I really had no idea what to expect from this musical. Before last Saturday, I’d never seen it performed or heard any of the songs. Perhaps that’s the best way to go to a musical–with a completely open mind. Let the cast members do what they will with the story.
One of the first things I noticed, before the show even started, was how amazing the set was. Kudos to whoever designed it and set it up. The spelling bee was set to take place in a school’s gymnasium, complete with wooden floorboards, crappy metal bleachers, and even a basketball stuck between the hoop and the backboard. It was perfect.
The musical itself was a delicate balance between hilarious and touching. Much of it was lighthearted and funny–the definitions and sentences given for each word were my favorite part. The introductions of each contestant were great, too: someone was “writing an opera in Braille,” while another was “kicked off Project Runway for creating that outfit.” Audience participation was a huge part of the first half, but just because someone was brave enough to go on stage in front of hundreds of people didn’t mean they would get treated gently. Aside from the Project Runway line, someone was referred to as “Babycrombie and Fitch,” and the last holdout in the spelling competition was given the most difficult words possible, until he failed and left no one on stage but the cast members. I was really, really glad I hadn’t volunteered! I just laughed comfortably from my vantage point in the auditorium seating.
I thought there were a couple standout performances (Maddy Trumble, Jordan Harris, Tyler Jones), but the real magic came from how the cast worked with each other. In a musical that could have easily coasted on the hilarity and quirkiness of the writing, everyone on stage dug a little deeper and found a way to make each character’s story poignant and gripping. By the time the contestants are whittled down to Olive and William, the audience has felt the loss of each kid that dropped out, and doesn’t quite know who to root for to win it all. Even so, when one kid does win, all of a sudden it feels like that’s exactly how it should work out and everyone goes home happy. All in all, I felt like the show did exactly what a show should do: it was entertaining, and at the same time, it left the audience with some deeper issues to think about on the way home. If you ever get a chance to see it performed, I highly recommend it!
