Spelling Bee Runs Through October 2 at CHT

Church Hill Theatre’s latest production, the offbeat musical sensation, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is running every weekend through Sunday, October 2. It is an hilarious tale of overachievers’ angst with music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Rachel Sheinkin. Based on the original play

Photo by Molly Groton. From bottom left to bottom right: Shannon Whitaker, Kyle Lindenberger, Dylan Lyles, and Sam Martin; from top left to top right: Malley Hester, Emily Chiras, Brittney N. Lynn, and Patrick J. Fee.

C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E, Spelling Bee chronicles the experience of six adolescent outsiders vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. The show’s Tony Award winning creative team has fashioned the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky, yet charming, cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time.

Making his CHT directorial debut, Richard A. Vitanovec brings a wealth of experience back to CHT after having amazed audiences with his stunning portrayal of Riff Raff in the theatre’s recent opulent production of The Rocky Horror Show. Theatre teacher and director at Easton Middle School and Easton High School, Vitanovec has cultivated a powerful and professional theatrical presence on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and has compiled a cast and crew who are uniquely up to the task of bringing this modern, innovative musical to life on the CHT stage.

This cast of is comprised of seasoned actors and vocal impresarios who have cut their teeth on previous angst-ridden CHT productions from Rocky Horror to the Rock Musicals Musical to Fuddy Meers. Vitanovec has cast Michael Sousa as Chip Tolentino, Malley Hester as Logainne Swartzandgrubennierre, Kyle Lindenberger as Leaf Coneybear, Dylan Lyles as William Barfee, Emily Chiras as Marcy Park, Shannon Whitaker as Olive Ostrovsky, Brittney N. Lynn as Rona Lisa Perretti, Sam Martin as Mitch Mahoney, and Patrick J. Fee as Vice Principal Douglas Panch.

Vitanovec, (director, producer, and set designer of the Spelling Bee), has spelled out an equally talented production staff comprised of musical director Kevin W. Thomas, stage manager Krista Cain, backstage director Amber Vitanovec, backstage crew Joey Bridges and Jacob Mueller, costumer Barbi Bedell, and set construction manager Brian Whitaker.

C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E was an original improvisational play created by Rebecca Feldman and performed by The Farm, a New-York-based improvisational comedy troupe. Finn brought Rachel Sheinkin on board, and they worked together with Feldman to transform C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E into the scripted, full-length musical which went on to commercial success.

Spelling Bee was workshopped and developed in 2004 at the Barrington Stage Company in Massachusetts. The musical moved Off-Broadway to the Second Stage Theatre in 2005 where it enjoyed critical and box-office success. Spelling Bee then premiered on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre in 2005 and closed in 2008 after 1,136 performances. The show won Tony Awards for Best Book (Sheinkin) and Best Featured Actor (Dan Fogler).

Produced by special arrangement with Music Theatre International, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is sure to be distinctive and fun-filled production. Make reservations now to see the show which opens Friday, September 16th and closes on Sunday, October 2nd. Performances begin at 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 2pm on Sundays.

NOTE: This show is not a children’s production and includes mature content, themes, and lyrics. Call the CHT office at 410.758.1331 or buy tickets online at https://www.churchhilltheatre.org.

Fridays and Saturdays Through October 1- shows start at 8pm
Sundays Through October 2 – shows start at 2pm