MLT’s “Spelling Bee” Hopes To Be S-U-P-E-R-B

When the Marblehead Little Theatre's production of "The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" opens this weekend, those involved say it is sure to keep audiences entertained and laughing.

This musical comedy follows six adolescents as they face the pressures of competing in a spelling bee as well as overcoming personal obstacles. 

"The characters play into a lot of the stereotypes of students who you might think would be in a spelling bee. But underneath that funny surface and stereotype, there are a lot of deep things going on for each character," said the show's director, Steve Black.

Amidst the humor and lively musical numbers, the audience gets a glimpse into each character's personal life and the problems they face. For example, Olive Ostrovsky, played by Katy Rosin of Boxford, longs for attention from her absentee parents while Marcy Park, played by Ari Conte of Marblehead, is under pressure to be the best at everything.

"Even though it is a comedy in that it is sort of poking-fun at what the characters are like, there is an element of it that the audience can really connect to," Black said. "We are trying to tell the whole story. If you just play the funny part of it, it is not as enjoyable of an experience, I think. What makes it enjoyable is that the audience can connect to real people going through real things, instead of just people trying to be funny."

"Spelling Bee" is a bit of a departure from the norm for MLT, which has focused largely on classic drama and comedy shows, as well as family-oriented musicals like Beauty and the Beast and Willy Wonka.

"Spelling Bee is a hot new show right now and I think performing it here does great things for the theater to just branch out a little bit," Black said. "Also, it reaches a population that hasn't been as strong at MLT before, and that is the older teenagers and college student crowd."

That population is well-represented in the cast.

"We have a couple teenagers who are currently in high school and a few college students, most of them studying theater," Black said. "They are all really great and well-trained actors, which makes it very easy to rehearse them and, as a director, help them reach the next level."

And rehearsing for this production is no easy task. Unlike most of the other MLT shows, which are typically rehearsed for two to three months, "Spelling Bee" is put together in less than four weeks.

"I actually like the quick turn-around better than having more time because it makes everyone try harder," said Craig Simonetti, who plays Chip Tolentino, a boy scout and previous spelling bee champion who struggles with the embarrassing problems of puberty.

Simonetti will be a senior at Salem High School in the fall and is no stranger to the limelight. He began dabbling in theater his freshman year and played a storyteller in MLT's production of "Once on This Island" last summer. He is also a member of the Salem High School a cappella group, known as WitchPitch.

When asked what he hopes the audience will get out of the show, Simonetti replied "laughs," a sentiment that Black shares.

"First of all, I hope the audience had a good time. There is great audience participation written into the show, which I think keeps it fresh, and I hope they have fun with that," Black said. "Secondly, I hope they witness these characters as real people and notice the struggles they are going through and sort of are transported on a journey throughout the show. I think it is great when you can go to a show at a small theater like this and kind of forget where you are for a while. That is when I know I've done my job and the actors have done their jobs."

Performance information

Performances of "The 25^th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee" will take place Friday, June 25 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 26 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Sunday, June 27 at 2 pm., Thursday, July 1 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 2 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, July 3 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The MLT is located at 12 School St.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door and $15 for students. Tickets can be purchased Online at TicketStage.com or ordered by check or cash using ticket forms available on the front door of the theatre. Tickets may also be purchased at the MLT box office one hour before show time. However, space is limited so there is no guarantee that tickets will still be available at this time.