By Jennifer Mustoe, Craig Mustoe, Caden Mustoe, and Hannah Mustoe
It is our tradition to listen to the songs we’ll hear in the musical we’re reviewing, so our drive to CenterPoint Legacy Theater to see The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee was filled with some of our favorite Broadway tunes, especially “My Friend, the Dictionary”. Spelling Bee is a delightful musical with interesting, quirky students, faculty, songs, and in this production, not a weak moment altogether.
We are introduced first to Putnam’s #1 realtor and Bee moderator, Rona Lisa Perretti, played with poise and spunk by Megan Cash (Alexandra Rae Kalaher). Perretti’s voice is magnificent: clear, strong, and lovely. Her acting is impeccable–good comedy, strong presence, great movement. I especially like Perretti because when I asked to be one of the spellers–they let audience members be part of the show!–she said yes. More on this later. The other moderator is Vice-Principal Douglas Panch (Jourdan Dixon), who has a crush on Rona Lisa, says outrageously inappropriate things, and exudes nerdiness times infinity. I spoke to Dixon after the show, and he told me this is his third time playing his favorite role. He was everything fresh and new with this production (which is something–believe me), owing to his own talent as well as the on-point direction of Josh Richardson, who corralled his group of spelling “children” with panache and humor. Dixon has one of the best bits in the show.
Panch: Spell cow.
Cast: Cow! (grumbles, so unfair, and so forth)
Guest speller: Can you give me a definition?
Panch: It’s a cow.
Guest speller: Can you say it in a sentence?
Panch: SPELL COW!
The spellers are all distinctive and each actor brings it 100%. All actors are adults, but create personas that are innocent, sweet, ultra nerdy, competitive, friendly, and believable. We love them all. Chip Talentino (Clark Bullen/Jake Heywood) shows up in his Little League costume, ready to defend his victory last year. He has a rather unfortunate problem during the Bee, and CenterPoint has (wisely) chosen to exclude most of the song Talentino sings, making the show 99% family friendly. (There are two swears, I think, cleaning it up significantly from the original production.) Talentino is cute and funny and jock-ish in a bookish way. William Barfee (pronounced Bar-FAY, though not often–poor William), played by Brian Gardner (Aaron Linford) has a wonderful time with his song “Magic Foot” and carries this strategy (he spells the word first with his foot on the floor before saying it into the mic) to its highest degree of funny. As I sat on the bleachers with the other spellers (yes, I was onstage!) it was hard not to laugh at him.
Marcy Park, played with the multi-talented Lara Vo (Emily Wood) shows her overachieving nature in “I Speak Six Languages” and performs on aerial silks, as well as other talents. Vo is a talented actress and so fun to watch. She has Marcy down, from her knee socks to the red bow on her head. Leaf Coneybear, the most innocent of the lot, is a favorite, and Jake Holt (Trevor Hansen), is as sweet and quirky as can be. He wears a cape. A cape and a light-up dinosaur bike helmet. Convinced he isn’t smart, he is an enthusiastic speller and makes us all feel like hey, maybe I could be a winner, too. Holt’s exit from the stage when he finally mis-spells is the cutest thing ever. Olive Ostrovsky’s story is heart-breaking and we all love her and hope she wins. But since she has no-one to support her–her parents are elsewhere–we ache for her. As actress Janessa Zech (Taneesa Wright) cries (while singing) onstage, I felt a few tears in my eyes, too. Olive is a trooper, though, as well as a great speller, and Zech is fantastic in this role.
“My” speller was Teanca Rossouw (Savannah Hansen) as Logainne Schartzandgrubenniere. Four audience members were pulled from the audience (okay, I asked) and Rossouw was assigned to me. What is so remarkable about this bit in the show is each actor assigned to a guest speller shows us what to do onstage, helps us with costume pieces, and encourages us to get into the role. Rossouw grabbed my hand and waved it along with hers as if I had been in the cast from the first. She is a strong actress with truly the most remarkable willingness and ability to make faces I’ve ever seen. She looks awkward in an adorable way and as you can see in the photo, that goofball face is an acted feature. Finally, Mindy Mahoney played by Katelyn Johnson (“Mitch” in MWF cast: DRU), has some of the best pipes in Utah. Mindy is doing court-mandated service hours by being the the “comforter” for the kids that have to leave the Bee. Johnson has enough swagger to look like a criminal, but can also be rather sympathetic–a good mixture.
Director Richardson keeps actors (and guests) at a good clip and the show buzzes along. (See what I did there?) Because this show is double-cast, he has harnessed at remarkably diverse and talented couple of casts and the show is pure success. Choreographer Kristi Curtis gives her players plenty of fun, effective dance steps and the show is perky and fun. As we were listening to the music on the way up, Hannah remarked that the songs sounded very much like a musical, and I said I hoped she could see the show with great dancing, because it takes it to a whole new level. This show is at that level. Costumes by Tammis Boom and Julie Hilton are darling, so individual and student-ish. Set design by Scott Van Dyke is, as always, amazing–you could almost smell the middle school sweat in that gym. At one point, the bleachers are moved around at an alarming pace (I held on TIGHTLY), but that is the only real change. I like a one-set show–it goes so smoothly. Lighting by Jordan Fowler and sound by Krista Davies is perfect–not a glitch. All singers are wonderful, and Music Director David K. Martin uses his talent to their best abilities.
Spelling Bee is a feel-good show with lots to offer to all audience members. For me, being on the stage and a part of the cast was super fun. (Go and ask one of the ushers if you can be a volunteer speller if you think that sounds like something you’d like–and it would help if you’re a good speller). It is family-friendly and I’d recommend it for maybe age seven and up, if your seven-year-old can sit mostly still in a seat for the length of the show. Go see CenterPoint Legacy Theatre’s The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee. Your time there will be f-a-n-c-i-f-u-l and e-x-t-r-a-o-r-d-i-n-a-r-y.
CenterPoint Legacy Theatre presents The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee, music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin, conceived by Rebecca Feldman with additional material by Jay Reiss.
Barlow Main Stage, 525 N 400 W, Centerville, UT 84014
Contact: 801-298-1302, info@cptutah.org
August 2-31, 2019, 7:30 PM
Tickets: $17.50-$27.00
CenterPoint Legacy Theatre Website
CenterPoint Legacy Theatre Facebook Page
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