Oh, To Be a Kid Again
Reviewed by Mary Alderson
I’ll start with a disclaimer – I was in this show. But rest assured that I am not biased in any way as I write this review. Indeed, I had a role as a Guest Speller. But I admit it was one night only and, in all likelihood, you missed it.
But there is still time to see this wonderful show – it’s running now in Tweed, and then moves to Bancroft.
The Marble Arts Centre, just north of the village of Tweed has produced another hit. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a funny musical with a cast of nine. There are six students vying for the title of best speller in the county. As well, there’s a real estate saleswoman who, as a former winner, is dedicated to keeping the contest going year after year. She is joined by Vice-Principal Panch who pronounces the word for the spellers and offers the definition and its use in a sentence. And finally, there is ex-con Mitch, the Official Comfort Counsellor who offers the student a juice box and escorts them from the stage when they misspell a word. Mitch is doing this as his mandated community service. The three adults are all hilarious in their very important roles. Rona is so dedicated, Panch looks bored, but trying to get attention from Rona, and Mitch is suitably unimpressed, but eventually shows his caring side, too.
However, it is the six children (all played by young adults) that create most of the laughs. Each child is unique and during the course of the Bee, we learn their back stories and all about their quirks that brought them to this competition. It’s a cleverly written musical with flashback scenes and songs to advance the story.
Liam Crober-Best is perfect as the nose-picking, foot swinging William Barfee. Sydney Gauvin as Olive makes us feel her distress as a child whose parents have little interest in her activities. Jeanette Vannieu as Marcy Park is the typical student stressed by her parents’ high expectations. Danielle Leger as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (or Schwartzy) too struggles with pressure from her two Dads. Ziye Hu, as the boy scout Chip, shows his frustration as he is unable to retain his winning title from last year. He sings the song that gets the most laughter, “My Unfortunate Erection”. Diego Teran as Leaf Coneybear handles the challenge of this struggling, quirky character, without letting him be dismissed for his lack of confidence.
The three adults, Susan Henley as Rona, Matthew Olver as Panch, and Makoto Ashley as Mitch, are all excellent in their roles.
Credit goes to director Lisa Horner for ensuring that each child was a complete individual. They were all perfectly cast in their roles, as were the adults.
The show runs 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission, yet the time flies by with many laugh-out-loud moments. There are also touching moments when you’re reminded of how difficult growing up can be for young teens. The mix of hilarity and humanity makes this musical one you’ll remember.
And yes, at the end of the evening, there is a clear winner of the spelling bee. But there are more winners, too, giving the audience a heart-warming ending. Each child grows a little bit and becomes more self-aware, setting goals beyond what they do in a spelling bee.
And how did I do? I was able to spell the seldom-used word “apoop”, which means going towards the poop deck or the stern of the ship. However, I did not spell the next word correctly (It was many syllables and defined as something about a fatty bottom???) so I took my comfort juice box and left the stage.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee continues at the Marble Arts Centre, Tweed, until July 5 and then at the Village Playhouse in Bancroft July 8 to 19. Tickets are available by calling 613-478-6060 or visit https://www.tweedandcompany.com/
Photo: Liam Crober-Best (Barfee), Danielle Leger (Schwartzy), Ziye Hu (Chip), Jeanette Vannieu (Marcy Park), Sydney Gauvin (Olive), Diego Teran (Coneybear), and Susan Henley (Rona). Photo by Heather Cardle.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Music and lyrics by William Finn
Book by Rachel Sheinkin
Conceived by Rebecca Feldman
Directed by Lisa Horner
Musical Direction by Jake Schindler
Choreography by Kalie Hunter-Nero
Performed by Makoto Ashley, Liam Crober-Best, Sydney Gauvin, Susan Henley, Ziye Hu, Danielle Leger, Matthew Olver, Diego Teran, Jeanette Vannieu.
Produced by Tweed & Co Theatre
The Marble Arts Centre, Tweed
June 26 to July 5, 2026
The Village Playhouse, Bancroft
July 8 to 19, 2026
Reviewed by Mary Alderson
Note: This show is rated PG-13 and contains some mature content and themes.