The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Published April 28, 2026

How do you spell wholesome?

The excellent revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin’s musical, is both nostalgic and inspiring, providing a soothing salve to the chaos of the real world – meaning, a world where people don’t burst into song and dance. Twenty years have passed since the musical’s Tony-winning Broadway debut and, while a few changes were made to the script to reflect the changing times, the show’s endearing charm remains.

Directed by Danny Mefford, the titular competition introduces us to a handful of intelligent pre-teens, with Finn’s insightful songs pulling back the curtains of their lives at school and home. The roster comprises the athletic Chip Tolentino (Philippe Arroyo), the competitive Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (Autumn Best), home-schooled and sweet-tempered Leaf Coneybear (Justin Cooley), the curmudgeonly William Barfée (Kevin McHale), the singularly-focused Marcy Park (Leana Rae Concepcion), and the neglected and sweet-tempered Olive Ostrovsky (Jasmine Amy Rogers). Despite the musical’s brisk 105-minute running time, Finn’s score manages to truly develop each character, inspiring real investment from the audience.

Rounding out the cast are Vanessa Magula (an understudy for Lilli Cooper) as Rona Lisa Peretti, past winner and competition host, and Vice Principal Panch (Jason Kravits) and the competition’s “comfort counselor”, former personal trainer Mitch Mahoney (Matt Manuel). While the trio provide some biting “grown-up” humor, especially when interacting with the audience members invited onstage to compete, it’s the kids who are the heart of the show.

And it’s those kids’ hearts that the show inspires affection and concern for. Though it seems like every generation is labeled the most anxious one in history, and while the Spelling Bee competitors are not burdened with smartphones and social media, their anxiety is palpable – especially the girls’. Marcy and Autumn both carry the burden of feeling forced to excel at everything they do, while Olive’s abandonment by her parents forces her to shoulder burdens a child shouldn’t, even leaving her unable to pay the $25 entry fee for the bee. While the musical’s timelessness is charming in some ways, one wishes this aspect wasn’t so relevant. One hopes in another 20 years, its impact will be different. But the songs will still be excellent.