The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee: A Review

Last Friday and Saturday, March 27th and 28th, Blake Stage Company produced an extraordinary performance of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” This musical featured fantastic musical numbers, memorable individual performances, surprise twists, and an abundance of well-executed jokes that had the audience cracking up.

The musical portrays a county-wide spelling bee, with each character eager to win and prove something. The various character arcs and storylines are among the best aspects of the musical, showcasing characters grappling with self-esteem and personal image, superstars faltering under pressure, and even characters with magic feet. The play centers around Olive Ostrovsky, played by sophomore Afton Willis. Ostrovsky is a poor girl struggling to fend for herself. Sophomore Isaac Madden plays co-lead William Barfee. Barfee is a hard worker looking to claim the title with his interesting tactics.

Some of the most captivating roles include Junior Bobby Johnson as “Vice Principal Douglas Branch.”  The Vice Principal was integral to the bee’s main storyline and provided hilarious moments throughout the musical. Johnson did an excellent job portraying this character, delivering one of the best performances in the production. Another standout character and actor was sophomore Cydney Wilson as “Marcy Park.” Park was comedic in a completely different way than the Vice Principal and had one of the musical’s most impactful character arcs and growth. Wilson truly shone when she performed her solo, which was one of the best songs in the play, primarily due to her exceptional performance. The cast loved putting on this play, performing it with visible emotion and passion. Freshman Sunna Benson, who played Pinecone Coneybear, says, “This was such a fun show to work on! There were many laughs and fun times, and I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to be on this show!”

While the script and cast were terrific, the production also deserves recognition. It was top-notch, featuring sudden beat switches, elite lighting, and fantastic costumes and makeup. The production elevated this musical from great to outstanding. Senior Sage Segarra Garay excelled as the head of makeup, ensuring everyone looked great and ready to perform, so a shoutout to Sage is well-deserved. Puck Elkins and Nanette Wyatt, serving as co-heads, excelled with the costumes, each character wearing something that uniquely represented them. Joy Mpoyo and Ellis Hyman did an outstanding job with the lighting. Lighting isn’t always highlighted in reviews of plays, but in this musical, it truly transformed the show.

Something unique about this performance is its amount of senior representation, with 16 seniors in the cast and crew combined. Some seniors have been doing plays all four years they’ve been at Blake, some are just starting this year, and some have been performing since elementary or middle school. This musical marks these seniors’ last rides as they depart for college next year. All senior nights are emotional and reflective, and these seniors poured their hearts into this production, and it shows. Some senior spotlights that performed exceptionally include Aayden Taylor, who played Chip Tolentino, and Dan Dad. Taylor made the most of his role and provided one of the more surprising twists of the bee. Charlotte Richesson also did a fantastic job capitalizing on her last Blake career play. She played Rona Lisa Peretti, the principal and former winner of the bee. However, this isn’t the end of Richesson’s theater career, as she plans to pursue theater in college. 

This play provided an excellent portrayal of Blake as a whole. As an art school, our plays are typically the best around. The spelling bee showcased Blake’s talent on the big stage and was an excellent performance to end the year. The final two shows are Friday, April 4th, and Saturday, April 5th, and if you haven’t seen it, this is a must-see play. Tickets are sold on the GoFan app, and we hope to see you there soon!