Spelling Bee to Close on January 20

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will play its final Broadway performance on Sunday, January 20, 2008 at Circle in the Square Theatre. Upon closing, it will have played 1,136 performances and 21 previews on Broadway. The show originated at the Barrington Stage Company and later played an Off-Broadway engagement at Second Stage Theatre in the beginning of 2005.

The show has music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin, and choreography by Dan Knechtges. It was conceived by Rebecca Feldman and directed by James Lapine. Spelling Bee won Tony Awards for Sheinkin and featured actor Dan Fogler.

The show currently stars Aaron J. Albano as Chip Tolentino, Stanley Bahorek as Leaf Coneybear, Jenni Barber as Olive Ostrovsky, Jared Gertner as William Barfee, James Monroe Iglehart as Mitch Mahoney, Sara Inbar as Logainne Schwartzandgrubinneirre, Greta Lee as Marcy Park, Daniel Pearce as Douglas Panch, and Jennifer Simard as Rona Lisa Perretti.

In TheaterMania’s review, David Finkle wrote: “With a book by Rachel Sheinkin from Rebecca Feldman’s conception and a score by William Finn, the musical is a treat and a half. Although it has urgent things to say about the American obsession with being number one, it connects primarily because Feldman, Sheinkin, and Finn have lit on a milieu in which to have a good deal of fun with music and words — many of those words literally spelled out.”