Student Review Of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

From Loudoun Schools: Humdinger. Definition? Something remarkable or outstanding. Usage in a sentence? Loudoun Valley High School's humdinger performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee lead the audience on an odyssey of love, laughs, and large words.A staple in modern musical theatre, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee revolves around six young tween contestants as they cope with the trials of puberty and the tribulations of their home lives, all while vying for first place at the Bee and a coveted spot at Nationals. Unlike other shows, four audience members are spontaneously selected to compete and are brought on stage for their chance at spelling bee triumph, much to the fie of the other contestants.

With music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Rachel Sheinkin, the musical premiered on Broadway in 2005 after a 2004 workshop and 2005 Off-Broadway opening, all resulting in high critical praise and accolades, including two Tony Awards. With the audience seated on chairs surrounding the stage on three sides, the company performed with unifying hilarity while preserving each character's prevailing uniqueness, differentiating themselves amongst an assortment of quirky cast members and never being caught blank-faced. Zach Goolsby and Henry Trochlil ascended quickly as show stealers Leaf Coneybear and Vice Principal Patch, respectively. Whether hanging from an expertly constructed basketball hoop or simply falling from his seat, Goolsby brimmed with energy and a love for South-American rodents, creating larger-than-life persona the audience could not help but love. Behind the judge's table, Trochlil's improv-laced performance was witty and featured precise comedic timing, delivering side-splitting sentence usages throughout.From quiet flitting to ethereal tangos, Blake Carlson and Sophie Stapleton perfectly encapsulated the awkwardness of young love as William Barfee and Olive Ostrovsky.

Together, created endearing relationship - one the audience was more than willing to root for. Balancing a hilarious character voice, Carlson stole the audience's heart as he paraded up and down from the microphone, confidently spelling word after word (with the help of his magic foot) with the intensity of a line-backer. Close behind, however, was Stapleton, whose kind demeanor and quiet insecurity turned bold confidence shone through the words.The individuality of all characters was partially enabled by the lighting design in that each character commanded their own color scheme based off their personality, which sometimes left the stage looking semi-simplistic during solo songs, but was more than made up for during group numbers, where the lighting added thematic and visual intrigue. The set and props accompanied the witty and faced-paced show, adding merriment wherever the eye landed.The cast and crew of Loudoun Valley's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee created a hilarious and heartwarming experience for each audience member, filled with hilarity. H-I-L-A-R-I-T-Y.

Image Via Loudoun Schools