Dan's Papers - October 23, 2009 - Review: Spelling Bee, SH Cultural Ctr.

The Tony Award-winning musical romp, William Finn's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, now in production at the Southampton Cultural Center, has many stars, not the least of which is the hilarious book by Rachel Sheinkin that won her a Best Book Tony in 2005.

The definitions and usage of the words in sentences are rife with outrageous references and innuendo. The judges provide a matter-of-fact definition of "phylactery" (a box held in some Jewish services containing scrolls with bible verses). Using it in a sentence, the judge says, "Billy! Put down that phylactery! We're Episcopalian!"

Or, using "atheist" in a sentence:

"Because Susie is an atheist, she didn't mind the kids yelling, 'Go to hell, Susie!'"

Since playing the humor would put it over the top, lines are best delivered deadpan, which is what Ken Rowland as Vice Principal Douglas Panch did with spot-on inflection.

The show is about six quirky middle school students competing in the bee. Within those roles, the humor comes not just from dialogue but from the characters themselves. The lines worked best when the actors played it "straight" from the POV of their alter egos. In comedy, anything is fair game. A costume, name or mannerism can elicit laughs, which they do here. Consider the perfectionist Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere (played by Allison-Rose DeTemple), with her buttoned-up jacket, tie and name that reflects her two dads. Christopher D'Amico as Leaf Coneybear, a ditsy eccentric in his makeshift cape. But when it comes to the moment of spelling the word, Leaf's voice drops an octave as he delivers the letters in a robotic trance. Bethany Dellapolla, in pink overalls and matching glasses, plays Olive Ostrovsky, a sweet introvert who whispers her word into her hand intimately before she spells it aloud.

Adam Fronc's William Barfee, in Bermuda shorts, argyle socks and two-toned wing tips, spells with his magic foot. William Finn is heavy-medaled Boy Scout Chip Tolentino, who is always prepared (except for that erection before his turn at the mike). And Holly Goldstein, as the uber-confident Marcy Park in her pinafore, who has a break with her own reality when she whispers, "Jesus, could you give me a harder word?" And Jesus appears and says he could.

The production is very enjoyable and mostly well executed. It being community theater, with folks at various stages of honing their craft, sometimes a director has to choose between casting actors or singers. In most cases, Michael Disher chose actors, even though most of the singing of this often challenging score hit the mark. All in all, he pulled strong performances from this cast.

One standout was D'Amico, who took on both challenges with great presence and full embodiment of the character. His solo, "I'm Not that Smart," was a funny and emotional turn - a well-conceived scene from start to finish.

Fronc hit his stride from his first step on stage, masterfully pulling off fancy footwork and vocals. His solo, "Magic Foot," was a strong moment. Tolentino's solo, "Chip's Lament," was another perfectly structured, dramatically successful vignette, even if the tessitura of this song sat high in the young actor's range. He's a talent to watch.

Dellapolla handily pulled off the charcter and the challenging vocals of "The I Love You Song" with a sweet innocent voice demanded by the role. Park's "I Speak Six Languages" was polished with umlauts double-dotted. DeTemple put in a vocal performance on "Woe is Me" that was as tightly wound as her pigtails, right in character.

But many songs for women in the show made one question (dare I?) how accomplished Finn is at writing for female voices. The numbers for judge Rona Lisa Perretti (Mary Ellen Roche) should have an authoritarian feel, yet how could a singer pull that off in that range without going totally legit, which would've been inappropriate for the style? Roche made her way through the tough territory, and gave a commendable performance. V.J. Chiaramonte gave his all to the role of Mitch, the bully with heart.

During the play, four audience members are invited to compete, turning it a bit improvisational for the cast members. In New York, Al Sharpton was brought on as a guest speller. His word: "sensationalizing," which he nailed. (Just kidding).

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs until Nov. 1, Thurs. - Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun.at 2:30. Tickets: $25, $10 for students under 21. Call 287-4377, or go to southamptonculturalcenter.org.