Are you a Sydney Theatre-goer and been wondering what the second half of 2016 holds for Hayes Theatre Co – a venue which has been home to a variety of distinct shows this past year? Following a successful season in Melbourne, Vic Theatre Company are set to present their production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee from November 17 until December 18 2016. While a musical surrounding a spelling bee might raise a few eyebrows at first, this is a Tony Award-winning musical comedy.
An eclectic group of young people, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, arrives at The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, each eager to win for very different reasons. Sweet and shy Olive brings only her best friend (the dictionary) with her; bold and hyper-allergic speller William Barfee uses his ‘magic foot’ to propel him to greatness; former champion Chip is struggling with his burgeoning puberty; easily distracted Leaf is unconvinced that he’s smart enough to be a challenger; overachiever Marcy is disappointed by her consistent success; and politically aware Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre only wants to impress her gay dads. Even though only one can win, they all take home the important lesson that winning isn’t everything and losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser.
The Vic Theatre cast of this show includes Henry Brett (The Songs of Cy Coleman), James Coley (Dogfight), Sage Douglas (Heathers), Teresa Duddy (The King and I), Matt Heyward (Les Miserables), Andrew Hondromatidis (South Pacific), Caitlin Mathieson (High Fidelity), Rebecca Moore (Children of Eden), Riley Nottingham (His Ghostly Heart) and David Spencer (Mary Poppins). They are joined by a creative team which includes Benamin Giraud as Director, Trevor Jones as Musical Director and Bernie Bernard as Choreographer to name a few.
Bookings to attend The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee are now being taken via the Hayes Theatre Co website. Standard prices are between $50-60, dependent on Concession status.
