Judy Russell spells H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S this Spring with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Get out your dictionaries! The Tony® Award winning musical comedy, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - one of Broadway's most buzzed about hits - is in attendance at the Prince George Playhouse May 20-22 and May 25-29, 2010.

Produced, choreographed and directed by Judy Russell, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a hip musical comedy which follows six young people in the throes of puberty, who are overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, as they learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. With its enormously appealing cast of lovable misfits, nerds, neurotics (and no jocks), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee hilariously captures the angst, exhilaration, and heartache that makes growing up so painful and so wonderful.

While better known for lavish ballet and traditional musical theatre productions, Russell has also successfully engaged audiences' funny bone though productions such as Nunsense and Nunsense II, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Oklahoma!, and Chicago, and through hundreds of dance festival variety numbers. "It's really great to take on another comedy. The show has an amazing score and and a script that combines the best elements of shows like Nunsense and Glee," says Judy Russell, "and this is a funny, funny musical with a really terrific, talented cast."

There's lots of opportunity for audience participation at each performance of the Bee, making each performance unique. "Who knows what's going to happen?" continues Russell. "New improv opportunities each night will keep the cast on their toes, that's for sure. That's the beauty of live theatre, and why we do it."

And don't let the benign idea of a high school spelling bee fool you; with enough racy material to make Carol Burnett blush.

The cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee stars Sufey Chen (Marcy Park), Dean Ozen (Chip Tolentino), Shelby Meaney (Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre), Katie Mills (Olive Ostrovsky), Curtis Abriel (Mitch Mahoney and Musical Director), Adam Harasimiuk (Leaf Coneybear), Dwight Scott Wolfe (Vice-Principal Douglas Panch), Wil Fundal (William Barfee), and Catherine Hansen-McCarthy (Rona Lisa Perretti).

Tickets for Judy Russell's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee go on sale at Studio 2880 on Saturday, April 24. Tickets are $28.00 for adults, $22.50 for students and seniors plus GST. As a special offer for the opening weekend performances (Thursday, May 20, Friday, May 21 and Saturday, May 22), everyone is a "student" at the Spelling Bee and all seats are just $22.50.