The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces Leana Rae Concepcion (Merrily We Roll Along) joins the company as Marcy Park in the Broadway Center Stage production of the uproarious and irreverent Tony Award®–winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee featuring music by two-time Tony Award® winner William Finn and a book by Tony Award® winner Rachel Sheinkin.
Concepcion replaces the previously announced Anna Zavelson who departs the production due to a scheduling conflict. Directed and choreographed by Danny Mefford (Kimberly Akimbo, Dear Evan Hansen) with musical direction by Roberto Sinha (New York, New York; Hamilton), the all-star cast includes Philippe Arroyo (& Juliet, Aladdin) as Chip Tolentino, Beanie Feldstein (Drive-Away Dolls, Booksmart) as Logan Schwartzandgrubenierre, Noah Galvin (Dear Evan Hansen, Booksmart) as Leaf Coneybear, Alex Joseph Grayson (Parade, Into the Woods) as Mitch Mahoney, Taran Killam (Spamalot, Saturday Night Live) as Vice Principal Douglas Panch, Kevin McHale (Glee, American Horror Stories) as William Barfee, Tony Award® winner Bonnie Milligan (Kimberly Akimbo, Encores! Titanic) as Rona Lisa Peretti, and Nina White (Queen of Versailles, Kimberly Akimbo) as Olive Ostrovsky. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee plays the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater October 11–20, 2024.
Six spellers enter, but only one can be named winner of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee! This charmingly witty and touching musical has entertained audiences since its Tony Award®–winning debut. A group of six mid-pubescents compete in the title championship, spelling their way through vexing vocabulary while sharing hilarious and poignant personal stories. A riotous ride, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a fast-paced and funny D-E-L-I-G-H-T.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will include scenic design by Paul Tate dePoo III, costume design by Emily Rebholz, lighting design by David Weiner, and sound design by Haley Parcher. Casting is by Geoff Josselson. Matthew Lacey is the Production Stage Manager. Jeffrey Finn is the Artistic Director and Executive Producer of Broadway Center Stage.
Tickets for Broadway Center Stage: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee are now on-sale via the Kennedy Center website, in-person at the box office, or by calling 202-467-4600.
The Broadway Center Stage series has been acclaimed by the Washington Post as “a raging success at the Kennedy Center reflecting a Broadway sheen.” Its hit production of Monty Python’s SPAMALOT recently enjoyed a critically-acclaimed Broadway engagement and will embark on a national tour in 2025.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was originally produced on Broadway by David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo, Barrington Stage Company, and Second Stage Theatre.
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