Arts News

More adult fun for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

By Amy Somensky Jan 6, 2006, 0:54 GMT

The 7:30 performances on January 22nd, February 5th, and March 5th have been deemed "for mature audiences only."

Last years special show was called a "parent/teacher night" and producers said "the kids should be left home with the sitter."

Jay Reiss, the original actor to play Vice Principal Douglas Panch, who still provides the definitions and context sentences, said in a statement, "During rehearsals, I would occasionally cross the line a bit and use some material that was pretty filthy. The cast would crack up, and director James Lapine would say, 'That is so wrong.' In October, at the first 'adults-only' Bee, we used some of that material for the first time in front of an audience. People were suitably appalled, which pleased us greatly."
 
The musical opened at The Circle in the Square theater on May 2nd and follows 10 contestants (six actors, four audience members) as they battle each other to be the spelling champion of Putnam County.
 
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee won two 2005 Tony Awards for Best Featured Actor (Dan Fogler) and Best Book (Rachel Sheinkin).

The musical will play San Francisco's Post Street Theater beginning February 14th before beginning an open-ended run at Chicago's Drury Lane Theater in March 2006.
 
For The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee tickets visit www.ticketsnow.com.