‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ Music and lyrics by William Finn. Book by Rachel Sheinkin. Directed by Margaret McFadden. Music Directed by John Eldridge. Stage Management from Kayla Copping. Scenic Design by Kevin Deane Parker. Sound Design by Geoffrey Edwards. Lighting Design by Narissa “Nars” Kelliher. Costume Design by Samantha Wolfrum. The Hive Theatre Company’s ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ runs from January 22nd to February 1st at 539 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116.
By Charlotte Snow
It’s not every day that Boston is treated to a new theatre company…it seems like every month. However, it has been many years since a Boston theatre has focused on engaging a rather underrepresented demographic: teens and young adults. This is The Hive Theatre Company’s inaugural season, centered around “Competition, Community, and Coming of Age,” opening with The Wolves and now closing out with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Spelling Bee follows a group of middle schoolers and one particularly gifted elementary schooler as they compete for first place. Along the way, we learn of − and inevitably relive − their struggles, their insecurities, and what drives them. Tensions rise as the characters (and some audience members who were dragged onto the stage) get eliminated, and the possibility of winning and validation for learning how to spell well gets closer and closer. Due to its small cast, unit set, occasionally catchy music, and simple concept, Spelling Bee became something of a cult classic among musical theatre fans and theatres ranging from community to educational to regional.
Full disclosure, I’ve never been a fan of the book, music, or lyrics to Spelling Bee. No matter how good a production is, for me, this musical will always be self-indulgent, and never as funny as it thinks it is. overly frothy first act with a bottom-heavy and emotionally manipulative Act Two. Bias aside, The Hive Theatre Company’s production of arguably one of my least favorite musicals easily squeezed many audible, genuine laughs out of me.
Director, choreographer, and artistic director Margaret McFadden imbues her production with whimsy, spectacle, and even more meta-theatricality than the script requires. Her ability to beautifully weave character-driven moments together with dynamic stage pictures is on full display during the first act, with “Magic Foot”, “Pandemonium”, and “I Speak Six Languages” standout numbers. What could be a very limiting show has turned into a fourth-wall-breaking spectacular. While some elements in the show are clearly already written in, a lot of them feel created by McFadden’s directing prowess.
Another quiet accomplishment of McFadden’s is that this relatively small ensemble was equally adept at working within the tight and demanding structural confines of a musical while also rolling with the punches that inevitably come with audience participation. Standouts include Josh Telepman as the burnt-out Vice Principal Panch, Salvatore Garcia as Mitch Mahoney, the convict with a heart of gold, Ashley Ha as the overachieving six-languages-learned Marcy Park, and Maya Gopalswamy as Olive Ostrovsky, the overlooked but trying-her-best speller.
Kevin Deane Parker’s set, Narissa “Nars” Kelliher’s lights, and Geoffrey Edwards’ sound all came together to create the all-too familiar mise en scène of a middle school gymnasium. While the costumes were fitting for each character, I wish the design had added a few more whimsical touches that better aligned with this production’s direction. There were also fleeting moments when the band seemed to overpower the actors, which was especially tough for those who opted to use character voices.
Overall, this is a very solid production of Spelling Bee that highlights the strengths of its source material. The Hive Theatre Company has set a precedent for creating high-quality productions tailored to young people. Going forward, I hope they select plays and musicals that allow for even more creative liberties and are less indebted to ghosts of productions past. For more information and tickets, go to: https://www.hivetheatre.org/shows
