Attention Nashville theatre lovers! Boiler Room Theatre presents the Williamson County Premiere of the Tony Award-winning ‘Spelling Bee’ musical, and it is truly a do-not-miss night of music, laughter and entertainment.
The Boiler Room Theatre (BRT) is Williamson County’s original and longest running professional theatre company and is celebrating its 11th season with the recent Tony Award-winning Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which opened August 12, at the historic Factory at Franklin, 230 Franklin Rd, Building Six, in Franklin, TN. The play will run through September 10th.
The “Bee” is an uproariously funny production which brings members of the audience to the stage as students participating in the ‘Spelling Bee’, making this a true community theatre production. The premise:
In Spelling Bee, six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grownups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser. This hilarious tale of overachievers’ angst chronicles the experience of the six adolescents vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. The show’s Tony Award-winning creative team has created the unlikeliest of musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time. Before each show, four guest spellers will be selected from the audience to join in the spelling bee. This audience involvement allows for new and unexpected experiences on stage and makes each performance unique.
The entire production takes place during the spelling bee, but don’t let that put you off. There isn’t a second of the play that isn’t exciting, poignant or hilarious and the evening passes in a delightful blur of laughter and “Awwws”. The script is succinct and well laid out, funny and touching. The actors deliver their lines with precision, staying in character through the entire performance, even when playing multiple characters and having to change from one to the other quickly. The set design is simple and changes are made quickly and with ease, making perfect use of the small stage in a harmonious, timely manner with each scene change. The songs are well sung and directly in relation to the story line and always sung in character, making them uniquely endearing. The production is a hit, from script to set to music to production; the Actors and Show Director each and every one deserving the many accolades they have received thus far.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is one of the most fun and interactive shows American Musical Theatre has seen this decade,” said Show Director Brandy Austin. “In 2006, I had the pleasure of assisting Tony Award-winning director James Lapine on one of the first productions of this hilarious, and yet touching, coming-of-age story. It was a highlight of my career and I am so looking forward to bringing the original vision and heart of this show to a Tennessee audience.”
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a musical with a book by Rachel Sheinkin and music and lyrics by William Finn. The show started as a non-musical play named C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E performed by the improvisational group “The Farm.” From there, creator Rebecca Feldman worked with William Finn to turn the show into a full-length musical. The show debuted at the Barrington Stage Company and then moved to Off-Broadway’s Second Stage Theater where it broke box office records. After moving to Broadway’s Circle in the Square in 2005, Spelling Bee won two 2005 Tony Awards: Best Book of a Musical and Best Featured Actor.
The cast for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee stars BRT and Nashville stage veterans Phil Perry as Vice Principal Panch, Lisa Gillespie as Rona Lisa Peretti, and Stephanie Jones Benton as Marcy Park. The cast also includes Brad Oxnam, Draci Wantiez, Arron Holman, Jordan Ravellette, Lindsey Hess, and Jay Rudolph. BRT Co-Founder and Executive Artistic Director Jamey Green serves as musical director.
Performances will be held on Tuesday, Thursday (August 25, Sept. 1 and 8), Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m., with discount Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. on August 21 and 28.
Ticket prices are $27 for adults, $25 for seniors (age 60 and up) and students (age 13 through college with valid ID), and $21 for children ages 3 through 12. Matinee prices are $2 less, respectively. All Tuesday shows are two-for-one ($27 for two tickets; no other discounts apply). Thrifty Thursdays continue and allow Guests to beat the weekend crowds and grab tickets at the bargain price of $17. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Boiler Room Theatre at 615-794-7744 or ordered online at BoilerRoomTheatre.com.
Please note that the show is performed as written and include instances of profanity and anatomical references.
The balance of BRT’s 2011 season includes The Rocky Horror Show, and Oliver!
The 2012 Main Attraction Series includes Xanadu, Of Mice and Men, A Little Night Music, Pippin, Steel Magnolias, Parade, A Year With Frog and Toad, and Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge. A new secondary series — The Explorer Series — geared toward younger audiences will be announced soon.
The Boiler Room Theatre (BRT) is Williamson County’s first and longest-running resident professional theatre company, established in 2000, launching its inaugural season in March 2001. A 501(c)(3) non-profit Arts organization, BRT’s mission is to present intimate stagings of classic Broadway musicals, area premieres of recent off-Broadway plays and musicals, and original works by local playwrights and composers. BRT’s Youth Educational Programs (YEP!) and its performance group the ACT TOO Players have provided theatre arts instruction and performance opportunities to more than 10,000 children since its inception in 2001.
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