THEATRE UNDER THE STARS
www.TUTS.com
Founded by Frank M. Young 1968
John C. Breckenridge, President and CEO

PRESENTS

March 25 - April 6, 2008
at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

"I-R-R-E-S-I-S-T-I-B-L-E" - The New York Times

"R-A-M-B-U-N-C-T-I-O-U-S" - The Washington Post

"H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S" - San Francisco Chronicle

"R-O-L-L-I-C-K-I-N-G" - The Boston Globe

Photo of Broadway Cast: Deborah S. Craig, Jose Llana and Sarah Saltzberg.  Photo by Joan Marcus.

# 7 MARCY PARK - She made it all the way to ninth place in Nationals last year.  She sleeps three hours a night.

# 21 CHIP TOLENTINO - Last year's Putnam County champ is beginning to learn the ups and downs (and ups) of puberty.

# 1 LOGAINNE SCHWARTZANDGRUBENIERRE - Half Jewish, biracial, with two gay dads, she gives new meaning to the term underdog.

Can you spell H-O-U-S-T-O-N?

BROADWAY’S TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL COMEDY "THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE" TO COMPETE AT THE HOBBY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

 

HOUSTON, TEXAS…The Tony Award-winning musical comedy, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, is coming to Houston’s Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, presented by Theatre Under The Stars, March 25-April 6, 2008 for 16 performances.  Single tickets for THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, ($29-$93) will be available to the public by phone at (713) 558-8887 or outside the Houston area at (888) 558-3882; or in person at the Theatre Under The Stars Box Office, (800 Bagby at Walker, Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat-Sun 11am-4pm); or on-line at www.tuts.com.  Audio described performances are available April 6 at 2 p.m.; open captioning April 6 at 7:30 p.m.  Wheelchair accessible.  Group discounts available for 10 or more and may be purchased by calling (713) 558-8888 or email groupsales@tuts.com.  Additional group discounts are available for students, educators and Girl Scout leaders - call Group Sales for more information.

SPELLING BEE is directed by James Lapine, the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winner (Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods) who also directed the

Broadway production.  The musical, conceived by Rebecca Feldman, with additional material written by Jay Reiss, features music and lyrics by Tony Award-winner William Finn (Falsettos, Elegies, A New Brain) and a Tony Award-winning book by Rachel Sheinkin.  SPELLING BEE features scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Jennifer Caprio, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Dan Moses Schreier and choreography by Dan Knechtges.

In THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser.  This tuneful, offbeat and at times heartwarming show offers audience members the opportunity (strictly voluntary) to become part of the action as on-stage spellers.

“Can you spell i-r-r-e-s-i-s-t-i-b-l-e?  SPELLING BEE is riotously funny and remarkably ingenious. Gold stars all around,” says the New York Times.  In the Wall Street Journal, SPELLING BEE was called, “perfect in every possible way – that rarity of rarities, a super-smart musical that is also a bona fide crowd-pleaser. An ingenious blend of simplicity and sophistication, it’s not merely funny, it's wise.”

Starring in THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE are Katie Boren (Marcy Park), Elsa Carmona (Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre), Roberta Duchak (Rona Lisa Peretti), James Kall (Douglas Panch), Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Leaf Coneybear), Justin Keyes (Chip Tolentino), Kevin Smith Kirkwood (Mitch Mahoney), Vanessa Ray (Olive Ostrovsky), and Eric Roediger (William Barfee).

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE in based on C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E, an original play by The Farm improv group in New York City.  SPELLING BEE had its world premiere production in July 2004 at Barrington Stage Company, Sheffield, MA.  Under the direction of James Lapine, SPELLING BEE officially opened Off-Broadway on February 7, 2005 at Second Stage Theatre, where it ran from January 11 through March 20, 2005.  The show then moved to Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre (where it continues its run), with previews beginning on April 15, 2005 and an official opening on May 2, 2005.  SPELLING BEE is produced by David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo, Barrington Stage Co. and Second Stage Theatre.

TUTS’ 2007-2008 “40th Anniversary” Season is sponsored by UBS Investment Bank.  Sponsors of THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE include

Sterling Bank, Ballard Exploration Company, Inc., and Stanford.  Air transportation is provided by Continental Airlines, the official airline of Theatre Under The Stars.  Additional support is provided by St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System, the Official Healthcare Partner of Theatre Under The Stars.  Media sponsors are ABC-13 and Houston Chronicle.

Founded in 1968, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) is Houston’s acclaimed non-profit musical theatre company and is currently under the direction of President and CEO John C. Breckenridge.  Dedicated to producing new works and classic masterpieces, the 2007-2008 “Dream of a Season” celebrates TUTS’ 40th Anniversary Season of bringing world-class musical theatre to Houston audiences.  TUTS was the first theatrical organization in Houston to perform free to the public in 1968 at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park, and is the only Houston arts organization that has performed there free to the public every year since the building opened.  Since its founding by Frank M. Young, TUTS has produced more than 300 musicals including many local, national and world premieres such as Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, as well as International tours including Debbie Reynolds in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Juliet Prowse in Mame, Robert Goulet in Man of La Mancha, the Tony Award-winning revival of Carousel and the Deaf West Theatre production of Big River.  As a way to continue the tradition of musical theatre, TUTS’ Humphreys School of Musical Theatre provides instruction and stage experience for more than 1,700 students annually through both The Academy and The Studio, which allow students to flourish in a year-round schedule of classes.   Housed in the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, TUTS also annually presents the Tommy Tune Awards, honoring the best and brightest in Houston’s high school musical theatre programs.

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For more information about THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, please visit www.spellingbeethemusical.com
 

 
Photo of Broadway Cast: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Josh Gad, Celia Keenan-Bolger.  Photo by Joan Marcus.
 

# 17 LEAF CONEYBEAR - He's not sure about making friends or making the grade, but making his own clothes is a snap.

# 13 WILLIAM BARFEE - A finalist in last year's Bee, he was disqualified for a health-related incident.

# 11 OLIVE OSTROVSKY - Her parents are AWOL. Her best friend is her dictionary.  And if it would be ok with everyone else, she'd really kind of like to snag the big trophy.