Weird thing in Putnam Country Spelling Bee

[Jude89dude]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 3:37pm

When I saw 25 Annual ..Spelling Bee I loved it, but I also noticed that they didn't sing the song "Why we like Spelling" which is on my original cast album. Does anyone know anything about that? Thanks

[Just_John]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 3:39pm

Umm its Putnam COUNTY spelling Bee by the way. They cut it out b/c they wanted it to only be one act and if they kept that song they would need an intermission. I don't understand how a three minute song would make the show too long and call for an intermission, but oh well that was there reason.
Updated On: 8/31/06 at 03:39 PM

[Jude89dude]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 3:49pm

Whoops, sorry. I do know that it's County, I just automatically wrote country (it's still summer, I'm not paying attention to spelling yet) . o well. Thanks for your answer. I have to say, if they needed to take out one song, that would have been the song to take out, although I agree that it shouldn't make much of a difference.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 3:51pm

I agree. That song was funny and entertaining and it's a shame they took it out.

Maybe if enough people talk about how the song should be in the show, they'll add it.

Wishful thinking on my part...

[myManCape]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 4:19pm

They preformed it last year at Broadway on Broadway, and it was in the original 2nd Stages production.

[DiamondGirl]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 4:29pm

It wasn't that the song made the show too long - it was that it broke up the action. "Why We Like Spelling" didn't seem to fit between "Pandemonium (Reprise" and "Prayer of the Comfort Counselor". The best way for it to work would have been as an Act 2 opener, to bring the audience back into the story, but they didn't want a 2-act show. It was a structural issue rather than a time restraint.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 10:08pm

The SF cast also performed it at Pride this summer. It's very cute, and IMO captures the tone of the show pretty well, but I can see how it wouldn't fit into the show as a whole.

[JamesMacon]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 10:16pm

Well why does Spelling Bee have to be one act?

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 10:18pm

Because for one the acts would be too short and 2 it interrupts the whole flow of the show to have an intermission.

[jasonf]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 10:24pm

That's really on YOUR recording? Wow -- I'm not sure if it's on mine or not...

[Jane2]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 11:26pm

When the show opened on Second Stage, it had an intermission. The flow of the show was indeed interrupted, so they tried it without an intermission. It worked well, so it stayed that way.

[myManCape]

Posted: 8/31/06 at 11:39pm

Having seen it both with and with out the intermission, I must say I like it better the way it is now.

[jaesdare]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 1:09am

all the casts still know it and learn it, though, they do it for press events and other things.

[Act4ever]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 1:14am

I've seen this show twice and never noticed... weird. But you're right.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 1:27am

Why not put at the end of the show? After they all bow, as a sort of "send off" for the audience?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 1:34am

It's too long for that, and it includes Chip reiterating what he already did in My Unfortunate Erection.

The extended "Goodbye, goodbye..." works just fine, IMO.

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 1:35am

Because it's not exactly the happiest number. Chip is complaining about choking on tittup and stuff so it wouldn't work. It just would feel very uncomfortable and out of place at the end.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 9/1/06 at 1:44am

Well maybe not do the whole number, but cut it down to the core. Yeah, I wouldn't expect them to do an entire number, but mabye a snippet, so the song isn't wasted.