Spelling Bee Review

Winner of 2005 Drama Desk Awards (Book, director)

Spelling Bee cast album

Spelling Bee

Review by Jim Miller

When I saw SPELLING BEE during its off Broadway run back in March, it was the first musical I had seen in a while that actually lived up to its advance hype and expectations. That had been sorely missing for this season, but THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE passed that test with flying colors. I found the show to be totally delightful, hilarious, tuneful, and, in the end, even touching.

I was a bit concerned when the contestants - a collection of misfits, all suffering from some form of adolescent insecurity - made their way into their bleacher seats. Was the show presenting an overly awkward group of brainiacs, and were they going to be rather cruelly made fun of? But, those fears quickly passed, as I was laughing too hard at Rachel Sheinkin's often hysterical lines. And, slowly but surely, with the help of some ingeniously integrated back stories for the contestants, I found myself really caring about the characters. Remarkably, and to the credit of actors and creators alike, I was also surprised and disappointed when any character misspelled a word and was eliminated from the competition. A concept that could have grown tiresome instead created some real drama and, in the end, a highly satisfying conclusion that celebrates the humanity and growth of its characters.

Director James Lapine deserves special credit for his intelligent and clever staging. He keeps things moving and knows how to propel the action forward in a way that maintains the drama and pace of the evening. He has also elicited some universally splendid performances. Both he and his talented cast know exactly how far they can take their characters and still allow them to retain some mix of believability, reality, and the audience's support.

It's almost unfair to single out two or three cast members, because I really did find everyone to be superb. But, having said that, I will note how much I particularly enjoyed Jesse Tyler Ferguson's often crazed, manic, cross eyed Leaf, and Celia Keenan-Bolger's sad, sweet, longing Olive. And, Dan Folger brings remarkable depth to what could have been a one-note character, William Barfee, and his "magic foot" dances show him to be a nimble dancer as well as a talented actor.

William Finn's music is often quite tuneful, and every character is given their moment in the spotlight. If the show has a minor shortcoming to me, it does relate to Finn's music. While always enjoyable, it lacked that little extra depth and richness that might have elevated the show from "charming and delightful" to "a great musical." I didn't quite find SPELLING BEE to be a great show, as it doesn't reach the emotional depth or the level of excitement that the best musicals do. But, that's holding it to some pretty lofty standards. And, beneath all the laughs, there is some depth and sensitivity.
I'll be interested to see how it all holds up to the second and third visits I'll clearly plan to make now that it has moved to Broadway.

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