Review: Stage Door’s ‘Spelling Bee,’ while not a perfect score, embraces possibilities 

The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a classic metatheatrical ode to pre-adolescent awkwardness, lives and dies on the strength of its cast. In Stage Door Theatre’s production, running at Agnes Scott College through April 20, the show is flying high thanks to a committed cast of performers brought together under tight and clear direction, creating an enjoyable experience that is bright enough to overcome its few missteps.

The musical opened on Broadway 20 years ago this month and tells the story of a county-wide spelling bee where a group of eccentric, high-strung and competitive pre-teens fight for the chance to compete at nationals. Featuring a witty and topical book by Rachel Sheinkin and an idiosyncratic score by William Finn (who passed away three days before this production opened), the show proceeds to explore these children’s inner worlds and motivations while it pokes fun at the absurdity of being young and gifted.

In addition to a witty and inventive script, Spelling Bee’s performances are full of interesting and rewarding choices. Bekah Medford is a particular standout as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, imbuing her character with life and internality as well as some spot-on gags. Andrew Goodall also brings a surprising specificity to Leaf Coneybear. His movements feel crisp with a choreographic precision, yet they manage to come off as spontaneous.

Shane Murphy’s William Barfée showcases excellent comedic timing and has strong chemistry with Brie Wolfe’s Olive, who brings emotional weight and vulnerability to the show’s most serious story line. Asher Thornton is likewise charming and funny as Chip Tolentino, with some stunning riffs in “Pandemonium.” Among student characters, the weakest link is Ryan Barber as Marcy Park. While selling the character appropriately, Barber is vocally miscast and fails to make her character’s solo song soar (though the cartwheels and splits are impressive).

The adult characters get plenty of opportunity to shine, though some of their choices feel a bit more miscalculated. Daryl Patrice provides a warm, almost preschool teacher energy to announcer and former spelling bee champion Rona Peretti, but Rona’s zest for competition could have been given more punch. Cory Phelps is hilarious throughout as jaded Vice Principal Douglas Panch, though his outburst in the latter half needs to build more. And Juan Carlos Unzueta brings the house down as Mitch Mahoney in the hair-raising Act 1 closer “Prayer of the Comfort Counselor,” but his impressive vocal runs feel more out of place in Act 2’s “The I Love You Song.”

But none of these issues are damning, and the performances all work together cohesively, which speaks to the strength of Candy McLellan’s direction. Her approach places a focus on the character dynamics, as evidenced by the numerous side gags and small interactions the actors have when they are waiting to spell.

The actors also do a good job of utilizing the audience volunteers. As is tradition with the show, each performance recruits a few audience members to serve as guest spellers (read: sacrificial lambs), who are inevitably eliminated in usually hilarious fashion. Actors chat with them in character when they are not on the stand, incorporate them into dance numbers and ad lib lighthearted jabs at them after they are eliminated. It is extremely fun.

The performances benefit immensely from Nicole Clockel’s sharp and specific costumes, which accentuate each character’s personality while also making the actors read more convincingly as children. Particularly notable is the way Clockel makes departures from the designs past productions have used. 

Chip, for example, while usually dressed in a Boy Scout uniform, wears a pullover and backwards cap, the image of an overconfident dudebro. Clockel also takes a more subdued approach to Olive’s design — her usual is all bright colors, overalls and butterfly clips. And Marcy is no longer dressed in her Catholic school uniform but still looks neat and put together like the overachiever she is. These touches create subtle shifts in how the characters are perceived, making many of them feel less like archetypes.

Alexander Whittenberg’s set design provides a notable sense of location, while lighting designer David Reingold energizes the higher octane musical numbers. The sound design — by Lilly Baxley in conjunction with Tyehimba Shabazz and Donovan Lewis of Multiband Studios — creates some interesting moments of metatheatricality.

If there is one major gripe, it’s that many of the larger-than-life acting choices, while making the show propulsively funny, draw attention away from the music, which gets lost in the show’s more hectic moments, “Pandemonium” being a major example. There are also moments where quirky line delivery interferes with the intelligibility of the lyrics, which is a problem considering how much of William Finn’s score prioritizes word play.

There is much you can do, by design, with Spelling Bee. Much of the script is left open to re-interpretation in order to remain topical, and many of the gags are left up to the director and cast. This cast and director have taken hold of those possibilities to make a production that feels unique while not completely breaking the mold. It is energetic, funny and charming.

Where & When

Stage Door Theatre’s 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is at Agnes Scott College’s Dana Fine Arts Building Winter Theater through April 20. Tickets, $28. 141 East College Ave.

Luke Evans is an Atlanta-based writer, critic and dramaturg. He covers theater for ArtsATL and Broadway World Atlanta and has worked with theaters such as the Alliance, Actor’s Express, Out Front Theatre and Woodstock Arts. He’s a graduate of Oglethorpe University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, and the University of Houston, where he earned his master’s.