Wisteria Theatre makes it two hits in a row with their totally completely captivating take on the 2005 Broadway hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, impressively directed by Brayden Hade.

 The William Finn/Rachel Sheinkin Tony winner (conceived by Rebecca Feldman) imagines a group of pre-teens for whom winning is everything, then has a cast of post-pubescent performers bring them to irresistible life.

There’s last year’s winner, boy scout Chip Tolentino, plagued by a pesky penile problem that swells up at the most inopportune moments.

William Barfée provides Chip with his most heavy-weight competition thanks to a secret weapon whose virtues he extols in “Magic Foot.”

Not about to be beaten is Marcy Park, ninth in last year’s nationals and the epitome of the 2nd-generation Asian-American over-achiever.

 Posing every bit as much a threat to the trio of front-runners are Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, who might welcome some disinterest from her overly demanding gay dads, and Olive Ostrovsky, hoping in vain to impress her new-agey off-on-a-pilgrimage-in-India mother.

 Leaf Coneybear shouldn’t even be there having come in only second runner-up in his district, but when the winner and the first runner-up proved unavailable to attend the finals, who should get to take their place but child-of-hippies Leaf.

 The remaining finalists are chosen among audience members by 3rd Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee winner Rona Lisa Peretti and Vice Principal Douglas Panch, with “comfort counselor” Mitch Mahoney doing community service by handing out juice boxes, hugs, and tough love to the losers.

 As one by one, spellers are eliminated by the ding of Vice Principal Panch’s bell, hopeful hearts get broken, unexpected life lessons get learned, and a little romance gets thrown in to bring a sentimental tear or two amidst the laughter.

One of the reasons why, even after seeing a whopping 17 productions, I never tire of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is the opportunity it affords a director and cast the chance to add their own innovative touches to the Bee.

Giving Barfée sneakers whose soles light up in flashing neon colors is one such inspiration. Another is having performers who play more than one role leave the stage and return totally transformed by new costumes rather than have them simply add an accessory or two while on stage is another. And I’ve never seen Act Two’s finalists-only competition more impressively staged than it is here, especially when slowed way way down in a slo-mo sequence that is a hilarious stunner.

 Another reason I keep coming back for more is the chance to witness fresh new spins on characters I’ve come to know and love.

Drew Maidment’s shape-shifting transformation into William Barfée makes it four-in-a-row for the rising L.A. theater star, who earns special snaps for making us believe that poor William is functioning with just “one working nostril.”

 Taylor Renee Castle could not make for a more exquisite Olive, or be more achingly vulnerable, and the “The I Love You Song” she performs in three-part harmony with the equally power-piped Sophia Rose Bellefeuille and Trae Adair as Olive’s MIA parents is as gorgeously sung as trios get.

I dare anyone not to fall in love with Danny Holmberg’s Leaf, whose endearingly awkward quirks are matched by the Marvel supervillain who emerges whenever Leaf goes into a trance to spell a word, with Holmberg earning added snaps as a Gay Dad From Hell.

 Jenna Luck transitions from the captivatingly wistful, utterly enchanting Olive she gave OC audiences this past July to a Logainne as sweet as she is spunky, and her Act Two post-election rant is as fiery as it is topical.

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Marcy taken on as powerful a journey from automaton to sensitive, caring, utterly real human being as Abby Espiritu takes her, and the sneaky smile on her face when one particular speller is eliminated is a keeper.

 Ali Hoghoughi embodies pubescent horniness to perfection as Chip, makes “My Unfortunate Erection” an Act Two-opening showstopper, and later returns in deliciously unexpected celestial form to give Marcy a much needed reality check.

The simply divine Bellefeuille had me so thoroughly convinced that her Rona Lisa won the Spelling Bee more than twenty years ago that I was stunned to discover she’s fresh out of college, Tyler Angier is a tightly-wound, Rona Lisa-obsessed delight as Vice Principle Panch, and Adair’s Mitch is as street-savvy as his Gay Dad is flamboyantly fabulous.

 Anasha Milton’s choreography sparkles throughout, and music director Nolan Monsibay elicits one powerhouse vocal after another.

Tanya Cyr’s gymnasium set design serves as an effective framework for Hade’s screen design, though I would have preferred a single realistic gymnasium projection for the dialog scenes and reserved music-video-style images for the songs.

Josh Collins’ sound and lighting designs are both topnotch as are the production’s uncredited costumes.

Renee Wylder is assistant director and Lexi Collins is stage manager, with Collins and Monsibay doubling as swings and Wylder understudying Rona Lisa.

 There aren’t many musicals I could see 17 different productions of and never for an instant feel bored.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is that kind of show, and whether you’re seeing it for the very first time or returning for yet another evening or afternoon at the Bee, Wisteria Theatre’s latest is about as guaranteed a crowd-pleaser as crowd-pleasers get.

Wisteria Theater, 7061 Vineland Ave, North Hollywood. Through April 6. Fridays at 8:00. Saturdays at 3:00 and 8:00. Sundays at 3:00.
www.wisteriatheater.com

–Steven Stanley
March 22, 2025

Visit www.theatreinla.com/nowplayingrs.php for a review roundup of what’s now playing in theaters around Los Angeles.

Tags: Los Angeles Theater Review, Rachel Sheinkin, William Finn, Wisteria Theater Company