Grab your parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and goldfish, and go buy your tickets for the Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Paradise at Augustines as soon as you can. This heart-warming, hilarious, and spell-tacular musical has come to the Fringe to sell out completely.
A spell-tacular blast of a musical
Brilliantly directed by Beth Cunningham and Hunter King, this production presents six children, played by fully grown adults, competing in their county spelling bee competition with hopes of making it to the final. The hilarious book by Rachel Sheinkin, accompanied by William Finn’s lyrics and compositions, promises a two-hour spectacle for all watching. You can tell how much work Cunningham and King have put into this show together with Emily Paterson, the musical director, and Amelia Brenan, the choreographer.
On stage, we see each of the characters disclose their funny and touching stories about their home lives while dealing with the stress, embarrassing moments, and sad experiences of growing up. We cannot forget to mention the three adults running this competition, who are as humorous and loveable as the children.
The lighting and sound design by Lewis Eggeling and Amelia Brenan were also spectacular, despite a few mishaps typical of live shows, such as performers missing their marks and a few late mic cues. Costumes by Eva Mortensen truly showcased the performers' characters on stage, completing the puzzle piece to this production.
The performers were exceptional to the point where it was hard to choose who to follow. Every character was presented so clearly to the audience. We cannot ignore the brilliant depth of Olive Ostrovsky, played amazingly by Richeldis Brosnan. Her song in Act Two, The I Love You Song, brought tears to my eyes. You cannot help but fall in love with her character as soon as she steps on stage. Ollie Hiemann’s rendition of Douglas Panch was so intricate; you can tell how much time he spent understanding the character’s intentions and development in the show.
This show is a spell-tacular blast of a musical, relatable to anyone watching in one way or another. The audience interaction and inclusion of the band during the show truly make this musical one not to be missed.