Review: “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at Neuse Little Theatre
Dara Lyon Warner
Contributing North Carolina Critic
Don’t be fooled by the small-town sound of this community theatre troupe: As even Leaf Coneybear could tell you with no trouble at all, their production of the 2005 Broadway Tony award-winning musical comedy is E-X-T-R-A-O-R-D-I-N-A-R-Y.
From among the six middle-school-aged competitors in this annual spelling bee, we may recognize ourselves, or some of our classmates, at that point in our lives. Leaf (Gregory Hill) is convinced he is not smart enough to compete; by contrast, Logainne Schwartzandgrubeniere (Becca Norman) is sharp as a good sword, and is mostly confident in that. She is keen to impress both of her loving and supportive dads (presumably Mr. Schwartz and Mr. Grubeniere) with her ability and composure.
In his role as William Barfée, Ty Pearsons is credibly bold and effusive, particularly when it comes to the constant mispronunciation of his surname by everyone else in the room. He also has a strong, vibrant, and mellifluous baritone that can knock a musician out of her seat. Rachel Dennis exudes a heart-wrenching vulnerability as Olive Ostrovsky, and Shaun Braswell’s portrayal of Chip Tolentino is by turns touching and hilarious. Marcy Park (Annabeth Clark) is a model student; successful at everything she attempts, and dismayed by her consistently outstanding achievements.
As Vice Principal Douglas Panch, Mike McGee is credibly quirky and unstable, while also bringing a humorously snarky undertone to some of his remarks. In addition to her role as bee co-proctor Rona Lisa Peretti, Theressa Rose doubles as Olive’s mother. She is one of three actors with multiple roles in this production, directed by Ruth Mills and choreographed by Patsy Castellano. Gregory Hill is also one of Logainne’s two dads; Troy Jelley, convincing as convicted-criminal-turned-comfort-counselor Mitch Mahoney, appears as Logainne’s other dad, as well as Olive’s father.
With accompaniment by music director and pianist Todd Johnson, Hinton Edgerton (trombone), Jaylan Glenn (drums), and Patty Goodwin (clarinet), this highly talented cast delivers a thoroughly enjoyable, uproariously funny, and touchingly poignant show.
Two performances remain: Friday, September 28 and Saturday, September 29, 2018, at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $15.00. The Neuse Little Theatre is housed in a riverfront log cabin, formerly the American Legion Hut, at 104 S. Front Street (PO Box 1832), Smithfield, North Carolina 27577. Telephone 919.934.1873; http://www.neuselittletheatre.org.