Erick Sanchez, Brooke Halliday, Joelle B. Lurie (Photo by Francis Gerard Gacad)
Reviewed by Taylor Kass
The Wayward Artist
Through July 28
RECOMMENDED
Life is pandemonium, and so is adolescence. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a quirky gem in the contemporary musical theater canon, centering on an oddly compelling premise. Six language-loving tweens gather to compete in the county spelling bee, run by three adults who are just as wonderfully weird. But don’t be fooled by the innocent plotline. The stakes are high: Each kid grapples with the painful awkwardness of adolescence, first love, and family pressure as they step up to the mic to spell. The Wayward Artist’s production of Spelling Bee, directed by Sydney Raquel, is pure, grade-A fun that’s well worth the trip to OC.
The cast is stacked with stunningly gifted singers with strong belts, delicious harmonies, and splashy riffs to spare. It’s impossible to pick a favorite character because they’re all so gosh-darn charming — a testament to the joke-packed show, of course, but even more so a result of the cast’s hilariously detailed acting choices. Adults playing children can often come off as cheesy, but the six spellers are so committed to their characters that it’s easy to envision them as elementary-schoolers. Spelling Bee also demands fearless improvisation from its cast, especially from bee facilitators Rona Lisa Peretti (Carolyn Lupin) and Vice Principal Douglas Panch (Angel Correra) who are tasked with inviting the audience into the competition, quite literally. (It might not be a bad idea to crack open the dictionary before the show.)
Colorful costumes by Christopher Aceves and a bold, graphic set by Teddy Pagee complete the immersive world of Spelling Bee. Musical theater is a magical medium, allowing for raunchy jokes and campy characters to coexist with earnest portrayals of the most tender and painful parts of young adolescence. Glue it all together with some top-notch vocals and The Wayward Artist’s Spelling Bee makes linguistic and musical magic.
The Wayward Artist, Grand Central Arts Center, 125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana. Fri.-Sat., 7:30 pm, Sun., 2 pm; thru July 28. http://www.thewaywardartist.org/. Running time: one hour and 40 minutes, including one 10-minute intermission.
