Perhaps the most surprising aspect of LSU Theatre’s newest feature, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” is that it accomplishes something rare – it not only presents a musical constructed around one event, but it succeeds in keeping the whole thing entertaining.
“Spelling Bee” originally premiered on Broadway in 2005, where it was nominated for six Tonys, winning two. Since then, it has
traveled around the world, usually acquiring solid reviews.
Now, the musical has made its way to the Mainstage Theatre and luckily, has not lost much of its original hilarity.
The musical boasts a solid ensemble cast that consists mostly of young actors. The inexperience of some of the main characters comes through occasionally, but the group has enough chemistry to make the audience forget those moments.
Josh Allred, theatre sophomore, particularly shines as the unfortunately named William Barfée. Allred portrays a fairly typical nerd, but he considerably elevates the character above cliché. He also resounds a great, brassy voice during “Magic Foot,” a song about Barfée’s special spelling ability.
Jacob Miller, theatre senior, portrays the hilarious Vice Principal Douglas Panch. Most of Panch’s material comes from his recitation of words being used in a sentence, but Miller’s deadpan delivery makes for some of the biggest laughs in “Spelling Bee.”
Wil Thomas, a theatre junior, gets plenty of humorous moments as Leaf Coneybear, the only one of the spellers who isn’t very smart. Many of Thomas’ laughs come from his stoner-like delivery while doing things like chuckling at a word that sounds like “coochie.” Thomas is also a solid singer, blending well with the ensemble but also standing out on his own.
While the ensemble did a good job of holding one another together, not every cast member is as good as the last.
Theatre sophomore Sierra Terrebonne plays Logainne Schwartzand-Grubenierre, a character with two fathers, hence her two last names. Terrebonne is a fine actress, but her voice lacked the necessary power at the beginning of the show. However, she improved considerably as the show went on.
Many of the low elements of “Spelling Bee” were things that, unfortunately, could not be changed by the Theatre Department. Each character’s shtick, whether it’s Barfée’s nerdy qualities or Coneybear’s stupidity, begins to wear thin around the 45-minute mark.
Of course, because this is a spelling bee, characters must exit the stage when they misspell a word. There’s a definite correlation between the decreasing number of characters on the stage and the decreasingly interesting plot.
Toward its end, the production shoots for sentimentality that falls flat. Though “Spelling Bee” only lasts an hour and 40 minutes, audience members may begin to wish for its end during the last few musical numbers.
Again, most of the issues I have with “Spelling Bee” aren’t the fault of the cast and crew at the Mainstage Theatre. Everyone, from the set designers to the sound crew, have done their part to make the adaptation work. It’s just a shame the musical’s weak points undercut their efforts.
Grade: B+
 
 
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Contact Joey Groner at [email protected]