The Citadel Theatre's summer production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a crowd-pleaser that taps into the universal anxieties and dreams of junior high school. Directed by associate artistic director Mieko Ouchi, the show runs until Aug. 2 at the Citadel in Edmonton.
Plot and Setting
The musical is set in the gymnasium of Putnam Valley Middle School, where six quirky finalists compete for a $200 savings bond in the 25th annual spelling bee. The children have climbed an arduous ladder to reach this point, hoping to make national finals in Washington, D.C. The audience feels their angst, as the show evokes sweaty memories of junior high for virtually anyone who attended school in or outside the United States.
As the musical opens, moderator Rona Lisa Peretti (Jill Agoposowicz, with excellent vocal prowess) bustles in to set up. A successful real estate agent in a bright orange business suit, Rona Lisa is a former spelling bee champion who recounts her victory in the opening number.
Characters and Performances
The six finalists are adolescents played by adults, adding comedic effect. Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere (Rain Matkin, in a charming, lisp-inflected turn) has two dads and is a big supporter of bike lanes. William Barfée (Farren Timoteo, pulling out all the stops) comes across as a bit of a stick, but his killer nut allergy explains his demeanor. An underdog emerges in Olive Ostrovsky (Christina Nguyen, sympathetically earnest), who took the bus to the competition and doesn't have the $25 entry fee. She saves a seat for her father, who will try to get there after work, while her mother is at a spiritual retreat in India.
Michael Watt reveals his comical character, Leaf Coneybear, by engaging his whole body, from his curly mop to his fingertips. His family, including siblings Landscape and Raisin, have told him he's not that smart. But under pressure, he enters a kind of trance and pulls the winning letters from his mind as if from a deep, spiritual well. He amazes himself, and it's a treat to watch.
Musical and Direction
Based on an improvisational play by Rebecca Feldman, the musical features music and lyrics by William Finn and a book by Rachel Sheinken with additional material by Jay Reiss. The show premiered off-Broadway in 2005 before moving to Broadway, where it ran for three years, garnered multiple Tony nominations, and won two Tony Awards. It was revived on Broadway in 2025 to rave reviews.
The Citadel's production benefits from brisk pacing and toe-tapping tunes that seamlessly deliver exposition. All nine cast members hail from Edmonton, adding local flavor. While the children could be written as clichés—the Boy Scout in knee socks, the girl who speaks six languages—each exudes idiosyncratic quirks that make them come alive.
Audience Appeal
Audience members are primed to feel for the characters and pick one to root for, either because they were once word nerds themselves, or knew someone like the student stifled by pressure-cooker parents, or the kid with the inhaler. The show dives directly into the hope, fear, and wonder that marks the move from adolescent to young adult.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a wildly popular musical that has played around the world. The Citadel's production, with its strong performances and engaging direction, is a summer treat not to be missed.
