drama.ca

Reviewed by Leslie Barcza
February 04, 2008
Could a musical with a title so long that one stumbles over parts of it, as in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” ever become a hit? Apparently it did.

Can a true ensemble musical, one without any real starring parts, but a plethora of medium sized parts, draw enough box office to keep the play running? Apparently it does.

And Putnam County has come to Toronto’s Elgin Theatre, directed by James Lapine, its director on Broadway. It’s been done before, of course. There have been ground-breaking musicals that change the very idea of what a musical can be: “Pumpboys and Dinettes” (a whole different sound, a whole different look); “A Chorus Line” (no stars, no real plot); “Sweeney Todd” (dark, often dissonant).

In comparison, “Spelling Bee” is deceptively middle-of-the-road. For starters it is very funny, certainly funnier than any of the three innovative shows I just mentioned. Maybe that’s because, unlike those other shows, it is very much at ease with itself. Its originality does not have that in-your-face avant-garde kind of newness that earns a tiny cult following, after years of struggle. The songs are a fun mix of popular music styles.

The premise is very theatrical. The show situates us in a school gymnasium, among high-school students, just like “Grease” or “High School Musical,” but with one jarring difference. The popular kids are nowhere in sight, because Sandy or Rizzo or Troy or Gabriella wouldn’t talk to nerds like the characters in “Spelling Bee.”

The one character who does seem to have some hope of being popular develops such a big erection that he has a hard time avoiding a certain massive distraction, with explosive consequences. But have no fear Mom and Dad, this show is PG, and might be more fun for intelligent children than for parents.

You take all the nerds from a region, without a bully in sight to beat them up, and give them their own special showcase. Just when they have put the fat kid with the glasses into the spotlight, they surprise us again with a dance number. “Spelling Bee” is most entertaining when it defies our expectations, and in the process, does none of the things we would expect from a musical: it is a show that succeeds without really paying attention to the rulebook.

One can identify a few influences. Most obviously there is the 2002 documentary “Spellbound,” concerning the contestants of a spelling bee in the USA. The musical has been compared to “A Chorus Line,” for its ensemble approach. I was reminded of “American Idol” for the basic storyline: a competitive group that shrinks with each departing contestant, forcing us to say goodbye each time one fails to make the cut, just after you have fallen in love with that character.

If the contestants were nothing more than recognizable stereotypes (the over-achieving Asian-American whose parents won’t permit failure, the neglected child whose parents never make it to the contest, a quirky fat boy) it would never have generated any interest. Nestled among those stereotypes, are contestants selected from the audience. Sometimes they’ll be celebrities; other times just average people put onstage.

And it helps that the voices largely steer clear of what a Broadway show normally sounds like. The one character with a genuine and legitimate “Broadway” voice, namely Rona Lisa Peretti (the co-host, a former Spelling Bee winner and Real Estate Agent), played effortlessly by Roberta Duchak, sends herself up in the process. One character has a hysterical lisp, another has a nasal drone, and nobody sounds overly polished, unless that is a source of humour, as it is for the traumatized-but-perfect Asian-American child.

I was reminded of the Hollywood ideal for a musical score. It is often said that if you notice the music in a film, then it’s not doing its job properly. For most of this delightful evening in the theatre, you’re not really aware of the music, except for a few over-the-top moments. And need I add that as a result the words come through perhaps more clearly than I have ever experienced at a musical, a tribute to a combination of music direction, diction, microphones, and yes, good writing and composing.

Among a thoroughly likeable group, a few were obviously able to spell t-a-l-e-n-t. James Kall carries the play as Vice-Principal Douglas Panch, a Ned Flanders with just enough testosterone for us to know that he has a serious but unrequited crush on Duchak’s Peretti. While Duchak may have been asked to play star, her glamour doesn’t mesh with such an unpretentious ensemble. Or maybe it’s just that her perfectly produced voice reminded me of Broadway on a night when everyone else seemed fully immersed in portraying their parts with subtlety.

Kevin Smith Kirkwood’s Mitch was the most successful of the three adults, as the ex-con comfort counselor, a.k.a. the coolest man onstage. Mitch was both the toughest and the kindest, sharing hugs, juice-boxes, words of encouragement and a beautiful voice.

All the teens were believable, but special mention goes to the astonishing footwork of Eric Roediger’s William Barfee (physically eloquent in ways that must be seen to be believed) and Vanessa Ray’s plaintive Olive Ostrovsky (with a voice that avoids sounding artificial to my ear, so that her portrayal is always real, unpredictable, and moving).

The feel-good “Spelling Bee” continues at the Elgin at least until February 10th.