*Spelling Bee* photos

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Music and lyrics by William Finn
Book by Rachel Sheinkin
ran for 1,100 performances on Broadway from April 2005 to Jan. 2008
nominated for six Tonys in 2006, winning for Best Book of a Musical and Best Featured Actor (Dan Fogler as William Barfee)

June 12-26 at Shuler Performing Arts Center, inside NIC's Boswell Hall, in Coeur d'Alene
Visit cdasummertheatre.com or call ((208) 769-7780

Continues June 28-July 2 at UI's Hartung Theater, Stadium Dr. and Sixth St., Moscow, Idaho
Visit idahorep.org or call (208) 885-7212

Three adults (each with their personal problems and anxieties) conduct a middle-school spelling bee with six contestants (the overachiever, the hippie, the Boy Scout, the nerd, the neglected child, the one's who's politically intense) and everyone, in the midst of singing all those songs and spelling all those words like "hemidemisemiquaver," turns out to be very, very neurotic.



Directed and choreographed by Roger Welch
Musical direction by Chris Thompson
Sets by Michael McGiveney
Lights by Dean Panttaja
Costumes by Tessa DeMoy
PSM: Kim Crawley


with (most actors double in other roles as well)
Andrew Hartley as William Barfee
Laura Sable as Rona Lisa Peretti
Jay Paranada as Chip Tolentino
Mallory Cooney King as Olive Ostrovsky
Matthew Wade as Leaf Coneybear
Reed McColm as Douglas Panch
J. Reese as Mitch Mahoney
Kara Jones as Logainne Schartzandgrubenierre

Buddy, Irving, and William Barfee

Spokane Civic Theatre has announced three of its five musicals for the 2010-11 season:

Sept. 2010, Main Stage:
Buddy: the Buddy Holly Story
directed by Yvonne A.K. Johnson

Nov.-Dec. 2010, Main Stage:
White Christmas
directed by Troy Nickerson

Jan. 2011, Studio Theater:
The 29th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
directed by George Green

[ photo: from a May '09 production of "Spelling Bee" at the Marriott Theater in Chicago; from chicagolandtheaterreviews.com ]

*Spelling Bee* cancelled

The three performances of *The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,* scheduled for Nov. 29-30 at the INB Center, have been cancelled.

According to Lerria Schuh, marketing director for WestCoast Entertainment: "In 21 years of presenting national tours, we have never had to cancel an engagement.
"The national tour of *Spelling Bee* has been derailed by the effects of the recent California wildfires and is in the process of re-organizing their engagements in southern California. As a result, the tour will be unable to route back to Spokane for their planned performances on Thanksgiving weekend. There is a slight possibility for a re-date in 2009, but at this time, the producer's office was unable to confirm that."

If you bought tickets online or if you are a Best of Broadway subscriber, you'll automatically be refunded. If, however, you purchased at a TicketsWest outlet, you have to return there within 30 days or else mail to TicketsWest, 720 W Mallon Ave, Spokane WA 99201.

[photo: from Michael Unger at www.ungerware.net/prodlistfr.htm ]