Theater Thursday - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

We were given complimentary tickets to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee 

Where: NBPAC 

             11 Livingston Ave. 

             New Brunswick, NJ

Who: Recommended for Ages 12 and Up

When: Through April 9, 2023

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is just as funny now as when it originally played Off-Broadway and later on Broadway in the early 2000s. The script has been tweaked just enough to make it even funnier and more timely. The show is a  hilarious laugh-fest from start to finish with kooky characters and crazy songs with names like "My Friend the Dictionary," "Magic Foot," and one we can't even mention here plus a lot more. Just be warned that due to the latter unmentionable song and other subject matter,  this is not a good show for young children. We cannot stress that strongly enough.

However, despite their quirkiness, the characters all seem very real. Their avid love of spelling is their way of compensating for things that are lacking in their lives whether they don't get enough attention from their parents, they don't think they are as good as their siblings, they just aren't that popular, or something else. Seeing their inner selves revealed particularly through the songs they sing makes them more likable and relatable. It makes you want to root for all of them and wish there didn't have to be just one winner. Of course, it helps that all of the roles are so well cast, and the terrific cast of actors does such a great job playing them.

The set is so incredibly real. From the scuffed-up way the gym floors looks, to the clock on the wall that looks exactly the same as it does in every real school, every detail is just perfect. It may even give you flashbacks to your own high school days which could be good or bad depending on how you look at it. This show is definitely more fun than some of us ever had in a school gym though. If you want to have a really great time and laugh a lot, you are definitely going to want to see this show.

And that's our view. For more about The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee or to purchase tickets, visit georgestreetplayhouse.org.

Tune in Sunday for this week's Sunday Scoop.

Photo credit:

All The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee production photos by T. Charles Erickson