Chicago Spelling Bee First Preview Review:)

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 10:02am

(Yeah, I would have posted this on the Chicago Board - but seriously, Im FROM Chicago and I barely ever check that board. Its dead, which is sad. Besides, I figured more than the 8 people who read that board would care about this.:))

*THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE*
(Chicago Production)
Drury Lane Water Tower Place
First Preview 3/29/2006

Fear not, lovelies, the Chicago "Spelling Bee" is in fine shape even on its first night of previews...

Everyone in the show is near-perfectly cast, and with a few more performances in front of crowds, I expect them to warm up and play a lot more with their roles and situations. Lucia Spina (Ms. Piretti) and Bill Levin (VP Panch) are dynamite and dead-on in their roles, and James Earl Jones II (Mitch Mahoney) has a killer voice - but its the kids who win your hearts, particularly the bombastic Derrick Trumbly as the homeschooled Leaf Coneybear (don't we all know a kid like Leaf?), and adorable Cristen Paige as Olive Ostrovsky. Christine Wenry as Logainne Schwarzandgrubanaire provided some of the evenings most memorable moments - from her political rant to her final emotional moments. And let us not forget Jen Sese as Marcy Park, who is delightfully stone-faced and out to win. But "Spelling Bee" has always been The William Barfee show, and Eric Roedeger is awesome. He's doing a near-perfect Dan Fogler impression, and it's totally effortless-seeming. The evenings highlights were "The I love you song" sung powerfully by Spina, Jones, and Paige, "Im not that smart" performed like a wild ride by Trumbly, and the all-consuming "Life is Pandemoneum" song, which tore down the theatre and rebuilt it just in time for the final note.

The Drury Lane Water Tower theatre is just about the right size - though the mix of elementary school gym and classy theatre makes for some interesting ambiance, which the brilliant minds behind Spelling Bee worked into the show. ("Have you ever been in a gym with chandeliers?")

The audience members enjoyed themselves trememdously - as evidenced by the hysterical laughter. My only complaint is that - despite its subject matter - Spelling Bee might be a little too mature for certain kids, and there were a lot in attendance, which led to an unruly house at some points - particularly the "My unfortunate erection" number, sung wonderfully by Brad Weinstock as Issac "Chip" Berkowitx (in the Chicago production, he's Jewish, not Asian.)

I have tickets again to see this show on April 5th. These Preview tickets came as a total shock - and thanks to my hookup - and I'm excited to go back in a few weeks and see how the performers have thrown themselves even more into these roles. Actual opening night is April 11, 2006.

Welcome to Chicago, "Spelling Bee!"

(and, for those of you who care about this sort of thing - the stage door at Drury Lane is on the East side of the building, and the performers original contracts are for 6 months. Toodles!)

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 10:31am

Thanks for posting a review. I'm hoping to get back to Chicago this summer to see the show.

[liotte]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 10:36am

Thanks for the review!

Can you give us some examples of audience description sentences? Were the words the same as NYC? (have you seen it in NYC?) How is the Chip role different besides a Jewish name?

I need to get to chicago soon to see it!

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 12:07pm

I don't think the Chip role was any different other than being Jewish, really...

I remember the following audience descriptions...

"Miss ____ is waiting for her favorite fashions to come out in color." <- to a girl who was wearing all black. She was the speller who lasted the longest, and she also got the word 'cow.':)

"Mr. ___ ran for class president under the tagline 'When you think white guy, think me." ...He then got the word 'Mexicans.'

"Mr. ____ has been banned from the nurses office."

... Thats all I remember right now:)

[OverTheBoone]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 12:53pm

Thanks so much for posting this review! I haven't bought tickets yet, but I do plan to see Spelling Bee here (I live in "Greater Chicago").

[lite2shine]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 12:57pm

Wow Jewish Chip! I'm a bit disappointed because when he comes back as Jesus, and Marcy says "I always knew you are Asian!" (in SF production) it was so funny but if he is Jewish, obviously, the dialogue has been cut.

[liotte]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 2:19pm

That Asian line was only in the NYC adults version of the performance.

Thanks for the sentences! Can't wait to come out to Chicago to see it!

[tgrabon]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 2:59pm

I am going to see the 2nd preview this evening and will review it tomorrow. Off to Cincinnati to see "Company" this weekend.

[peach]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 3:17pm

Thanks for the review! I realize I recognized the name of one of the cast members - and when I checked the Web site, indeed, an old classmate is there. Interesting!

Looking forward to the tour when this comes around to my city. I like that they've been able to work in the theatre's nuances into the adlib (a la the gym with chandeliers)...

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 4:42pm

I saw a dress rehearsal this past weekend (know someone in the cast) and it was WONDERFUL. I can't imagine anyone else in each of the roles, they're all so good. Chicago is lucky to have "Spelling Bee" here with such an amazing cast!

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 4:49pm

wow, i didn't know it was coming this soon to chicago! that is awesome though! i love the "Have you ever been in a gym with chandeliers?" line :P I love in the NYC production how its "I've never been in an underground gymnasium before!"

:)

yeah, nice review! glad this was great!

[ElphabaRose]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 4:54pm

"That Asian line was only in the NYC adults version of the performance."

Liotte, the line was in it when I saw the show on a regular night last October.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 4:57pm

i saw it last october too!

but i wasnt paying attention to much of that dialogue in the scene...i just remember deborah saying "JESUS?", jose walking out with the little red light, and me hysteically laughing...

:)

classic

[jarretSF]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 5:03pm

In San Francisco the line is "I've never been in a gymnasium inside a hotel!

[Jon]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 5:07pm

In the Chicago production, the understudies select the audience spellers, and write their "biographies". A friend of mine is one of the understudies, and part of his call-back audition involved inventing humorous biographies for audience members.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 5:09pm

"In San Francisco the line is "I've never been in a gymnasium inside a hotel! "

haha :) i love this show...

[Jud Faginsky]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 5:34pm

Magic, thanks for the great review. Makes me want to come to Chicago too.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 3/29/06 at 7:47pm

Good to hear this! I am seeing the show next Tuesday!

[liotte]

Posted: 3/30/06 at 12:35am

Must.Go.To.Chicago.

[tgrabon]

Posted: 3/30/06 at 10:10am

Saw the 2nd preview last night and it was excellent. I missed the show when I was in NYC last year because it had just closed at Second Stage in preperation for the move to Bway. The Tony Award performance and cast CD were all I had to go on. Most of the Chgo cast sounds identical to the Bway especially Barfee. The girl playing Logainne in Chicago is a dead ringer for the Bway Logainne. The three adults were flawless especially Mitch. His voice is very powerful. There were lots of kids in the audience... at a starting price of $22.50 a ticket and $7.50 for validated parking in downtown Chicago on the Magnificent Mile the show is affordable for families. My only question: Barfee dived toward the bleachers and fell into the bleachers when Chip was pelting candy at him. Was this suppose to happen?

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 3/30/06 at 11:27am

I don't think the cheapest ticket is $22.50 because when I went to the box office, they told me there was no such thing and that the cheapest was 50-something.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 3/30/06 at 12:51pm

"I don't think the cheapest ticket is $22.50 because when I went to the box office, they told me there was no such thing and that the cheapest was 50-something. "

Well they lied to you. Here is the price breakdown:

CENTER SECTION
US $57.00 - US $72.50

RIGHT SECTION
US $22.50 - US $57.00

LEFT SECTION
US $22.50 - US $57.00

[elphie352]

Posted: 3/30/06 at 3:54pm

The 22.50 prices are for the lottery tickets (plus 2.50 service fee). i'm not sure why Ticket Master lists it that way, since you can't buy them online. I've seen that for other shows too.

[MyMeredithMonster]

Posted: 3/31/06 at 12:42am

"That Asian line was only in the NYC adults version of the performance."

Liotte, they have said that line at all 7 performances I've seen of the San Francisco Bee.

[liotte]

Posted: 3/31/06 at 12:49am

That's so weird for me!

I think it would be funny to add it to the everyday show in NYC too.