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F-U-N-N-Y Easy Street to stage ‘Putnam County Spelling Bee’
YOUNGSTOWN — Todd Hancock of Easy Street Productions knows he has a winner with “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
But he also knows he has to educate theatergoers in order to fill the seats.
The musical comedy was a Broadway hit, winning two Tonys in 2005, including Best Book.
Yet despite its acclaim, many people have never heard of “Spelling Bee.” Others might have a wrong notion of the play — which, by the way, is a flat-out comedy.
In its review, The New York Times called it “riotously funny and remarkably ingenious.”
When the rights to the show became widely available for this season, Easy Street snapped them up.
The semiprofessional company will stage the first local production of “Spelling Bee” on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Nov. 20-21 at Ford Family Recital Hall.
A touring company has been bringing “Bee” across the country for about a year, but Easy Street’s production will be the first chance to see the show in the Mahoning Valley.
There are actually three versions of “Spelling Bee”: the original Broadway version; a wild and racy one for midnight showings; and a tame version for high schools. Boardman High School’s drama guild will premiere the school version Nov. 19-22, and other local schools will likely follow suit.
Easy Street is producing the Broadway version, which contains some language and mature themes and is not recommended for younger children. “It’s PG-13,” said Hancock. “Bee” will be staged in the 600-seat Ford Family Recital Hall in downtown Youngstown, which Hancock said is well-suited for the comedy. “It’s meant for an intimate theater,” he said.
The stage couldn’t be more authentic. Easy Street bought the set that was used in the original Broadway run at the Circle in the Square Theater. It will rent out the set after its own run closes.
Hancock, Easy Street co-founder and leader, is directing “Spelling Bee” and is also in the cast. Always on the lookout for the next big thing, he saw “Bee” on Broadway a couple years ago and knew he had to do it. “I thought, ‘What a great idea. Why didn’t I think of that?’” Hancock said. He snapped up the rights.
“It’s a hot property,” he said. “It’s the best show you’ve never heard of.”
Set in a school gymnasium, “Bee” is just that: a spelling bee with some rather unique students — plus people chosen from the audience each night.
“The neat hook is the audience participation,” said Hancock. “Four people are pulled each night, and they are up there for as long as they keep spelling words right. You can’t predict what’s going to happen. Every show is different.”
The guest spellers are not chosen at random. Rather, ticket-holders interested in becoming part of the play can register at a sign-up table in the lobby before each performance. Those selected are called out of the audience after the play has begun.
In addition, local celebrities will also join the cast on various nights, including Cindy Matthews, WFMJ-TV 21 News; Rich Morgan WKBN-TV 27 News; Stan Boney, WYTV-TV 33 News; Carol King and Jeff Kelly of WBBG 106.1-FM; Kelly Stevens of WHOT 101-FM; plus a few surprise spellers who will not be revealed until they take the stage.
Different words will be used at each performance, as well.
As in any bee, the contestants can request the word be used in a sentence, and the unenlightening responses become another source of humor (“Euripides said, ‘What happens at the palaestra stays at the palaestra”).
Easy Street will follow “Bee” almost immediately with its annual holiday show “Miracle on Easy Street” in Powers Auditorium.
A spring production has not yet been finalized. Hancock said he is looking for something “new and big” and mentioned “The Producers” as a possibility.