By

Eleanor Cade Busby

Wed, 09/3/2025 - 5.21 pm

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Waldo Theater

The Waldo Theater has a treat for you- a celebration that will take you right back to the fun and the angst of Middle School- just in time for the opening of schools across Maine. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is an endearing musical. Some might call it adorable. But it is also undeniably quirky, and that combination makes it irresistible fun to watch.

The plot is simple: a handful of middle and high school students compete in a spelling bee. For each of them, this ordinary contest takes on outsized importance. Every word becomes a test of worth, every elimination an emotional crisis. Their antics reveal insecurities and flaws, but their reactions remind us of just how potent teenage hormones can be when mixed with ambition and fear.

The songs don’t aim to be thunderous showstoppers, they’re clever, tuneful, and character driven. Each number gives us a peek into the hearts of these kids, and when the whole company sings together, the result is pure charm.

This production brims with standout moments from a top-notch cast. Mariah MacFarlane’s Olive Ostrovsky is tender and heartfelt, her exquiste vocals wrapping the audience in Olive’s longing and hope with clarity and emotional honesty. Her double role as Music Director pays off with a sound not to be missed from note one to the last.

Niall Lessard is another double delight—his witty, sharply polished choreography lights up the stage, and his William Barfée is utterly charming, every twitch,wiggle and panicked look is a delight. The dance in this show is quite simply not to be missed!

Joseph Lugosch wins big laughs as the stumbling, loveable , bumbling Leaf Coneybear, while Imij Armstead gives a fierce edge to Marcy Park, then flips expectations with a breakout dance that shows how a “loser” can really win. Roosevelt Bishop is hilarious as Chip Tolentino, especially as his spelling assignments grow cruelly complex while others get words like cow. His "unfortunate" situation that rises up- is hilarity itseelf. Emily Sue Barker sweetly lisping her way through Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre balances comedy with heart. Her two Dads, doubled roles By Robo Bishop and Joe Lugosch, are a scream.

Every cast member brings strong pipes and distinct personality, making this Bee not just funny but vocally thrilling. Each and every cast member stands out. A shout out to Rachael Schuster as Mitch Mahoney , who is " serving her community service" at the Bee- what a set of pipes!

Director Soren Barker deserves special applause for pulling together the eccentric humor and the quiet heart of the show. The comedy sparkles, the tenderness lands, and the pace never drags.

The physical life of the show is another highlight. Months of rehearsal have shaped movement that feels spontaneous but is packed with precision. Lessard’s Juilliard-trained hand is evident in every number, from Barfée’s comically determined footwork to buoyant ensemble pieces that bubble with energy.

Add in colorful costumes that sketch each character before they even speak, plus playful lighting that shines a spotlight on every triumph and heartbreak, and you’ve got a show that looks as good as it sounds.

This isn’t high drama. It isn’t emotionally draining. What it is, however, is warm, clever, and quirky in the best way. And at The Waldo Theater, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee spells success—every single word.

Don’t bee the one who misses it — this Bee is guaranteed to spell fun.

Roundingout the cast : Anne Fanelli as Rona Lisa Perretti (and Olive’s Mom), Kjirsten Flores as National Spelling Bee Representative, Eliana Goldberg as PTA Mom (and Jesus); Cameron Kinney as Vice President Douglas Panch, Kimberly Nutt as PTA Mom and Rachael Schuster as Mitch Mahoney.

Creative Team & Crew Directed by Soren Barker, Choreography by Niall Less, Musical Direction by Mariah MacFarlane, Costumes by Kathleen P. Brown, Technical Director Eddie Holm, Stage Manager Shari Willsn and Produced by George Bates who gets a standing ovation for Production values.

Performances of *The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee* will be held at The Waldo Theater with evening shows at 7:30 PM on September 5, 6, and 13, and Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM on September 7 and 14.
Tickets are $20 online in advance or $25 on the day of the show (if available).
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit thewaldotheatre.org.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Waldo Theater

About this blog:

What’s the Buzz?

What's the Buzz? About the Author
Eleanor Cade Busby: Unpublished, Unfiltered, and Unrepentant

Eleanor Cade Busby is an unpublished award-winning writer, photographer, blogger, and chronic user of the Oxford comma. She simply adores writing about herself in the third person, and therefore considers this bio a personal highlight of her literary career.

Writing from Midcoast Maine, where the air is salty, the coffee is strong, and the opinions come with footnotes.

A preacher’s kid who made it her mission to lovingly obliterate every single stereotype about “the minister’s daughter,” Busby grew up all over New England collecting stories, theater programs, and at least three kinds of student loan debt. She attended Goddard College, the Rhode Island Conservatory of Music, and the School of Life—majoring in everything she could wedge into her skull without a crowbar.

She has had her own office (with an actual door!) and a red stapler that was not to be touched, thank you very much. She has worked in social services for decades, won both national and local awards, and was recently named a co-recipient of the PEN/Toni and James C. Goodale Freedom of Expression Courage Award—along with one million of her closest friends—for being loud in the best way possible.

Busby has directed more plays than she can count, acted in more than she should probably admit, and written a few too—including some that were performed on purpose. She’s done everything in theater except hang the lights, because she has a strict “no ladders” clause in her personal safety policy.

Her work has appeared in publications ranging from earnest local weeklies to CRACKED magazine, which pretty much sums up her range. She believes if it isn’t funny or relevant, it probably belongs in a compost heap, not her blog.

Eleanor lives in Midcoast Maine with a cat who believes in early-morning blood sacrifice (hers), and she writes "What's the Buzz?" to chronicle what’s happening, what might be happening, and what absolutely should be happening, according to her and no one else.

Suggestions for topics and comments are always welcome at eleanorcadebusby@hotmail.com