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Today and tonight signify Friday, July 31.
SEQUIM — Meet Marcy Park, speaker of six languages, Catholic school girl, champion athlete. And here is her rival Leaf Coneybear, homeschooled kid from a hippie family.
Then there’s “Schwarzy” SchwartzandGrubenierre, young but politically aware, alongside William Barfee, young man with a magic foot.
They’re just a few of the competitors in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” the musical story about to unfold — along with some stupendous spelling words — on the Sequim High School Performing Arts Center stage.
Ghostlight Productions, a new company begun by theater artists Mark and Danielle Lorentzen, makes its debut with this show, while many of its performers are among the best-known in Sequim and Port Angeles.
A number appeared in last summer’s Peninsula Family Theater production of “Les Miserables” — and are lending their pipes to an entirely different kind of musical this time out.
“Putnam County Spelling Bee,” which opens tonight for a three-week run, is set at a middle school where a set of six tweens angle for the big trophy.
Along the way, they tell us their stories, true-life tales of trying to be perfect at everything, coping with broken households, crushes and puberty.
“All of the characters are very real. You find out their vices and what makes them tick,” said Danielle Lorentzen, who portrays Marcy.
A Queen of Angels Catholic School alumna, Danielle dons the uniform once again, replete with plaid skirt and
sweater vest.
Chandler Wendeborn portrays William, the kid with an unusual ability. Given a word to spell, he uses his foot to trace it on the floor, and then stands back to visualize it.
His words include hasenpfeffer, lugubrious — “and the others you’ll just have to see,” quipped Wendeborn.
For director and cast member Mark Lorentzen, tonight’s premiere is a long-anticipated moment. He discovered “Spelling Bee” some eight years ago, when the Tony Award-winning Broadway show went on the road. The touring company came to his then-hometown of Reno, Nev.
“I was blown away by how funny it was,” he said, “and by how smart the writing is.”
Musical directors often say their casts are like a family.
In this case it’s true: along with Mark’s wife Danielle, his sister Anne Lorentzen plays Olive Ostrovsky, one of the bee competitors; his father John Lorentzen leads the pit band and his mother Laura Lorentzen portrays Rona Lisa Peretti, moderator of the spelling bee.
It’s a little bit funny directing your mother, Mark acknowledged.
Also in the cast are Dave McInnes as Vice Principal Panch, the spelling bee judge with an unrequited crush on Rona Lisa; Eric Hermosada as Chip Tolentino, winner of the 24th annual bee who’s back to defend his title; Mikey Cobb Jr. as Leaf Coneybear and Luciana Barerra as Schwarzy.
Mark, his arms decorated with sleeve tattoos, portrays tough Mitch Mahoney, the ex-convict doing his community service at the spelling bee.
The pit band, of which Mark is proud, features leader John Lorentzen with John Allman on keyboards, John Melcher on cello, John Doster on percussion and Auston Spencer on reeds.
Yet there are even more cast members, Mark noted.
They’re indispensable, but neither Mark nor his fellow actors know who they will be.
One of the things that makes “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” sing, he believes, is the inclusion of a handful of audience members in the spelling contest.
