The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – BRILLIANT and FUNNY

Jan 10, 2026 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Two Sues On The Aisle – Sue Weston and Susan Rosenbluth

Nostalgic for junior high school? The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee brings those memories to life. This vintage musical comedy returns to New York City at New World Stages. The original production premiered on Broadway in 2005 and was nominated for six Tony Awards, winning two, including Best Book (by Rachel Sheinkin). Twenty years later, it is still hitting the mark, as quirky tweens battle to become the regional spelling bee champion.

Photos: Joan Marcus

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is pure amusement, full of surprises, including four audience members selected to compete in the spelling bee alongside the six finalists. This enormously talented cast sang and danced their way into our hearts as they balanced the need to succeed with their desire to fit in. Described in one word, this performance was BRILLIANT.

Plot Summary

The event coordinators, whose shining moment may be hosting the spelling bee, include former spelling champion, Rona Lisa Peretti (Lilli Cooper), Vice Principal Douglas Panch (Jason Kravits), responsible for reading the words and ringing the bell, and comfort counsellor, Mitch Mahoney (Matt Manuel), a former gym owner whose business failed due to the COVID pandemic. They remind us that life after junior high school can be challenging.

Meet The Competitors

1. Logainne Schwartzandgrubeniere (Autumn Best in her NYC stage debut), who speaks with a lisp and ‘writes’ the words on her sleeve, was raised by two dads who are determined for her to win.
2. Leaf Coneybear (Justin Cooley – previously in Kimberly Akimbo) spells in a quasi-trance and makes his own clothes. He loves to spell, but believes he is not smart. Leaf only qualified for the bee by default after the first and second place finalists were unable to participate. He surprises himself with his ability to spell.
3. Olive Ostrovsky (played at our show by understudy Emily Rudolph), a last-minute entrant who spells words quietly to herself. Olive has a complicated family situation, unable to pay the $25 entrance fee. Her mother is in India, and her father is working, but she saves them seats in the audience.
4. Marcy Park (Leana Rae Concepcion – previously in Merrily We Roll Along), a Catholic school student and overachiever (who speaks six languages), correctly spells ‘phylactery’. With some divine intervention, she discovers that winning is not everything.
5. William Barffe (Kevin McHale- best known as Artie on Glee), who is continually correcting the pronunciation of his name, spells his words out with his ‘magic’ foot, has a peanut allergy, and suffers from mucus. Barffe is the ultimate dork, a brilliant speller, but is socially awkward.
6. Chip Tolentino (Philippe Arroyo – previously in & Juliet), who was last year’s finalist but was the first eliminated, after being distracted by Leaf’s sister in the audience.

As each contestant approaches the microphone to spell their word, the audience is introduced to their character and quirky backstories.

Photos: Joan Marcus

The competitors fiercely battle. With each ‘ding’ of the bell, a contestant is eliminated (even the audience participants). The sound that at first was dreaded becomes a sign of accomplishment, advancing to the next round. The final two find a comfortable connection, moving from competitors to friends.

The show ends with a clever epilogue, giving a sense of closure for the characters.

Masterful Performance

The premise of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is hilarious. It’s easy to relate to these nerdy overachievers. With exaggerated quirks, these young competitors share a passion for spelling and deliver masterful performances. Kudos to the event coordinators for the improvised dialogue, especially for the audience participants. They had the audience rolling with laughter.

The writing is exceptionally witty, and the acting is high-quality. Having the band on the stage for the entire performance helps pull everything together. This timeless show, with some minor modern updates, mocks our need for achievement. It reminds us that we are all in some way a little quirky, insecure, but still ‘perfect’ in our own unique way.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a family-friendly, engaging musical comedy.

We left the theatre smiling.

Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs (1-5) it pays to buy (rather than make) to see the play, show, film, or exhibit being reviewed.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – Received a 5 Challah rating

New World Stages, 340 W 50th Street, through September 6, 2026

Running Time – 1 hour 45 minutes without intermission