PORT TOWNSEND — Life is unjust and random — pandemonium.
Yet each of us, even the quirkiest, can find our way forward.
Want proof? Key City Public Theatre is about to lay it out in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” the Broadway musical to bring improvisation, dancing and some tough spelling words to the stage this week.
Starring acrobat-actor Tomoki Sage of Port Townsend and stand-up comic Marcy Girt of New York City, “Spelling Bee” starts with a preview performance today and continues with evening and matinee shows at the Key City Playhouse, 419 Washington St., through Oct. 25.
“I have this really special heart for this show, for these characters,” said director Amy Sousa.
“For these kids, for all of their bizarreness, their insecurities, the awkward physical phases they might go through, their passion really keeps them going,” through the bee and beyond.
The show will unfold at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays.
Tickets range from $20 to $24 for adults and $10 for students at all shows. Two pay-what-you-can performances are set for this Sunday and next Thursday, Oct. 8.
The spellers and their compatriots include Marcy Park, the girl who speaks six languages; Leaf Coneybear, the homeschooled hippie boy; William Barfee, who uses his “magic foot” on challenging words; Mitch Mahoney, the ex-convict doing community service as the bee’s comfort counselor; and Rona Lisa Peretti, judge and former champion.
Songs about life
Along with making their way through the competition, they deliver songs about life: “Pandemonium,” “Woe Is Me” and “The I Love You Song” among them.
The show, which opened in New York City in 2005, has 24 musical numbers, a big cast, a band on stage — and audience members who are invited up to join the spelling bee.
“In recent years, we have focused on small-cast cabaret musicals,” said Denise Winter, Key City’s artistic director.
“It’s now time to return to a larger ensemble musical that showcases [our] ‘song and dance’ performers on a grander scale,” along with a band featuring players from all over the North Olympic Peninsula.
Local theater-goers had a chance to see “Spelling Bee” this past summer as Ghostlight Productions, Mark and Danielle Lorentzen’s new company, staged it at the Sequim High School auditorium. The Lorentzens learned of Key City’s show after they were licensed to produce it, Mark said, and didn’t expect it to be a problem.
Attendance was light at first, he added, but it grew by the end of the three-weekend run.
Sousa, for her part, isn’t worried about turnouts in Port Townsend.
“We were surprised” about Sequim, she said, “but we feel like our patrons have been planning for this.”
Sousa is also raving about her cast, which along with Girt and Sage includes Joey Ripley, Leah Finch, Christa Holbrook, Maggie Bulkley, Anthony Phillips, Kenn Mann and Austin Krieg, who was nominated for the 5th Avenue Theatre of Seatte’s Best High School Actor award for his portrayal of Seymour in Port Townsend High’s “Little Shop of Horrors.”
‘Stellar’ cast
Linda Dowdell of Sequim, the pianist and bandleader, gave a shout-out to her players: “Signe Crawford, all the way from Joyce; Darrell Plank of Blyn; Aidan McClave, a young and fabulous cellist from Port Townsend; [and] Clover Coupe-Carlin, a Port Townsend High School sophomore,” who together are “stellar.”
“Spelling Bee” was written, Sousa added, to let the performers improvise.
“You have a lot of room to make your own show,” she said.
For more information and to buy tickets, see www.keycitypublictheatre.org or phone the playhouse box office at 360-385-KCPT (5278). If available, tickets will also be sold at the door.
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
