SPELLING BEE Recording Question

[DBillyP]

Posted: 6/28/05 at 11:23pm

Hello! I bought the SPELLING BEE recording tonight. I have not seen the show. Is it okay for me to listen to it before seeing the show?

Thanks!

David

[alphieboy]

Posted: 6/28/05 at 11:31pm

If you prefer to...in this particular case I would not.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 6/28/05 at 11:35pm

i mean, you know the plot. it's a spelling bee. there are contestants, they'll be eliminated until there's a winner. finn's shows (in my opinion) are better enjoyed when you get every single lyric, and thus i would listen to it first... but if you don't want to know the winner then you shouldn't!

[DBillyP]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 12:18am

Hmmm ... would knowing the winner spoil my enjoyment of the show? That is the question!

[FosseBoi]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 12:25am

Thank you for this thread! I'm going to see this in July, and was wondering if I should get the CD BEFORE I see it or not. I'm getting it after I see it.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 12:31am

I havent' seen the show and have no imediate plans to see this show, unless it tours around here, so I bought the CD and was surprised. Everyone said the score is second to the book, but the score is Great. I guess the book must be amazing. I can't wait to see the full show, eventually. I have a feeling when these rights are released every community theater and/or high school will be doing this show. The only thing I don't get it is the "comfort counselor" what does that mean? Do they really have those? Also, what was up with Al Sharpton at the Tonys? I thought maybe it was just an "inside" joke from the show, but after listening to the Cast Recording, I don't think it is,unless I missed something...?

[apdarcey]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 12:36am

knowing the winner will not ruin your enjoyment of the show since the point of the show is that by the end you don't really care who wins. you've gotten to know 6 people's lives and you care about the characters so much!
yes, every community theatre will produce this show. it will be cheap, small cast (9), very accessible score, hilarious book, audience participation. every theatre will do it.

the comfort counselor is an ex-convict doing his community service. he "comforts" a kid after they get disqualified by giving them an apple juice box.

al sharpton was there to represent the audience participation. it's not an inside joke, but it was a very good, very well executed public joke at the tony's.

[BwayBoy25]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 12:41am

most spelling bees do have comfort counselors...if you have ever watched the nat'l bee you know that a person usually talks with the eliminated spellers after they are DQ'd...so it is a real role in real life...hope this helps!

[rKrispyt]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 12:45am

I personally knew nothing about the show going in to see it at 2econd Stage, and, as someone who usually has synopsi and OBCR's memorized before she can get her hands on an actual ticket to the show, I loved that I didn't know what to expect and wasn't like "oh, one of my fave songs is coming up" or "oh, I always skip this song on the CD" as well as truly not knowing who would win. It just added much more to really grow to love the characters and realize you've been so caught up in taking the journey that you forget that only one can win...not giving anything away, but I'll just say that as certain people got eliminated I found myself truly heartbroken becuase Id idn't want them to go and be out of the show - I was enjoying their performances and their journey so much...

I'd say listen only up to a certain point, and to skip certain tracks that give away certain people being eliminated. Off the top of my head I don't recall the numbers but...perhaps if you ahve the ability on your computer, make another copy that is either out of order or discludes 'spoiler' songs and listen to that until after you've seen it. :)

[DBillyP]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 9:43am

Hmmm ... the answers seem evenly divided so far ...

[DBillyP]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 2:37pm

POSSIBLE SPOILER

With no firm plans to get to NYC in the near future to be able to see SPELLING BEE, I decided to go ahead and listen to the recording.

I read the synopsis in the liner notes. Knowing who was nominated from the show, I was not surprised to read who the two final spellers were and the name of the winner.

Thanks for the responses!

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 3:05pm

you have to skip some tracks... i dont listen to the last four tracks... also the Im Not Smart reprise.