I became familiar with the soundtrack of this production before I knew of its plot or even saw any videos online. I wasn't mad about the show until I began reading parts of the script and watching videos online. Then in 2007, BlueRep staged it and I became a fan of the material (and the organization).
To those unfamiliar with the show, it's simply a spelling bee where you get to know the lives of the contestants as they compete. The fourth wall is broken, which makes the experience of even more enjoyable. The show progresses as we learn the backgrounds, motivations, and dreams of the six main spellers. Think "A Chrous Line", but with kids' concerns that vary in depth: being liked, having unfortunate erections, dealing with parental pressure, living with broken families. The show draws its charm from its spontaneity in interacting with the audience. Laughs come with when the cast deals with the four guest/celebrity spellers as well.
Got to catch the Atlantis production last Sunday and I had a blast seeing it again. Geneva Cruz was one of the guest spellers that night and the Bee master had his way with her:
To those unfamiliar with the show, it's simply a spelling bee where you get to know the lives of the contestants as they compete. The fourth wall is broken, which makes the experience of even more enjoyable. The show progresses as we learn the backgrounds, motivations, and dreams of the six main spellers. Think "A Chrous Line", but with kids' concerns that vary in depth: being liked, having unfortunate erections, dealing with parental pressure, living with broken families. The show draws its charm from its spontaneity in interacting with the audience. Laughs come with when the cast deals with the four guest/celebrity spellers as well.
Got to catch the Atlantis production last Sunday and I had a blast seeing it again. Geneva Cruz was one of the guest spellers that night and the Bee master had his way with her:
INTRODUCTION: "Ms. Cruz's mom once assured her that her modest hills would eventually grow to be smokey mountains."
WORD: "Paradise"
SENTENCE: "Paradise, help me make a stand. Paradise, take me by the hand."
The production was clean and fun, but something was still missing. The youth of the BlueRep cast and the intimate staging really brought charm to the older production. (More about that Here).
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Here are some of the old clips I saw in YouTube that first piqued my interest about the production.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Tonys
-Al Sharpton misspells "dengue".
Pandemonium (Original Off-Broadway)
-Love the revolving bleachers and the chaos towards the end. They incorporate the guest spellers well too. The Atlantis version was just ok.
Watch here: (Embedding is prohibited) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCoZYKaK4u0
I Speak Six Languages (Original Off-Broadway)
-I like the girl playing Marcy Park here, but Thea Tadiar (Atlantis) was great as well. The incorporation of the steps to "All the single ladies" was inspired, haha. I'll always remember Mian Dimacali's Marcy for BlueRep, though.
I'm Not That Smart (Broadway on Broadway, featuring Barrett Foa)
-Leaf Coneybear is my favorite character and is one I'd love to play if I acted. Couldn't find the Jesse Tyler Ferguson video anymore so this should do.
The I Love You Song
-The song from Spelling Bee that can make you cry. For me, this was something Atlantis nailed in their production. Carla Guevarra-Laforteza's performance was better than this one.
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