About

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a hilarious tale of overachievers' angst chronicling the experience of six adolescent outsiders vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. The show's Tony Award winning creative team has created the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky yet charming cast of misfits for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time.

"An utterly charming look at one of the screwier manifestations of the American Dream."
- TIME magazine

"Spelling Bee is a winning experience for everyone." - USA Today

Schedule

SUN	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT
JUNE 2014			11 7:30pm (Preview)	12 7:30pm (Preview)	13 8:00pm (Opening Nite)	14 8:00pm
15 2:00pm Talk Back with the cast	16	17	18 7:30pm	19 7:30pm	20 8:00pm	21 8:00pm Open Mic after the show
22 2:00pm Talk Back with the cast	23	24	25 7:30pm	26 7:30pm	27 8:00pm	28 8:00pm
29 2:00pm Talk Back with the cast	30	JULY 1	2 7:30pm	3 7:30pm	4 No show	5 8:00pm
6 2:00pm Talk Back with the cast	7	8	9 7:30pm	10 7:30pm	11 8:00pm	12 8:00pm Open Mic after the show
13 2:00pm Talk Back with the cast	14	15	16 7:30pm	17 7:30pm	18 8:00pm	19 8:00pm
20 2:00pm Talk Back with the cast	21	22	23 7:30pm	24 7:30pm	25 8:00pm	26 8:00pm
27 2:00pm Talk Back with the cast

Artists

KEVIN BARLOWSKI (Leaf Coneybear) Playhouse on Park: Bobby/Emcee u/s (CABARET); MC (THE CLOWNS); Man 2 (SWINGING ON A STAR); Emcee (MAMA D's OUTRAGEOUS ROMP); Peter (COMPANY); Linus (YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN). Kevin has also directed and music directed A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD; THE MAIN STREET KIDS CLUB; MISS NELSON IS MISSING; ALL I REALLY NEED…KINDERGARTEN and BUNNICULA at Playhouse. Education: B.A. Theatre Education from Emerson College and Musical Theatre Certificate from Circle in the Square Theatre School. Kevin is a Theatre Arts instructor at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. Lots of L-O-V-E and T-H-A-N-K-S to Susan, Bobby and Mono!

HILLARY EKWALL (Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere) is e-c-s-t-a-t-i-c to be back performing at Playhouse on Park. Previous Playhouse credits: Jenny (COMPANY), Sally (CHARLIE BROWN), Woman 1 (SWINGING ON A STAR), GO DOG, GO!, I THINK I CAN, multiple productions with resident STOP/TIME DANCE THEATRE. Other selected credits: New York: Angelina (ANGELINA BALLERINA HOLIDAY), National Tours: Curious George (CURIOUS GEORGE LIVE!), Ramona (RAMONA QUIMBY), Regional: Kathy Seldon (SINGIN' IN THE RAIN), Anytime Annie (42ND STREET). Endless thanks to Susan and POP for the opportunity to "spell" in a dream show of mine and to my friends and family for their continuous support, encouragement and love. www.hillaryekwall.com

EMILY KRON (Rona Peretti) Playhouse on Park: Frenchie/Chanteuse (CABARET). New York: Atlantic Theater: THE EUROPEANS (American Premiere); Primary Stages: RED LIGHT WINTER; Robert Moss Theater: BRENDA; Cherry Lane Theater: SWEET TOOTH; Exit, Pursued By A Bear: THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES; LaMaMa: LOVE IN A TUB; NYTW: GARDENPLAYS. Regional: Williamstown Theater Festival: TROUBLE TALES, MORPHEUS QUARTET; Westchester SB Theater: THE LAST FIVE YEARS. TV/Film: Gossip Girl; Game Lands; It Starts With Your Breath. Emily has also performed in several live concerts and her own cabaret (entitled EMILY KRON: CANVAS) at 54 Below, The Metropolitan Room, Ars Nova and the Highline Ballroom. Emily has a BA from Middlebury College and hails from NYC. Emilykron.com

STEVEN MOONEY (William Barfee) Playhouse on Park: YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN (Charlie Brown), BUNNICULA (Harold) National Tour: THE ADDAMS FAMILY (Caveman, u/s Uncle Fester) FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (Mendel) New York: i don <3 u ne mor (FringeNYC), AN AMERICA TRAGEDY (York Theatre) Regional: SPELLING BEE (Strauss Theatre, Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre) SHREK (Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre) FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY, ASSASSINS, RAGTIME, KISS ME, KATE!, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS. Marymount Manhattan College. www.Stevenmooney.com, Twitter/Instagram: @ManontheSmoonz. "Love to my people who make it happen…enjoy!"

MAYA NAFF (Marcy Parks) Playhouse on Park debut. Maya is a recent transfer from New York City and is enjoying her time in Hartford County very much. A veteran nomad as well as speller, she has also lived and performed in Shelby County, TN: Kim (MISS SAIGON), Christmas Eve (AVENUE Q); Wake County, NC: (AVENUE Q); Milwaukee County, WI: (AVENUE Q); Charleston County, SC: (AVENUE Q); Lancaster County, NE: Julia (TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA); Manhattan County, NY: (SCHEME OF THE SUPER BULLIES). Lots of love to her family, who have always encouraged her to dream hard and fail big, but who, inexplicably, taught her only one and a half languages. For Nick.

JOEL NEWSOME* (Vice Principal Panch) Playhouse on Park Debut! Joel was seen on Broadway in the Tony Winning revival of 42ND STREET, as well as the Mel Brooks Musical THE PRODUCERS. His National Tour credits include the role of Leo Bloom in THE PRODUCERS. He toured for three years with the Elton John musical, BILLY ELLIOT covering the role of George. Off Broadway he was seen in the Jewish Repertory's revival of KUNI-LEML. He was a part of the original workshop of Jonathan Larson's RENT at New York Theatre Workshop. Joel played the role of Bob Hope in Florida Stage's World premiere of CAGNEY!, A musical based on the life of the late James Cagney. Other regional: Goodspeed Opera House, Arizona Theatre Co., Florida Stage, Florida Studio Theatre, NC Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, Houston's TUTS, Caldwell Theatre Co. Joel is a Graduate of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music and is a proud member of Actors Equity Association.

NORMAN PAYNE* (Mitch Mahoney) Playhouse on Park Debut! Weston Playhouse: Ensemble (RENT); Liberty Theatre: Flick (VIOLET); Piper Theatre: Schroeder (YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN); Galveston Island Musicals : Bert (42ND STREET). Norman is beyond thrilled to be working under the direction of the amazing Susan Haefner once again. He received his BFA in Musical Theatre at Pace University NYC campus. Norman wishes to thank Playhouse on Park for this opportunity, his amazing bootsies nationwide, and his family.



NATALIE SANNES (Olive Ostrovsky) Playhouse on Park debut! Ozark Actors Theatre: Wendy (PETER PAN), Sophia (FOOLS), Little Red (INTO THE WOODS); Stray Dog Theatre: Anna (SPRING AWAKENING); Kirkwood Theatre: Annie Oakley (ANNIE GET YOUR GUN); Repertory Theatre of St. Louis: Ensemble (THE FOREIGNER); The Muny: Ensemble (THE SOUND OF MUSIC, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF). Natalie would like to thank her Mom for her endless love and support, and Playhouse on Park for this opportunity. www.nataliesannes.com; @natsannes


SCOTT SCAFFIDI (Chip Tolentino) Playhouse on Park: Man 1 (SWINGIN' ON A STAR), Man (SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM), Ensemble (ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN). Other roles include: Geva Theater Center: Ensemble (A CHORUS LINE), Peter (A CHRISTMAS CAROL). The Secret Theater: John (JOHN AND JEN). Ivoryton Playhouse: Gabe (BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO). Cohoes Music Hall: Sparky (FOREVER PLAID and PLAID TIDINGS). Scott also directed a production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show here in West Hartford. He is thrilled to come back to one of his favorite theaters to perform. Thanks to his family, friends, Sue, Sean, Tracy, and Darlene!

SUSAN HAEFNER (Director/Choreographer) Playhouse on Park debut. Director/Choreographer credits: STUART LITTLE (Weston Playhouse), FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (Geva Theatre/SUNY Brockport) and YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (Castleton State College). Susan has directed/produced numerous productions for her company, Living Room Arts, presenting performing arts in intimate spaces. She is also a Broadway actor (THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, 42nd STREET, BILLY ELLIOT 1st National Tour) and an actor/teaching artist at Weston Playhouse in Vermont. www.susanhaefner.com

*Appears through the courtesy of Actor's Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.