SPELLING BEE and Children

Posted: 5/19/05 at 10:53pm

Would THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNUM COUNTY SPELLING BEE work with children performing the roles, rather than adults?

Explain your answer.
Updated On: 5/20/05 at 10:53 PM

[bythesword84]

Posted: 5/19/05 at 11:08pm

I think that Spelling Bee wouldn't work as well with children in the roles. Its sort of like Blood Brothers, where the two men who play the adult Mickey and Eddie also play the young Mickey and Eddie, and thats part of its charm. There's something about watching adult actors play young children that is always impressive and enjoyable. It might have something to do with that so often people forget what it was like to be a child so then, when you see an adult being a child it allows you to connect with your own childhood yourself.

[Plum]

Posted: 5/19/05 at 11:11pm

Hm. I don't know if the show would decline in quality if the kids were played by kids, but it probably would feel different. It isn't a bad show for schools, I think, outside of a song that used to fall right after intermission. :)

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/19/05 at 11:11pm

I don't think the point of it would come across as well - it's not a kids show. Part of... I don't want to say it's "charm" necessarily, but part of what makes it unique is that it's using a juvenile situation to explain very universal facets of life. I think having adults be able to put a more seasoned interpretation to these characters makes it slightly more ironic, but also easier for more varying audiences to relate to it. I don't think adults would feel as much for characters that were played by children, or feel they could relate to them, for some reason.

[bythesword84]

Posted: 5/19/05 at 11:16pm

I agree with emcee. I think Spelling Bee isn't a children's show. Actually, I think it means much more to the adults than it does to the children who are there- and there are children there, both times I went there were children in the audience. Its something about almost, looking back on your childhood experiences. If you're looking at a child playing the role, its different than if you're looking at an adult when you're an adult yourself. Its almost as if you identify with it more because here are people who are obviously adults reaching back into a situation where children are. There's a character in that show for everyone to identify with on some level and because you know in your own mind that the children reflect yourself and everyone else around you its an attraction to the parts. If you have children playing the roles it just becomes a cute little story about a spelling bee and its not as poignant because it doesn't hit home as much for the adult (read: primary) audience.

Posted: 5/20/05 at 11:28pm

Is S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G BEE a musical?

Why, or why not?

[Justice]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 11:53pm

No, spelling Bee would not be performed well with children, simply because they are character actors, and young people do not have the ability to pull the humor and characters off the way these experienced actors do. Also, I do not want to hear a child singing about his "Erection".

Yes, Spelling Bee is a musical - Every "child" has a solo song, and there are two major group numbers, along with the 'Goodbyes" that I can't get out of my head. I cannot WAIT for this recording.

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 11:58pm

The second time I saw the show, the "last one standing" was ten or eleven. Not surprisingly, she got the biggest ovation.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 5/21/05 at 12:06am

Once the rights to this show become available for schools, it will become one hot ticket! Its a family friendly, really wonderful, simple show that CAN be performed by children IMO.

Schools are going to leap on this show.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/21/05 at 10:50am

It certainly CAN be performed by children, but I think that if it were, for example in a school, it wouldn't have the same resonance for adult audience members.

Updated On: 5/21/05 at 10:50 AM