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Thibodaux Playhouse brings Broadway to the bayou with an upbeat, high-energy musical that teaches audiences the true meaning of the word “winner.”
The playhouse presents “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn.
“This is actually my absolute favorite musical,” Director Laura Pierce says. “It is adults playing children, so anytime you have adults playing kids, it gets ridiculous. It just has really good comedy. Like, laugh out loud, pee-your-pants comedy.”
The story features six kids on the brink of puberty who compete for the spelling championship of a lifetime. For many of these quirky outsiders, a spelling bee is the only place they can stand out and fit in at the same time.
The musical begins with Rona Lisa Peretti, played by Amy Adams, entering the gymnasium to set up. As she passes by the microphone, she has a flashback to the moment when she won the third-annual spelling bee by correctly spelling “syzygy”.
Vice Principal Douglas Panch, played by Joey Pierce, is also in attendance. He is infatuated with Rona Lisa, but she does not return his affections. Five years absent from the bee, Douglas has returned with a new attitude.
“He wasn’t supposed to be at the spelling bee, but the guy who was supposed to do it dropped out,” Joey Pierce says. “He has some anger management issues.”
Also adding to the strange group of bee officials is Michele Mahoney, played by Ivanna Brooks. Michele, an ex-convict who is doing community service with the bee, is the official comfort counselor.
Olive Ostrovsky, played by Arielle Domingue, is a newcomer to competitive spelling. Her mother is in an ashram in India, and her inattentive father is working late, again.
“She is a sweet, innocent, naïve little girl,” Domingue says. “She’s new to the spelling bee world, and she doesn’t realize how much she enjoys it until close to the end.”
Next is William Barfée, played by Dillon Hughes. William was a Putnam County Spelling Bee finalist the preceding year after being eliminated due to an allergic reaction to peanuts.
“William can only breathe out of one nostril, so he always has his mouth open,” Hughes says. “He has a magic foot that helps him spell.”
Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, played by Brooke Summers, is the youngest and most politically aware speller.
“She is the half-Jewish daughter of two gay dads with a lisp,” Summers says. “She wants America to love her.”
Marcy Park, played by Julia Chauvin, speaks six languages, is a member of all-American hockey, a championship rugby player, plays Chopin and Mozart on multiple instruments and sleeps only three hours a night, among other oddities.
“She is very driven and it has really never occurred to her that there is an option other than winning,” Chauvin says.
Leaf Coneybear, played by Doug DeGirolamo, comes from a large family of former hippies and makes his own clothes. He spells words correctly while in a trance.
“He’s not that smart,” DeGirolamo says. “He came in third in his district and he is just happy to be here. This is a brave new world of him and he’s just experiencing everything he can.”
Charlito “Chip” Tolentino, played by Ethan Rodrigue, is a Boy Scout and champion of the 24th-annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, returning to defend his title.
“He’s starting to get some adult urges because he’s going through puberty and beginning to notice girls,” Rodrigue says.
Laura says the musical includes some adult humor, but it’s not enough to deter children from seeing the show.
“It’s really a good night out,” Laura Pierce says. “Plus, these singers are phenomenal. The cast is very talented.”
Laura Pierce says the musical also features audience participation, which is new for the Thibodaux Playhouse.
The musical runs from July 26 to Aug. 5 at the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center Theatre, 314 St. Mary St., Thibodaux. Adult tickets cost $20, and student tickets are $15. For more information, visit www.thibodauxplayhouse.com or call (985) 486-1896.
Julia Chauvin, Arielle Domingue, Ethan Rodrigue, Dillon Hughes, Doug DeGirolamo and Brooke Summers rehearse for the Thibodaux Playhouse production “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” The musical runs from July 26 to Aug. 5 at the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center Theatre, 314 St. Mary St., Thibodaux.
