Nine lucky actors are heading off to the spelling championship of a lifetime!

Quincy Community Theatre has announced a brilliant cast for its whimsical new musical, 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' (March 13-16 & 20-23). This high-energy production features nine phenomenal actors and vocalists from Quincy, IL; Hannibal, MO; LaGrange, MO; and Monroe City, MO—and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser for the entire Tri-States.

Taking to the microphone are Jennifer Benson as “Marcy Park,” the ultimate over-achiever who speaks six languages, is a member of the all-American hockey team, likes the theme from “Rocky” and plays Mozart; Wes Friday, II as “Chip Tolentino,” winner of last year’s bee returning to defend his title, and hitting puberty at an inopportune moment; Molly Oppenheim as “ Logainne Schwarzandgrubenniere,” a politically-aware speller with a lisp who is driven by the desire to win to make her two fathers proud; Drew Quintero as “Leaf Coneybear,” a home-schooled student with severe ADD who only spells words correctly while in a trance; Joshua Scott as “Mitch Mahoney,” an ex-convict performing his community service with the Bee as the Official Comfort Counselor; Stacey Lee Spears as “William Barfee,” a student who boasts a famous “Magic Foot” method of spelling that has boosted him to spelling glory; and Courtney Stewart as “Olive Ostrovsky,” an enormously shy young girl who made friends with her dictionary at a very young age. Overseeing these precocious pre-teens are Mark Drummond as “Douglas Panch,” the frustrated Vice Principal; and Marci Keller as “Rona Lisa Peretti,” the number-one realtor in Putnam County, a former Spelling Bee champion, and the returning moderator.

'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' is an adult take on young life, telling the h-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s tale of six kids vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime! Angst-y, anxiety-ridden, and overseen by grownups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, these lovable misfits (played by adults) will sing their way right into your heart. And as the contest escalates, they’ll teach us all that winning isn’t everything—and losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser…The show’s Tony Award-winning creative team has created the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky, yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time.

'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' is under the direction of guest director and QCT’s Head of Education Brandon Thomsen, with music direction by Garrett Ruffin, choreography by Cheryl Kaiser, scenic and lighting design by Technical Director Paul Denckla, and costumes by resident designer Anna GrywalskiCathy Gooding is serving as the Stage Manager.

Tickets are $20, on sale to the general public February 18. For tickets or more information, visit 1qct.org or call the QCT Box Office, located in the Oakley-Lindsay Center, at (217) 222-3209.

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