Musical Comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Runs March 31 to April 23
April 2023
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Hilarious Musical Spelling BeeReveals Hopes and Dreams
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Theatrikos brings the Tony award winning hilarious musical to the Flagstaff stage. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a delightful den of comedic genius. It’s a fast-paced interactive crowd pleaser with hilarious, touching, and catchy songs in which each speller reveals their hopes, struggles and passions.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a beautiful, funny, emotional musical about living up to expectations and finding your own path, even at a young age. I hope the audience leaves the show knowing the only expectations you have to live up to are your own,”said co-director Dani Commanda.
Co-director Amanda DeLano said, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is an exploration of the hopes, fears, disappointments, and trials of adolescence as eight spellers compete for a coveted spot at the national spelling bee. It is revealed through song and dance how each speller came to compete at Putnam County, leaving the audience wondering until the very end just who will take home the trophy.”
Masks are no longer required at Theatrikos. But we do still recommend them. Concessions are open and we’re back to doing our opening night receptions.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs March 31 to April 23.
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“LOVE that you have parking now!! That’s worth another $5/ticket in my book!”
—Teresa Martin Snyder, Patron, Phoenix
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Illusionist Comes to Flagstaff – Auditions – NAU Students
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Illusionist Anthony Hernandez
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Anthony and Dawn, a magical duo who will change the way you feel about magic, take the audience on a magical adventure, a fantastic, comedy filled, interactive journey. The show is filled with moments of awe, moments of wonder and moments that will touch your heart. This touring show is hosted in Flagstaff by Theatrikos. April 4.
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Auditions April 16 and 17
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Theatrikos is excited to bring back our first studio series show since the pandemic: 5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche. Hold on to your quiches! It’s 1956 and the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein are having their annual quiche breakfast. Five female actors, or presenting as female, are needed for this show that’s a tasty recipe of hysterical laughs, sexual innuendos, unsuccessful repressions and delicious discoveries.
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Theatrikos is proud to bring NAU actors and singers to our downtown stage. Jacks on Broadway, NAU’s musical theater club, presents the dark musical experience Heathers. Filled with vibrant costumes, hilarious characters, and awesome set pieces, Heathers is fast-paced and high-energy, with a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seats. April 28-30.
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Northern Arizona Playwriting Showcase will host two workshops for writers interested in improving their craft. In advance of their festival play submission deadline, they’ll teach the fundamentals of writing a 10-minute play and developing the skills for writing, revising, and editing plays. Workshops are April 3 and May 4. Play submission deadline is June 1.
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River Cruise – Phoenix Stages – Curtain Call
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Viking Cruises and Flagstaff travel agency Avenues of the World will host a cruise information meeting at Theatrikos. If you’ve ever wanted to learn about cruising, you’re welcome to attend. Plus, they’ve donated a European river cruise to Theatrikos with 100% of the auction proceeds going to the theatre. Cruise meeting is April 5.
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Phoenix Stages Interviews Theatrikos Actors
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“I did not participate in spelling bees when I was a young boy growing up on the Navajo Reservation here in Arizona. But I do feel as though attending Columbia University in NYC, where I received my BA in Acting, allowed me to grow greatly, rhetorically speaking,” said Spelling Bee actor Brian Price when interviewed by Phoenix Stages.
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Why do actors bow, and why do patrons applaud (or not) and sometimes stand at the end of a show? What’s the history behind this theatrical phenomenon?
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Who will win The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee?
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An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents, played by six adult singers, vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion. (At least the losers get a juice box.) Who will be the winner? Complete with audience participation, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a riotous ride.
Crazy or controversial? This play has been in the news lately–have you heard? A school board in Ohio complained that the play was inappropriate for a high-school production. Some objections were about language, and others were simply that some characters weren’t “nice” enough. Some changes were made and the show went on. At Theatrikos, you can see the full, original version.
What does the cast think? For actor Brooke Stoff, the craziest part of the show is “when it’s down to the last spellers and it speeds up the spelling and then it goes to slow motion. It’s hilarious to perform and also crazy.” For Priscilla Howell, it’s singing Pandemonium. “It’s a high energy, really crazy song that turns the spelling bee into an athletic event.”
This is a demanding musical production that has been challenging to rehearse, particularly the songs. Cast member Brian Price noted that “the most difficult part of the rehearsal process was moving from the voice [music] track, to the voiceless [music] rehearsal track, to the live band. It was like having to relearn a song all over again to different music and timing despite it being the same song.”
“Audiences will especially like the finale number, when the winner is announced,” Howell said, because it is so suspenseful and exciting. In addition, improvisation makes every performance different. “It’s the most fun part of the show, and it certainly keeps us on our toes!”
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Theatrikos Theatre Company
928 774 1662
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