This production was my first smaller-scale musical at FIU. A relatively smaller cast and a shorter run time allowed more time in the process to focus on small details, comedic timing, and polish. It is a luxury to have additional time in the schedule for any musical theatre process, and we took every advantage of this to create an audience-favorite-level production.
Professor Sammy Mishkin, representing the American College Theatre Festival, said in his peer review that out of many productions of Spelling Bee, this was
"the best one he has seen."
Rena Cook, Professor Emeritus in the University of Oklahoma's Helmerich School of Drama, wrote in her peer review:
"The characterizations, which are crucial to the success of this piece, were detailed and authentic, within the heightened comedic style of the piece... Both comedy and pathos were handled with aplomb... I am quite familiar with this show and I was delighted by the director’s innovations of dance, stylized movement, and use of the stage... It was clear to me that Professor de Guzman understood the fine line between clever and tender, allowing the poignant to linger in the air a bit before surprising us with a new invention, bit or stage picture."
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Music & Lyrics by William Finn
Book by Rachel Sheinkin
Based on C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E by Rebecca Feldman
scroll production photos:
