SELMA – The Selma Arts Center was filled with laughter, “awes” and applause as cast members brought its newest production to life.
On Sept. 25, the Chimerical Cast opened up SAC’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” With a run time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, this newest show took audiences on an emotional roller coaster with phenomenal acting, quirky musical numbers and active audience participation.
The show will continue to run every weekend until Oct. 17, with the “Chimerical Cast” taking the stage on first and third weekends, and the “Lugubrious Cast” getting the spotlight on the second and fourth weekends.
The show’s plot follows six would-be spelling champions, and a handful of audience participants, as they compete in the spelling bee of their lives. As the show goes on, audiences get to explore each character’s motivations to compete, and recount the internal complexities of growing up under high expectations.
During the “Chimerical Cast” opening night, all nine cast members brought depth and value to the production, but the core six spellers were truly the heart and soul. Trinity Mikel as Logainne Schwartzandgrubeniere and PJ Causing as Chip Tolentino brought an explosive energy to the character dynamics, while Caleb Hernandez as Leaf Coneybear and Dylan Villanueva Hardcastle as William Barfée were standouts for their comedic relief.
Jaida Jolene brought a unique, stone-cold precision as Marcy Park, and Mikayla Rockwell put on a subtle performance as Olive Ostrovsky that builds to one of the show’s most emotionally impactful musical numbers.
One aspect of the production that cannot be overstated was the cast’s physical comedy, ranging from Barfée’s magic foot that helps him spell to a full-blown slow motion scene on stage. Once the 25th Putnam County spelling champion was crowned and the cast took their final bows, audience members closed out the night with a standing ovation.
Those interested in catching either — or both — of the casts can purchase tickets at selmaartscenter.com, and audiences can also look forward to Halloween dress up nights during the Oct. 3 and Oct. 10 shows.
