The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Hayes Theatre Co

Tasting Notes

Don’t have time to read the full review? Click here for a quick summary of the who, what, where and wine of this production.

Wholesome as heck and enchanting in the hope and love innate to its story and score, 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a feel-good musical for the whole family.

Ms Peretti is a teacher at her wit’s end. There’s only one thing she really loves – the annual Spelling Bee, of which she is a former champ and current director. In a particularly difficult moment alone in her classroom, Peretti allows her mind to wander back to last year’s Bee. The hopeful competitors (including some unsuspecting audience members) bring a myriad of childhood challenges to the stage, but all that fades away when they’re given a word to spell. And though there’s only one winner, all find something special at the Bee.

This is a musical that finds its strength in uncertainty, bringing three audience members into the story in its first couple of minutes and gently taking their hands and bringing them along for every song, dance and spelling test.

Although a play about children, all the actors are adults – but you wouldn’t guess by their costumes. A healthy dose of overalls, pigtails, bows and school shoes efficiently age the actors down to their 12-year-old characters. Ms Peretti (Katrina Retallick) (My Favourite Moment of the Bee) is your classic Aussie English teacher, and uptight Vice Principal Douglas Panch’s (James Haxby) suit and severe hair parting makes him very convincing.

The children’s motives are simple but pure and performed superbly by the talented cast. Olive’s, (Rebecca Ordiz ) (The I Love You Song) determination to save a seat for her Dad and Logainne’s (Adeline Hunter) (Woe is Me) frustration at her parents’ win-as-all-costs mentality reminds us just how much teachers do to care for children with difficult home lives. Marcy’s (Jessica Kok) (I Speak Six Languages) is a joyful escape fantasy for anxious overachievers while Leaf’s (Axel Duffy) (I’m Not That Smart) is the opposite, a bit of an underachiever finding a place he belongs. Chip (Matthew Predny) and William (Daniel Raso) capture the awkward parts of being a teenage boy hilariously well, learning humility and how to be friends with girls along the way.

A light-hearted and hopeful story for any musical lover and their family.

Purchase your ticket to The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee here.

Gewurztraminer | Wine Pairing

I had to pair this with a wine that’s a bit of a spelling challenge, and there’s no greater challenge than Gewurz! Plus, the right one tastes of candied fruits to transport parents back to their schoolyard days.

My Pick: Forest Hill Vineyard, 2023, Gewürztraminer, Denmark, WA

Intoxicating aromas of rose and lychee and a very light dash of warm spice feel at once fresh and nostalgic.

Pick up a bottle for $30 here.