Spelling Bee brilliantly executed
The word you have been given is ‘Prodigious’. It ’s an adjective, and the definition is extraordinary in size, wonderful, or marvellous. The sentence you have been given is “E.L Crossley’s performance of The 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was prodigious.”
For a school that hasn’t performed a show in their own building in over 25 years, this show was brilliantly executed, and really showed off Crossley’s talent. Including elements such as improv, and having members of the audience involved as additional spellers really gave the show a light and fun atmosphere.
All six of our quirky spellers had very distinct attributes that made them unique. Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (played by Jillian Lambert) had a lisp that was very consistent throughout the production, including during songs. Leaf Coneybear (Koldin Collie) was able to keep the audience laughing with sudden gestures, and overall personality. Overall, the entire cast did a superb job at staying in character, as well as while they were in tableaux.
The Bee couldn’t run without “the grown-ups”. The duo of officiates (Mariah Etten as Rona Lisa Peretti and Matthew Beard as Douglas Panch ) were great at staying in character, like the spellers. Not only that, but they were able to deliver phenomenal one-liners that resonated with the audience throughout the performance. All the charac- ters, in addition to spellers, were welcoming to the four audience members that joined them on stage. Most people would not react as professionally as this cast did, but they all handled every situation they were given tremendously with great maturity for people playing students in middle school.
The music in the show was sensational and was incredibly rehearsed. “The I Love You Song” performed by Olive Ostrovsky ( played by Max Casson) and her parents (Jillian Lambert as her mother, and Ben Combe as her father) was beautiful and excellently executed, giving everyone in the audience chills. Songs like “Pandemonium” and “Chip’s Lament” were what brought the energy to the show and were over the top in an impeccable way.
The lighting by Cory Beckett and sound by Noah Rastegar and Brian Wright were immaculate and kept the production on its feet. Even though this was the first show done in E.L Crossley’s gym in over 20 years, these students were able to handle the new lighting and sound astonishingly with very few hiccups. Balancing volumes between an orchestra and vocals in a gymnasium is tough work, but they tackled the task with great professionalism.
Overall, E. L Crossley had a great come back show in their community, with hilarious songs, and brilliant one-liners leaving the audience always wanting more.