Singing and dancing probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of a spelling bee, but beginning Thursday, Nov. 10, Theatre Tuscaloosa will put on the Tony Award-winning musical comedy, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
The play, featuring many student actors from the University, has been famous since its stint on Broadway from 2005-2008, but director Stacy Alley didn’t want actors coming in with preconceived notions for their characters.
“I wanted them to create their own character, not base it on what they already saw,” said Alley, a professor of musical theatre and dance at Alabama.
The show takes place at an elementary spelling bee and uses choreography, music and singing to give exposition and internal monologues to the characters, who are playing elementary school children.
“We really had to work with the actors to help them get the mannerisms and actions of children,” Alley said. “It really adds to the humor of it and helps the audience see the lessons the play teaches.”
The play is being put on by the community theater group “Theatre Tuscaloosa” and features actors from varied backgrounds. Students at UA, Montevallo and Shelton State are featured, as well as professors and perpetual community theater actors.
“It’s a real mixture, and that really plays into the show,” said Alley. “It’s a true ensemble show. There are no stars and no characters that are more important than the other.”
Zacchaeus Kimbrell, a music major from the University who is playing Chip Tolentino, said he had always wanted to do the show and was incredibly excited that Theatre Tuscaloosa was putting it on. He had never worked with Alley before but said it has been a great experience.
“She gave us a lot of freedom to explore and find our own character,” he said.
The show gives members of the audience the opportunity to participate, and the cast has to improvise based on what the audience participant does, which the actors say keep the shows fresh.
“You really have to think about every scenario that could happen with the audience participation and play off that,” Kimbrell said. “Every show will be completely different.”
The show’s humor is said to be on a PG-13 level and keeps the audience laughing throughout. It is shorter than most musical theatre, lasting only an hour and thirty minutes, and it features no intermission. Alley said this keeps the audience engaged and the laughs fast-paced.
The show’s run will officially begin on Friday, Nov. 11 and will cost Alabama students $14, but a special dress rehearsal will be on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. and will be “pay what you can.”
The show will be held at Shelton State’s Bean-Brown Theatre, and tickets can be purchased online at theatretusc.com or by phone at 205-391-2277. Those who are interested in doing the audience participation are asked to arrive at 6:45 p.m.
