celebrities compete in the Bee in the final weeks.

American Heartland Theatre brings this hilarious and touching musical comedy about trials of adolescence, competition, and trying to find your place in the world, with cast of talented actors under direction from Steven Eubank and Musical Direction from Anthony Edwards. Making their AHT debuts are Jermaine Blackwell (Mitch Mahoney), Jamie Lin (Marcy Park), Olivia Marsh (Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre), and Price Messick (Chip Tolentino). Adam Branson (Leaf Coneybear), Lauren Braton (Olive Ostrovsky), Michael Dragen (William Barfée), Colleen Grate (Rona Lisa Peretti) and Ken Remmert (Douglas Panch) are all returning to AHT for the second time in the 2009/2010 season.

Tickets can be ordered online at www.ahtkc.com or through the AHT Box Office at 816-842-9999. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs through August 22nd, 2010. Handicapped entry and seating, as well as assistive listening devices, are available at all performances. An ASL-interpreted performance is scheduled for Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 at 7:30PM.

The cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Photo by Shane Rowse.

Review: Johnson County Sun

Area stages feature musicals for all ages, tastes
By Russ Simmons
Sun Publications
Wednesday July 21, 2010

To its credit, the American Heartland Theatre always strives to bring fresh, unfamiliar plays to local audiences.

Sometimes the material selected by the staff doesn’t reach the same high standard they set in every other aspect of their productions.

Happily, the musical comedy "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" proves to be a great match for the theater. It’s got a funny, smart and inventive script that allows the venerable Crown Center theater company to present itself at its very best.

This wildly entertaining show is about a small town spelling bee that shines a spotlight on the strengths and foibles of six awkward adolescents, played beautifully by Price Messick, Olivia Marsh, Adam Branson, Michael Dragen, Jamie Lin and Lauren Braton.

The contest is officiated by the vice principal (Ken Remmert) and a local real estate agent (Coleen Grate). An imposing figure doing community service (Jermaine Blackwell) keeps everyone in line.

While the competitors are mostly nerds and social outcasts, Rachel Sheinkin’s observant script doesn’t hold them up for ridicule. It’s very funny, but also quite empathetic.

Plus, the music and lyrics by William Finn have just the right lighthearted bounce to mesh with Sheinkin’s book. The cast, along with pianist Anthony T. Edwards and drummer Tod Barnard, deliver the tunes splendidly.

Director/choreographer Steven Eubank infuses the show with plenty of kinetic energy, and he makes good use of the inventive set by Paul Hough and Shane Rowse.

The witty show is a bit edgier than some of the Heartland’s other offerings. One number deals comically with a common embarrassment shared by many adolescent males.

But the show dares to be touching, too. Braton plays a young woman whose parents fail to show up for the contest. Her number "The I Love You Song" provides a surprisingly moving moment.

Some audience members are recruited for each show to participate as contestants in the bee. While this is little more than a gimmick, it can provide some spontaneous moments of hilarity.

The correct spelling for the latest AHT entry would be "h-i-t."

"The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee" runs through Aug. 22 at the American Heartland Theatre, 2450 Grand, Kansas City, Mo. For information, call (816) 842-9999 or visit www.ahtkc.com.

Here is a link to the review at Sun Publications!

Review: Kansas City Star

'Putnam County Spelling Bee' at American Heartland Theatre is funny and poignant

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.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/07/15/2084886/putnam-county-spelling-bee-at.html#ixzz0tkudCWzO

Review: Pitch Weekly

The cure for Bee-ing

by Alan Scherstuhl
Thursday, Jul 15 2010 - Pitch Weekly

Not a month goes by that I don't recall the girl who, during my elementary school's spelling bee, marched up to the microphone and proclaimed with unshakable conviction that should was spelled S-H-O-O-D. The laughter that followed is the closest thing I've seen to the wrath of God unleashed. Years later, she got knocked up by the guy who drove the bus to vo-tech. Nobody will ever convince me that these events were unrelated.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee never dares humiliation this complete. Still, this clever goof of a musical glances against the hard truths of growing up wretched and friendless. One contestant suffers an unwanted boner; another daydreams that her parents have bothered to show up.

Portraying these afflicted children in the American Heartland Theatre production are restrained, convincing adults. Set free for once from playing a romantic lead, Lauren Braton is marvelous fun as Olive Ostrovska, a fidgety kid in love with her dictionary. In the second act, which is admirably darker than the first, she lavishes her considerable voice and technique on a song of raw loneliness that is the show's highlight. Braton is matched by Michael Dragen as William Barfee, an unkempt tub of a kid beset by allergies, sinus problems and an imperial self-regard. Too often cast in forgettable second-banana roles, the nimble Dragen here makes each line not only comical — a phlegmy eruption from a troubled geek — but also entirely believable. Much of the rest of the cast is strong as well. (Also credible are the real people hauled onstage to play along as spelling-bee contestants.)

--

So, here is as well-calibrated a musical comedy as Broadway has built in years. What a relief to see the craftspeople at The American Heartland Theatre turned loose on a show up to their talents. The gymnasium floor of Paul Hough and Shawn Rouse's set is amusingly scuffed; Anthony Edwards' piano (accompanied by percussionist Tod Barnard) is more full and clear than most larger ensembles; and director Steven Eubank's staging and pacing are ace. The show clips along but
never rushes, and we're invited to linger with the performers in the big moments.

Eubank also handles choreography, to mostly good effect, although the dances usually seem to be making fun of the idea of dances. As in the songs, by William Finn, this is fun but just barely fresh. The numbers are best in the rare moments when they shake free of the parodic mode and instead offer something more human.

--

Spelling Bee attests to the power of the musical, even in its late and largely self-parodying period, a time when every song seems to recall an earlier and usually better show. It's even hardworking enough to include a couple of dark numbers to please those who are too cynical for crowd-pleasers.

You can read the article at pitch.com as well, by clicking here.

* The italicize and indented text was sent to us by reviewer Alan Scherstuhl. It was cut from his printed review.

Be a Speller in the Spelling Bee!

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee opens on Friday, July 9th! At every production of "The Bee" we need 4 additional spellers to compete for the BIG SPELLING BEE TROPHY!
If you are interested in competing in the Bee, and have already purchased your tickets by calling 816-842-9999 or on http://www.ahtkc.com/, please click here and complete our “Spelling Test”.

Before you begin the test, find out what performance your tickets are for - you will need to fill that information in so we can reserve your slot for the appropriate Bee.

If you are chosen to be a speller for your performance date, you will be contacted within a week of the performance. If selected, we ask that you arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the performance. If you have not checked in at the Spellers Booth by that time, your spelling slot may be given to someone else.

Because of the demands of being a Speller, we kindly ask that those who take our "Spelling Test" be able to climb stairs, speak loudly and clearly, and move around with ease on stage.

If you are not pre-selected, don't fret! You'll still have an opportunity to sign up at the Spellers Booth in the lobby on the day of your performance, as at least 1 speller will be chosen from the audience per show. Be sure to arrive at least 30 minutes early if you want to sign up!

See you at the Bee!

Can You Spell C-O-M-P-E-T-I-T-I-O-N?

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is just a few weeks away and we still have spaces open for spellers. At every production of "The Bee" we need 4 additional spellers to compete for the BIG SPELLING BEE TROPHY!

If you are interested in competing in the Bee, and have already purchased your tickets by calling 816-842-9999 or on http://www.ahtkc.com/, please click here and complete our “Spelling Test”.

Before you begin the test, find out what performance your tickets are for - you will need to fill that information in so we can reserve your slot for the appropriate Bee.

If you are chosen to be a speller for your performance date, you will be contacted within a week of the performance. If selected, we ask that you arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the performance. If you have not checked in at the Spellers Booth by that time, your spelling slot may be given to someone else.

Because of the demands of being a Speller, we kindly ask that those who take our "Spelling Test" be able to climb stairs, speak loudly and clearly, and move around with ease on stage.

If you are not pre-selected, don't fret! You'll still have an opportunity to sign up at the Spellers Booth in the lobby on the day of your performance, as at least 1 speller will be chosen from the audience per show. Be sure to arrive at least 30 minutes early if you want to sign up!

See you at the Bee!

Calendar Editor: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
By William Finn, Rachel Sheinkin and Rebecca Feldman

THE SHOW: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is the tale of 6 young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves. A Tony Award winning musical about the unlikeliest of heroes for whom a spelling bee is the one place they can stand out and fit in at the same time. Spelling Bee is a light-hearted, feel-good musical that prompts such easy to spell adjectives as charming, sweet and quirky.

LOCATION: American Heartland Theatre in Crown Center

DATE: July 9th through August 22nd, 2010

SHOW TIMES: Tuesday through Thursday evening performances begin at 7:30pm. Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 8:00pm. Sunday matinee performances begin at 2:00pm. There are also select Sunday evening performances that begin at 7:30pm as well as select Wednesday matinees that begin at 2:00pm. Select Saturday matinees begin at 2:00pm & select Saturday twilight performances begin at 4:00pm.

FOR MORE INFO: Visit www.ahtkc.com for a complete listing of show dates and times.

RATING:THIS SHOW IS RATED PG-13

PRICE: $12.50 - $35.00 plus service charge.

RESERVATIONS AND INFORMATION: Call 816-842-9999; visit the Box Office on the 3rd floor of Crown Center, or visit www.ahtkc.com. Groups of 12 or more may call 816-842-0202 for discounts.

DINING DISCOUNT: Coupon attached to theatre tickets valid for 10% off at various Crown Center restaurants on performance date.

PARKING: Free, inside, and secure with theatre validation.

HANDICAPPED / HEARING IMPAIRED: Handicapped entry and seating, as well as assistive listening devices, are available at all performances. An ASL-interpreted performance is scheduled for Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at 7:30 PM at 7:30pm.

Media Contact
Morgan Perry, Publicist
816-842-0202, ext. 107
mperry6@hallmark.com