Spelling Bee tour question: audience participation

[jochang621]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 2:33pm

I had a quick question for those of you who have seen the Spelling Bee musical on tour - do they only take audience participants from the orchestra section? I'm considering buying tickets in the balcony, but also wanted to try to be a speller.

I know that the actors follow the last speller back to their seat, and it might be tough to do when the last speller's seat is in the second balcony.

Also, if someone could comment on how well the seats are selling out for the national tour, that'd be helpful too.

Thanks!

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 2:38pm

I don't know how they pick the spellers, but I just wanted to say have a wonderful time!You are so lucky you get to see that AMAZING cast! Wish it was coming through my city!

[b'waygirl2]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 2:39pm

when it was in san antonio they had a drawing of sorts. when you walked in you had to fill out a paper and then they drew your name and then you stood in the back of the theatre and then went onstage when they called your name

[jochang621]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 2:42pm

Thanks for the info! So it seems like it doesn't matter where you sit, in order to be an audience speller?

bwaygirl2, do the actors follow the last audience speller back to their seat?

How full did the house look when the spelling bee was on tour? It's odd, because it's playing in a really big theater near me, and it's hard to imagine it in a big theater. I'm used to seeing it in more intimate settings.

[b'waygirl2]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 2:48pm

no the actors don't follow you back to your seat. and the house wasn't quite filled.

[SpellingBeeFan4Ever]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 3:03pm

Wait, so they don't on the tour but they do on broadway?

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 3:57pm

When I saw it in Louisville a friend of mine was picked to be a speller and we were not sitting in the orchestra.

[jochang621]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 4:12pm

Thanks sidneybruhl! awesome. I'm not quite sure how it would work with the staging and all, but it helps a lot.

So I can't remember how it works on Broadway, but when the OBC reprised their roles in LA, the actors followed the last audience speller back to their seat. It was funny because in my performance, the audience member got lost and ended up walking out of the auditorium. Jesse Tyler Ferguson paused for a bit, who was following closest behind him, and then walked right on out of the auditorium with them. The actors collapsed into laughter as soon as they left though.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 4:13pm

When I saw it on Broadway, the last speller was sitting pretty far back, so they said their goodbyes to him up where the SRO section was, and an usher took him all the way back to his seat.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/2/08 at 4:19pm

In Denver, if your name was picked you stood at the rear of the theater until you were called up from what I understand. Not everyone was seated in the orchestra section.