Tony Award® Winning Musical With a Unique Twist:  “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” the Next Production at The J’s White Theatre

Remember adolescence?

Now imagine navigating all those challenges while in the grips of a fiercely competitive spelling bee.

Six awkward yet adorable adolescents take audiences through a hilarious competition in the Tony Award-winning musical, 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3 at The Lewis & Shirley White Theatre at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park. Additional 7:30 p.m. performances are scheduled for Feb. 8, 10, 15 and 17; three 2 p.m. matinee shows will be presented on Feb. 4, 11 and 18. This coming-of-age musical, filled with adult humor, is guaranteed to make for a fun afternoon or evening.

The winner of multiple awards, including not one, but two Tony Awards, this musical focuses on a quirky group of overachieving competitors, each dealing with unique teenage challenges, all the while trying to avoid the dreaded “ding” indicating they have misspelled a word. Three adult “judges,” who have barely escaped from puberty themselves, adjudicate the fictitious proceedings. The judges include a nostalgic former winner, a silly vice principal and an official “Comfort Counselor,” who in actuality is a former ex-con completing his community service. Music and lyrics are by Tony Award®-winning composer William Finn, whose credits include the Broadway smash “Falsettos,” as well as the Broadway musical adaptation of the quirky and endearing Oscar-winning film, “Little Miss Sunshine”. In a unique twist, members of the audience are invited to sign up to join the cast on stage and tackle spelling challenges that guarantee humorous results!

An all-local cast has been assembled by Steven Eubank, a veteran director at The White Theatre, to bring 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE to life at The J. Eubank is joined by Music Director, Pam Williamson, another White Theatre veteran.

Tickets for THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE are $25 for the general public, $18 for J members and $14 for students. Group discounts and season tickets are also available. For tickets and reservations, please contact the White Theatre box office at The J at (913) 327-8054, email boxoffice@thejkc.org, purchase your tickets online at www.TheWhiteTheatre.org, or visit the box office in person from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays and one and a half hours prior to performance.

The White Theatre is located in the Jewish Community Campus, 5801 W. 115th St., in Overland Park, Kansas.

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