“Putnam County Spelling Bee” Comes To Central

Central’s fall musical is a fresh look at an old tradition

Putnam+Countys+promotional+poster

Designer by La Della Gallagher

Putnam County’s promotional poster

La Della Gallagher, Editor-In-Chief

Get out the microphones, polish the trophies, and open your dictionaries; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is coming to Central! 

To clear a few things up, no, Central is not hosting a spelling bee. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a musical, presented by Central’s Blue Devil Productions. However, it is about the longstanding academic tradition of challenging children to spell words most haven’t and won’t ever hear used again. Originally premiering on Broadway in April of 2005, the musical opened to rave reviews and winning several awards, including Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Featured Actor for Dan Fogler, playing the spelling savant William Barfeé. 

Full of amazing music, hilarious jokes, and quirky characters, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is the show you’ve been looking for. Charles Isherwood of the New York Times calls the musical, “effortlessly endearing,” while Zander Opper of Talkin’ Broadway says the show is, “utterly delightful.” So if you have a chance, stop by Central and see a show that will have you in S-T-I-T-C-H-E-S!

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee performances are November 1st and 2nd at 7 PM and November 3rd at 2 PM in Davenport Central’s Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $10 dollars for adults and $8 for staff, students, and seniors.