Alex Newell Joins Cast of Spelling Bee

Tony Award winner Alex Newell, known for Shucked and Glee, will join the cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as the Bee’s moderator and 3rd annual Putnam County spelling champion Rona Lisa Peretti starting on August 7, for four weeks only.

As previously announced, Tony Award nominee Lilli Cooper will play her final performance as Rona on August 2. Newell joins other new cast members in the revival, including two-time Emmy Award winner Jon Cryer as Vice Principal Douglas Panch, Disney Channel star Laura Marano as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, and Nina White as Olive Ostrovsky (beginning August 10).

The current cast also includes Glee‘s Kevin McHale as William Barfée, Tony Award nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers as Olive Ostrovsky through August 9, Fernell Hogan as Leaf Coneybear through July 22 covering the role during Tony Award nominee Justin Cooley’s leave of absence, Philippe Arroyo as Chip Tolentino, Leana Rae Concepcion as Marcy Park, and Matt Manuel as Mitch Mahoney. Understudies Brandon L. Armstrong, Jahbril Cook, DeMarius Copes, Vanessa Magula, Emily Nicole Rudolph, and Cecilia Snow round out the cast.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was conceived by Rebecca Feldman with additional material by Jay Reiss and features a Tony Award-winning book by Rachel Sheinkin and a score by Tony Award winner William Finn. This 20th anniversary revival of the musical is directed and choreographed by Danny Mefford.