Fall musical at MLHS to focus on a competition well-known to every current – or former – student
All of us have been there at one time or another in a school classroom – the face-off of a Spelling Bee.
Mountain Lake Public High School (MLHS) thespians from the school’s Drama Department will bring to life all aspects of that competition to life during the presentation of this year’s fall musical, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” The production will be held on Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15, with a 7:30 p.m. curtain time each evening.
Tickets for the presentation are $6 for adults and $4 for students. The show is presented with special arrangements with Music Theatre International.
In the Putnam County contest, an eclectic group of six quirky adolescents from Putnam Valley Middle School vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. The bee is run by three equally quirky grown-ups.
While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of words hoping to never hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake.
Six spellers enter – but only one speller leaves! (At least the losers do get a juice box!)
The production is a long one-act musical comedy conceived by Rebecca Feldman, with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin, and additional material by Jay Reiss.
The cast, crew and play directors include:
Cast List
* Rona Perretti – Lydia Hildebrandt.
* Vice-Principal Panch – Ethan Karschnik.
* ChipTolentino – Caleb Rempel.
* Logainne “Schwartzy” SchwartzandGrubenniere – Olivia Hopwood.
* Leaf Coneybear – Ben Grev.
* William Barfee’ – Sam Grev.
* Marcy Park – Carmen Syverson.
* Olive Ostrovsky – Jenny Wright.
* Mitch Mahoney/Olive’s Dad – Ruben Fentanez.
* Carol Grubenierre – Liana Blomgren.
* Dan Schwarz – Regan Syverson.
* Olive’s Mom – Kalley Rempel.
* Leaf’s Mom/Volunteer – Brook Sunderman.
* Leaf’s Dad/Volunteer – Isaac Grev.
* Volunteer Speller – Rebekah Klassen.
Crew
* Daniel Harder, Caitlyn Oeltjenbruns, Jareya Harder, Alexa Heffele, Meredith Suess, Kenna Gardiner and Lexia Peters.
Director
* Julie Brugman
Musical Director
* Andrea Brinkman.