I did it. In the lobby, there is a person with a clipboard. He or she asks people if they are good spellers and then a few more questions. Then, about ten minutes before the show, if they are going to use you, they get you, take you backstage, and brief you. Basically they tell you to not try to act because it takes away the integrity of what the actors are doing and makes it stupid. Then they tell you to, for each of your words, to ask for the definition and for them to use it in a sentence. That's pretty much it.
It's really fun. You participate in quite a few big production numbers. And then you get a box of apple juice when you lose.
"One no longer loves one's insight enough once one communicates it."
The opposite of creation isn't war, it's stagnation.
A young lady with a clipboard comes up to folks as they enter the lobby and asks "Are you a good speller?" If you say yes and are interested in participating, she takes down your name, age, and seat location and around 8:00 picks four to be in the show (she says she casts on personality). She takes the four backstage and gives them a mini-orientation and and sends them back to their seats. They are summoned from the stage about ten minutes into the show and the last speller is dismissed around 45 minutes in.
Ask Priest for more details.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
When I went, one of the audience members spelled the word correctly on something that she was "supposed" to have gotten wrong. She couldn't be eliminated when the actors had planned on having her be gone, so they had to give her some word that nobody in the world could spell. It was fun to watch them improvise a bit.
That happens a lot and the cast are all ready for it.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
The spellers from the audience don't sing anything, so they wouldn't be on the album.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
I don't think the novelty seeing actual fellow audience members up on stage looking uncomfortable and bewildered (and the whole spontaneous feel of those moments) would translate to an album.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
Margo's right. If you hadn't seen the show and were just listening to the CD, there wouldn't be any way to know that some spellers were from the audience and some were actors, let alone who was who. It wouldn't really be funny, then.
If you walk up to her and tell her very enthusiastically that you want to do it, you probably have a good shot (most people avoid her or just flat out say no).
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney