For some, spelling words serves as inspiration to sing.
That's the case with Texarkana Repertory Company's production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," a Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning musical about adolescents competing on stage for spelling bee glory. Music and lyrics are by William Finn with a Rachel Sheinkin book. The show premiered on Broadway in 2005.
"It's about a spelling bee, literally," said Michael Cooper, TexRep director. Well, what's exciting about that? The eager bee participants and the three adults who run the bee, for one.
"They each have their own quirks and unusual things about them," the director said.
Six middle school spellers (played by adults) compete on the stage, but an added twist for this show is the audience participation angle. If you attend, you may find yourself on stage.
"Plus each show, we will recruit four audience members. They're called up and they join in the spelling bee and they participate in the show until they're eliminated," Cooper said. That means the show has an element of chance, in some respect.
"The show will be in some ways different every time, depending on how good the guest spellers are," Cooper said. Crew members and Texarkana College students have helped the cast rehearse for this situation.
The cast features several TexRep veterans, such as Frank Poff, Amy Coleman, Alex Rain, Austin Alford, Claire Reynaud, Leah Green and Taylor Coleman, joined by newer TexRep talents like Hailey Mahone and Chase Livingston.
"Everyone who spells, especially our guests, have to ask for the word to be defined and have to ask for it to be used in a sentence, which is where a lot of the humor comes in," Cooper said.
Mahone plays the youngest speller, Logainne Schwartzandgrunenierre, whose long name is a combination of both her fathers' names. Coleman plays a character whose name is forever mispronounced and has a unique way of spelling. Reynaud plays a girl who never loses at anything, while Alford's character has a tough time controlling his hormones.
Their spelling methods differ, of course. "They all have their own way. Some turn to the side to spell. Some write it out on their arm before they say it," Cooper said, noting all the kids have a revelation in the musical. It's a heartwarming musical, but also funny.
For Finn, creator of the music, Cooper has high praise. "Next to Sondheim, probably my favorite. I just like his harmonies. The music is really surprisingly difficult. I have such a good cast," Cooper said.
It's a one act play with no intermission, running about an-hour-and-a-half. Although there's movement, it's not a musical with massive production numbers. A live band performs with Vicki Carr as musical director.
"This is the end of our 25th season," Cooper said about a TexRep milestone that saw the theater company bring "Mary Poppins," "The Cripple of Inishmaan" and "The Great Gatsby" to stage.
Mahone says this character is one of her favorites. It's been a goal to play this girl, who has two gay dads, one who's more nurturing and one who pushes her to win. "I really liked her," said Mahone, who drew from a "Parks and Recreation" character for inspiration.
"She's being pulled into all different direction," Mahone said of her character, a stressed-out 10-year-old.
With audience participation, the play will give Texarkana something they've never seen before, Mahone said. "That's the fun of it," she said of this go-with-the-flow approach with which the cast is having a blast.
About bringing his character to life, Coleman says he's a kid who's grown up without many friends, a kid with a rough life. "He talks about his fake mom, who's kind of a little bit harder on him, but his real mom is very supportive of him," the actor said.
Beneath the character's hard shell, he's really a softie, Coleman said. "Very misunderstood, more than anything," he said. He's challenging to play because his character is unlike the actor's life.
He's also a Finn fan. "Getting to do his music is fantastic. It's super fun. It's really upbeat," Coleman said.
(Tickets: $12 for adults, $10 for TC students and faculty. To reserve tickets, call 903-831-7827.)