Charming— (adjective) ‘Extremely pleasing or delightful.’ Compass Rose Theater is now producing the most charming production of The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee I think I can ever recall seeing— and that’s saying something as I’ve covered it over a dozen times in as many years, including just a month ago elsewhere! C-H-A-R-M-I-N-G. Directed & Choreographed by Tommy Malek with Musical Direction by Rachel Sandler, this feel-good, upbeat, absolutely adorable musical is perfectly parsed in the intimate staging space that Compass Rose Theater has at Maryland Hall; you’ll laugh, you’ll smile, you’ll feel good and leave the theatre wholly uplifted and transported to your happy place. Who couldn’t use a little more joy and charm in their lives right now? Compass Rose Theater is certainly delivering on that front!

Dream-team— (noun) “a team whose members are preeminent in a particular field; a number of persons of the highest ability associated in some joint action.” Director & Choreographer Tommy Malek and Musical Director Rachel Sandler are the epitome of the dream-team when it comes to their creative endeavors in musical theatre. D-R-E-A-M-T-E-A-M. Malek and Sandler, a household staple of musical theatre in the DMV set the bar high when it comes to quality productions and the Compass Rose Theater production of Spelling Bee falls in line with their extraordinary visions. With perfect blended harmonies and musical nuance pouring out of Sandler’s well-versed expertise, the songs in this production are stellar. You get all of the emotional gravitas from the numbers that are balanced with feeling and all of the eager entertainment from the numbers that are fluffy and fun. The character work overseen by Malek is superior. And every moment in this production is lively. You get the sense that Malek is laser-focused on finding those extra-funny moments to really entice the audience and tickle their funny-bone without turning it into an outrageous, slapstick farce. It’s a beautiful balance. And Malek’s choreography is perfect for the space. His approach to carefully utilizing the limited stage space is the mark of an excellently seasoned director— not too much dancing, not too little, just right in all of the exacting places and perfectly aligned for the spatial limitations of the production. Malek’s overall blocking and pacing of the show are flawless and it’s just a splendid, good time all around. And there’s a kick-line!

Synchronicity— (noun) “the quality or fact of being synchronous; the occurrence of simultaneity with two or more objects, forces, or beings.” Set Designer Sammy Jungwirth and Lighting Designer Atticus C. Boidy are in perfect synchronicity with one another as well with Tommy Malek’s overarching vision for the performance as a whole and the result is impressive. S-Y-N-C-H-R-O-N-I-C-I-T-Y. Boidy brings a perfect balance with the show’s lighting design; it’s not overdone, it’s not underdone, it’s perfect. There are delicate sweeps of blue-freeze whenever something is happening outside the main action, there are pops of color during “Pandemonium” and an overall sense of augmenting the existing material without overbearing it through illumination. It matches perfectly with the appropriately juvenile scenery that designer Sammy Jungwirth has put down. The show itself takes place in a middle school auditorium and Jungwirth’s design reflects that accordingly. From the yellow, wood-grain floor to the blue wood-bench bleachers, and all the little elementary-grade-motivational posters that flank around the frame of the stage, Jungwirth transports the audience and the performers to a generic middle school cafetorium. It’s simple but refined, just like Boidy’s lighting and fits the overall verve of the production.

Animated— (adjective) “endowed with life or the qualities of life; full of movement and activity; full of vigor and spirit; full of life, action, or spirit; lively.” The nine-person cast of CRT’s The 25^th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee is the most vivaciously animated company of performers to sing, dance, and spell across any stage I’ve seen in recent history. A-N-I-M-A-T-E-D. Watching these talented nine individuals do their thing— live fully and extrovertedly over-the-top inside these caricature-characters that they have created for this show is life-affirming; it’s hilarious, it’s engaging and it’s utterly charming whilst being so refreshing and such a treat there aren’t nearly enough good dictionary words to describe it all. Everything from the exaggerated facial expressions (aided by the intimacy of the venue) to the more subtle approaches of dead-pan and sarcasm, this cast is switched on in such an effervescent and sensational way that you will leave the theatre totally enthralled with their musical theatre antics. They’re towing the fine, fine line between perfect comedy and high-camp, blending the balance at the pinnacle of those moments to make this flawlessly funny production a real treat. The little moments of interplay between characters— like when Panch is having at Chip Tolentino right before “Pandemonium” or literally any moment when Rona Lisa Peretti has one of her ‘facial-expressions-only’ conversations with one of the students— are divine! And the production is sprinkled with these little animated moments all throughout (including a fabulous blast out from the William Barfee character at the end of “Magic Foot” that just sends the audience into hysterics) that you become awash and immersed in the energy and glee of it all.

Thunderstruck— (transitive verb) “to strike with sudden and usually great wonder or surprise; to astonish— used in passive tense.” Color me thunderstruck when B.J. Robertson starts belting out that soul-sound during “Prayer of the Comfort Counselor” because his powerhouse vocals rolled up out of nowhere and blindsided the audience with a whole lotta wow. T-H-U-N-D-E-R-S-T-R-U-C-K. Taking a mild-mannered, low-key approach to the role of Mitch Mahoney, Robertson really knocks it out the park when it’s time for him to belt and push through that number. (I know the show exceedingly well, know that moment is coming, and I was still blown away!) The versatile difference between playing the spoken parts of the character with a gentle simplicity creates a striking contrast to that moment in song and really gives the character an unexpected dynamism that fits the overall ethos of this production.

Insouciance— (noun) “lighthearted unconcern; nonchalance.” Vice Principal Douglas Panch is often played to the escalated heights of the character’s irritable nature so it’s a refreshing change of pace to see Omar A. Said take a subtle approach of insouciance, which leads to levels of cheeky hilarity in most of his dialogue exchanges with other characters. I-N-S-O-U-C-I-A-N-C-E. There’s an affable ease to the way Said delivers some of the more stoic, deadpan lines that are attributed to the Panch character, particularly when Panch’s ire is starting to build and his patience is starting to wane. You get this vibe of “jaded game show host” from his comic portrayal and it’s really a delightful and innovative way to interpret the character. Having live audience members on stage as guest spellers only adds to Said’s charm, as he often has to correct their mistakes in their requests, which just enhances the humor for those of us watching the performance.

Immaculate— (adjective) “having or containing no flaw or error; pure or perfect.” Having watched some dozen Rona Lisa Peretti’s do their thing over as many years, Beth Amann has landed on the immaculate performance with her interpretation of the character.” I-M-M-A-C-U-L-A-T-E. It’s this perfect amalgamation of being a friendly but firm, stern but supportive, and extremely facially animated performer when it comes to Amann’s Rona Lisa. Watching her is like being back in middle school with that one teacher who was so much fun but also really hard on you too. Amann has this glorious voice that shifts flawlessly from “Favorite Moment of the Bee” (and it’s various reprises and iterations) with charge and energy into “The I Love You Song” which is heavily seeded with dense pathos. Her stage presence is this unique hybrid of main-character and background responder simultaneously and it’s just breathtaking to enjoy. You get some excellent laugh moments from Amann’s Rona Lisa as well as some touching moments that really tug at the heartstrings; she truly gives an immaculate performance in this role and is the perfect fit for this rambunctiously enthusiastic cast.

Punctilious— (adjective) “strictly attentive to detail; meticulous or fastidious; precise or scrupulous; strict or exact in the observance of the formalities or amenities of conduct or actions.” Following to the letter each defining moment of Chip Tolentino’s existence, Preston Grover’s punctilious performance really makes Chip pop, particularly in those moments where his character is under exacting scrutiny. P-U-N-C-T-I-L-I-O-U-S. There’s something really striking in the way Grover sets up this character, so that when the ‘inevitable’ arises, you get that stark contrast of completely composed, detail-oriented individual going up against a decomposing, unhinged tweenager right before your eyes. He’s also got a resonant, ringing belt which does him all the favors in the world for “Chip’s Lament” at the top of Act II. Doubling up briefly as ‘buddy Jesus’ you get a keen sense of Grover’s versatility in this production in addition to his heightened sense of comic timing and execution. The attention to detail, particularly in the earlier moments of the show is what really sets forth the strong foundation for this character’s eruptive— err— moments later in the performance.

Zealous— (adjective) “exhibiting enthusiasm or strong passion; ardently active; devoted or filled with zeal.” Your eyeballs will be glued to Taylor Litofsky as she effervesces the zealous nature of Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre like Krakatoa mid-explosion. Z-E-A-L-O-U-S. Everyone in this production is riding the sky-high-bullet-train of animated facial expressions but none quite so intensely as Litofsky. And it’s wild and unhinged and you want to be there for it! Effortlessly capturing the innocent, childlike, and obsessive nature of this character, Litofsky brings Logainne to resplendent life with all of her frenetic energy bubbling up and over every moment that she’s on stage. You get flawless articulation, even with the character-affected lisp (as scripted) and you get this infectious enthusiasm that has the audience wriggling, giggling, and squirming all around in their seat every time she does something. There’s also this paralyzing panic that seizes through Litofsky whenever the character has these immobile moments of anxiety; it’s a really astonishing juxtaposition of the polarized halves of Logainne’s personality. And she delivers a vocal rocket during her big feature, “Woe Is Me.”

Mesmerizing— (adjective) “spellbinding; able to captivate or draw one’s attention; hypnotizing.” Literally tumbling all around the stage, Sam Slottow’s performance as Leaf Coneybear is utterly mesmerizing and you’ll feel like a moth floating toward the incandescent flame that he is on stage. M-E-S-M-E-R-I-Z-I-N-G. It’s the vacant innocence that seizes his character whenever he’s staring off into space, blended with this giddy simplicity that really cements Slottow perfectly in this role. He approaches Leaf Coneybear with this heightened sense of awareness that balances perfectly into the comedy of the quirky character. And it’s done with this reverence to the neurodivergent vein of Leaf that makes you just want to hug him all throughout. The physical commitment to the character— rolling, leaping, dino-crouch-squat-walking is extraordinary and just one of the many charms that Slottow brings to the role while performing, wholly capturing the audience’s attention and their hearts in the process. His vocal affectation adds that extra layer of intrigue to Leaf and when he gets his two solo features— “I’m Not That Smart” and its reprise, you get treated to a beautiful voice that bounces along to the rhythm of the character’s heartbeat perfectly.

Automaton— (noun) “a moving mechanical device made in imitation of a human being; used in similes and comparisons to refer to a person who seems to act in a mechanical or unemotional way.” Cera Baker is serving up M3GAN-level automaton realness with her portrayal of Marcy Park and it is the most hysterical thing in this production. A-U-T-O-M-A-T-O-N. If you ever wondered what Alexa, Siri, and all those other smart-AI devices might look and sound like if they suddenly became embodied? Cera Baker has you covered and it is uproariously funny. This frigid, robotic approach— from the way she twitches her eye, to the way she tilts her head with that jerky mechanical quality and tries to put inflection and emotion into an otherwise monotone spoken delivery is to die for; you’ll bust a gut laughing. What’s even more brilliant about Baker’s approach to this role is the way it overloads and explodes when she finally breaks out of the robot routine. Can’t sing her praises enough when it comes to the full on spectacle-show she’s presenting during “I Speak Six Languages”— karate chops, a full-floor-split, ribbon twirling, you name it. And the sheer, unadulterated, hyped-up glee she experiences on the other side of the automaton portrayal is nothing short of pure bliss. And she’s got an exceptionally talented and well-ranged voice.

Precious— (adjective) “of great value or high price; highly esteemed or cherished; beloved beyond words.” Lila Cooper delivers the most precious performance as Olive Ostrovsky, having the audience cooing and awing, desperately wanting to enveloper her in a huge, warm embrace from the moment she arrives at the ‘Bee’ through to the end of the production. P-R-E-C-I-O-U-S. There is just something so profoundly earnest and open about the way Cooper presents Olive; it’s childlike but in that awkwardly adorable way that makes you press your hand over your heart and say ‘aww.’ Cooper balances this adorably precious performance with some real emotional depth, particularly when taking up “The I Love You Song”, which brought tears to my eyes because she’s so emotionally present and invested in the song and the moment. There is an undeniable cuteness to the way Cooper tackles Olive too; particularly in her little meet-up moments with Barfee or when she’s expressing her thorough joy and glee over words and wordplay. “My Friend The Dictionary” is the first foray into the vocal delights that Cooper brings to the stage and you get to hear her frequently throughout the performance, adding her excellent vocal skills to the mix.

Plethoric— (adjective) “as in excessive; going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount.” Stephen Emery takes the idiosyncrasies of the William Barfee character to plethoric heights and has the audience in stitches with his antics and shenanigans. P-L-E-T-H-O-R-I-C. There’s awkward nerd, there’s comedic chaos of the awkward nerd, and then there’s Stephen Emery and the thing he’s doing with William Barfee which is so far above and beyond all that, it defies description. The facial expressions, the vocal affectation, the personalization with just little bits of this and that— it’s hysterical. And then you get this powerhouse stunning voice belting out notes that you wouldn’t expect and it’s this perfect performance from way out in left field. Emery’s balancing capabilities alone— physically the way he hops all over that stage on one single foot while doing his ‘magic foot’ trick is just amazing. And then when he’s power-blasting his way through that number vocally, you’re just razzle-dazzled and blown away. Emery also nails the minutia of the character, particularly in that “weevil” slow-mo segment, and you just can’t help but laugh at all his craziness; it’s epic!

Uplifted— (verb; past tense) “to lift up; to elevate; to improve the spiritual, social, or intellectual condition of.” You will walk out of Compass Rose Theater’s production of The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee feeling completely uplifted by all of the joy, happiness, silliness, and amazement they’re pouring out of their hearts and into this show. U-P-L-I-F-T-E-D. It doesn’t take a genius to know that you need to get tickets for this production; it truly is the balm we all need in this dark and difficult world right now. It’s just the best of the best when it comes to feel-good-theatre and it’s being done so perfectly with this cast at this theatre. Don’t miss it!

Running Time: Approximately 2 hours with one intermission

The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee plays through April 28^th 2024 with Compass Rose Theater live at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts— 801 Chase Street (third floor) in Annapolis, MD. Tickets are available for purchase by calling the box office at 410-980-6662 or in advance online.