Recently on Broadway, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is a fairly new musical, according to actress Erica Wilpon.
It's also one of the new shows to the Wagon Wheel this season, and the last.
Monday afternoon, Wilpon and castmates Zachary McConnell and Kayla Roy talked about the musical and their roles.
"It's about six misfit kids at a spelling bee. There are some pretty high stakes for a spelling bee. All the characters are charming and tragic," Wilpon said.
Audiences last saw Wilpon as Erica in "Godspell". In "Spelling Bee", she plays Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre.
"She's the youngest contestant at the bee. She's about 9. She's very driven and motivated. She is being raised by two gay fathers who have put lots of pressure on her. She comes from a non-traditional household and is very political. She's very loveable," said Wilpon.
In "The Importance of Being Earnest", Roy played Cecily Cardew. For this musical, she plays Olive Ostrovsky.
"She is probably the shyest out of the bunch. She doesn't have a lot of friends, but her dictionary," said Roy. "Her mother went on a spiritual quest to India and her father is a workaholic. She wants to meet new people. She's open and loving."
McConnell plays three roles in "Spelling Bee", but audiences may remember him from any one of this season's shows. He was Quaxo and Macavity in "Cats", Tommy Dijilas in "The Music Man" and Merriman in "The Importance of Being Earnest".
The main role McConnell plays in "Spelling Bee" is that of Mitchell Mahoney.
"He is not a speller. He is the comfort counselor. He gives the kids a hug and a juice box when they fail," said McConnell.
Mahoney just got out of jail and is on parole, doing community service. McConnell said it's cool to see Mahoney's story arc because he grows as a character.
McConnell's other two roles are as fathers. He plays one of Logainne's two dads, and Olive's workaholic father. There's implication that Olive's dad may be verbally and physically abusive, McConnell said.
Wilpon said an interesting thing with the nine actors on the stage for "Spelling Bee" is that they all have to be dynamic and diverse because they all play their role and at least one other.
Roy said the show changes every night because there's four new guest spellers on the stage every night.
The script, McConnell said, allows for some ad libbing, so that allows for some changes in the show every night.
"It's very smart," said Roy of the show. "It's a quick musical. Very funny. It has some heart-warming moments. Every character has some growth."
"You will root for all six of the characters," said McConnell. "By the end of the show, it doesn't matter who wins."
Wilpon said it's very cool that some local "celebrities" will be guest spellers each night in the show.
"We get to have a lot of fun with the spellers," said Roy. "Get ready to laugh."
"I have not laughed in rehearsal as much as I did for this show," said McConnell.
"Spelling Bee" started as a non-musical play by the improvisational group "The Farm", according to the official website www.spellingbeethemusical.com One of the performers in the play happened to be the nanny of a playwright, who was so impressed by what she saw, she suggested to William Finn that he may be able to take the show to the next level. Finn worked with a former student, Rachel Sheinkin, and the play's creator, Rebecca Feldman, to turn the piece into a full-length musical.
In winter 2004, according to the website, "Spelling Bee" had a workshop at Barrington Stage Company in Sheffield, Mass. The next summer, the show had its first full production. From there, "Spelling Bee" moved to Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre, moving to Broadway's Circle in the Square April 15, 2005.
It won two Tony Awards in 2005 for Best Book of a Musical and Best Featured Actor.
Of the music in the show, Roy said the songs are fun, dynamic and energetic. They encompass the feeling of being young and at a spelling bee, she said.
Finn has his own style for his shows, said McConnell. They are very smart.
"For this show, the music is just a way to enhance the characters. That might not always work for some shows, but it works for this show," said McConnell.
The most popular song from "Spelling Bee" is "I Love You," said Wilpon. "If you're a musical theatre buff, you know that song. It's beautifully written, sung and acted."
For the actors, the show allows them to have fun, indulging in being a 9- or 10-year-old, said Wilpon. The simple innocence the kids have is fun to play, said Roy.
Though McConnell plays only adult roles, he said Mahoney has a lot of emotional growth in the show. Mahoney develops from being selfish to being more mature.
The show takes place in a gym, said Wilpon. There are some dream sequences and flashbacks, said McConnell, that are instantaneous.The 2010 summer season has included some classic shows, such as "The Music Man", to some newer, modern shows, like "All Shook Up" and "Spelling Bee". The three actors all agreed that's how a summer stock season should be.
"I think it's awesome," said Roy. "I think it's the way it should be."
"(Artistic Director) Scott Michaels knows how to see someone's versatility in a way actors wouldn't," said McConnell.
"(The Wagon Wheel is) smart at picking good shows for actors," said Roy.
The classical musicals have timeless themes that make them still delightful to watch today, said Wilpon. They show that not much has changed.
"Without those classics, we wouldn't be where we are today," said Roy.
"We need to be reminded of where we come from," said Wilpon, and they help flush the good new stuff out. Like "Spelling Bee".
"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" runs through Aug. 28. Single adult tickets are $30 for all shows. Tickets for students 13 through college are $16, and children 12 and under are $12. Opening nights and matinees are $22 for seniors. Special rates are available for groups of 15 or more.
To order tickets or for more information about upcoming events at the Wagon Wheel Theatre in Warsaw, call the box office at 574-267-8041 or toll-free at 866-823-2618. The website is at www.wagonwheeltheatre.com
