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The Huntley High School Musical Theatre Department will present The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Thursday and Friday, November 10 and 11 at 7:00 p.m., and Saturday, November 12 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the school’s Performing Arts Center.
Conceived by Rebecca Feldman, based on the book by Rachel Sheinkin, with music and lyrics by William Finn, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a musical comedy that features six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves. Spelling Bee is a satire with heart that teaches the characters and audience alike that winning isn’t everything and losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser.
This hilarious tale of overachievers tells the experiences of the unlikeliest of heroes—a quirky, yet charming cast of outsiders in the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time, all while vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime.
Directed by Nancy Cross and Tom George, Spelling Bee features an ensemble of freshman and sophomore student actors, along with an eight member student pit band and guest pianist Barb Neely. Assistant directors include HHS junior and senior students Emily Hill, Jillian Hooker, Kevin Kline, and Eli Moore. Choreography by Rona Sinnamond and Kevin Kline, lighting and sound by Nathan Knapke, pit band direction by Philip Carter, and set design by Jill Corapi.
The show integrates an element of improvisation into each performance as four audience volunteers will be recruited to participate on-stage as guest spellers, guaranteeing each performance a new set of hilarious and unexpected experiences.
Tickets are $5 each, general seating and can be purchased at the door. Children 3 and under are free. The Performing Arts Center is located at 13719 Harmony Road, Huntley.
For more information please contact Nancy Cross at [email protected] or Lorie Woods, Director of Performing Arts Center at (847) 659-6107.
