Spelling Bee Sets 1/20 Closing Date on Broadway

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has announced a closing date of January 20, 2008, at Circle in the Square Theatre. Upon closing, the award-winning musical will have played 1,136 performances and 21 previews on Broadway in a production directed by James Lapine.

Spelling Bee, which features music and lyrics by William Finn and a book by Rachel Sheinkin, opened on Broadway on May 2, 2005, following a sold-out off-Broadway run at Second Stage Theatre, where it began performances on January 11, 2005, and officially opened on February 7. The musical had its world premiere production at Barrington Stage Company in July 2004, conceived by Rebecca Feldman. Lapine's production was nominated for six 2005 Tony Awards and won two Tonys Best Book of a Musical for Sheinkin and Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Dan Fogler. A national tour is currently playing around the country.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee features six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learning that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser.

The show currently stars Aaron J. Albano as Chip Tolentino, Stanley Bahorek as Leaf Coneybear, Jenni Barber as Olive Ostrovsky, Jared Gertner as William Barfee, James Monroe Iglehart as comfort counselor Mitch Mahoney, Sara Inbar as Logainne Schwartzandgrubinneirre, Greta Lee as Marcy Park, Daniel Pearce as Vice Principal Douglas Panch and Jennifer Simard as Rona Lisa Perretti.