Schools
VIDEO: Preview of FDU's 'Spelling Bee'
Fall production premiers tonight in Madison; run includes free matinee for high schoolers.
"Sneak Preview."
S-N-E-A-K P-R-E...well, you get the idea.
A student cast at is set for the first of nine performances to run Oct. 12-23 of the Tony-award winning musical, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee."
Find out what's happening in Madisonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Patch was there for a sneak preview behind the curtain which rises tonight at 8 p.m. at FDU’s College at Florham's Dreyfuss Theater.
"The Bee" is a hilarious tale of overachievers’ angst chronicling the experience of six adolescent outsiders vying for the spelling bee championship of a lifetime.
Find out what's happening in Madisonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Director Cindy Thole told Patch that nine students portray quirky-yet-charming misfits for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time. The production also involves three to four lucky volunteers from the audience who het to participate on stage. "It's makes the play organic," said Thole, of the play's interactactivity.
Directed and choreographed by Thole, an adjunct in FDU’s Department of Visual and Performing Arts, the play is "the first of many" planned for the Madison school.
Musical direction is by Dimitri Nakhamkin, and was adaptated from the Rachel Sheinkin novel. Music and lyrics are by William Finn.
Performance dates are Oct. 12-15 and Oct. 21-22 at 8 p.m. A special matinee for high school students is set for Oct. 21 at 11 a.m.
Tickets are $5 for students and the FDU community. $10 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased at the door or reserved in advance by calling 973-443-8644.
Tickets for students attending the High School Friday matinee are free, thanks to a grant from the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.
For more information, email Stephen Hollis at hollis@fdu.edu or call 973-443-8467. FDU’s College at Florham is at 285 Madison Ave.
