Review: '25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' at WCSU

Dedicated to all good spellers

Danbury, CT -The Western CT State University Department of Theatre Arts presented the little musical THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE for one weekend only at the VPAC on their Westside campus. I was lucky that my son CJ, a WCSU junior, was able to drive me there to enjoy the spellers at the Bee.

SPELLING BEE with music and lyrics by William Finn and a book by Rachel Sheinkin is one of my favorite shows. I have seen it so many times that not only do I know most of the musical numbers, I even know some of the best lines by heart. Adjunct Professor Phillip George directed the university students in this small but mighty cast and Adjunct Professor Howard Kilik (MD for COMPANY, VIOLET, DROWSY CHAPERONE at WCSU) served as music director and conductor. Cast member Izzy Mercaldo was the movement coach.

The set design by Abigail Bueti was bigger than most I have seen and costumes by Jessica Bowe suited the characters without being cookie cutter. I do not recall ever seeing Jesus arrive on roller skates. Lighting by Stef Carr was effective and sound by John Hartman was good as well. The orchestra contained seven pieces, sounded great and could be seen from the balcony.

WCSU senior Jessica Schwartz (STARCATCHER, EVITA) led the cast and the Bee in the role of Rona Lisa Peretti until she changed into a sari to become Olive’s Mom in India. I am putting it out there right now that I have never seen such a transformation for “The I Love You Song,” which is one of my favorites. Not only did Ms. Schwartz completely change her costume, two panels of Indian architecture and a tufted seat were brought out for the scene. Kudos to Ms. Schwartz, whose dad Ted was in the audience, on yet another wonderful performance.

Lu DeJesus just about stole the show in the role of “Comfort Counselor” Mitch Mahoney; he tripled as Dan Dad and Olive’s Dad in the aforementioned scene in India. He was the perfect mix of tough ex-offender and comforting assistant and he sang the heck out of his “Prayer of the Comfort Counselor.”

Sophomore Tony Harkin (PETER AND THE STARCATCHER) was convincingly boy scout-ish as Chip Tolentino and then returned on those roller skates through a heavenly haze as the divine one. WCSU junior Krista Allen had a great appeal as Logainne and Leaf’s Mom. The energetic Leaf Coneybear was played by junior Colin Gallaher (ANYTHING GOES at Sharon Playhouse) and he came back as the high-strung Carl Dad. His exit from the bee was definitely the most dramatic.

WCSU senior Nathan Clift (COMPANY, DROWSY at WCSU, HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME with Square Foot) was great as the lugubrious William Barfee with the magic foot and he doubled as Leaf’s dad. Junior Izzy Mercaldo played it straight as Marcy Park and doubled as Brook Coneybear. WCSU senior Emma Giorgio (EVITA) was the plaintive Olive Ostrovsky and junior Dominick Ventrella (STARCATCHER) was reasonably deadpan (until he exploded) as the pronouncer/assistant principal Douglas Panch.

There was a full cast of understudies that appeared at one daytime performance; included in this cast was the talented Teah M. Renzi from Newtown. I loved the balloons and confetti that dropped for the end of the bee.

The invited spellers from the audience all appeared to be college students and some had brought along a cheering squad. The choice of easier words for them allowed the three to stay on the stage for a bit longer than I have seen. I found it very interesting that the director chose to change the lyric in “Pandemonium” to “gosh darn it.” Especially since the last production that I saw on this stage was entitled THE WILD PARTY, and the contrast between the two was m-a-s-s-i-v-e.

Check out the WCSU Department of Theatre Arts Facebook page for some videos of the show.

Nancy Sasso Janis, writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, posts well over 100 reviews each year. In 2016, her membership in the Connecticut Critics Circle began and her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted not only in the Naugatuck Patch but also on the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.