St. Charles North High School to stage ‘25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’

ST. CHARLES – St. Charles North High School will present the Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at 7:30 p.m. April 20 to 22, and 2 p.m. April 23.

Conceived by Rebecca Feldman, with additional materials by Jay Reiss, music and lyrics by William Finn, and book by Rachel Sheinkin, it is a fast-paced comedic musical with audience participation, a news release stated.

The musical tells the story of six quirky teens competing in the ultimate spelling championship. The eclectic spellers share their personal struggles and hopes as they compete – until they hear the dreaded ding that indicates their failure. Only one will win the championship.

The production has over 40 students involved – from the cast on stage to the tech backstage and musicians in the orchestra. The show is known for its improvisational comedy, with numbers such as “Pandemonium,” “Chip’s Lament” and “Why We Like Spelling.”

Tickets cost $5 for children/students and $10 for adults. They can be purchased online at north.d303.org or at the box office one hour before the production at 255 Red Gate Road in St. Charles.

Cast

Carl Dad: Michaela Olson

Chip Tolentino: Jonah Zimmermann

Dan Dad: River Jones

Douglas Panch: Atticus Pixton

Jesus Christ: Jonah Zimmermann

Leaf Coneybear: Maine Triplett

Logainne Schwartzandgrunenierre (Schwartzy): Aubrey Risch

Marcy Park: Natalie Van Dorpe

Mitch Mahoney: Lincoln Pixton

Olive Ostrovsky: Reagan Jorgenson

Olive’s Dad: Maine Triplett

Olive’s Mom: Sophia Vallejera

Rona Lisa Peretti: Alex Kosson

William Barfée: Brendan Losurdo

Ensemble members are Arabella Carlson, Kalea Edgar, Sophia Halick, Abby Potts, Laney Schaefer and Holly Stone.

Orchestra

Flute: Julia Oabel; Clarinet: Leslie Lainio; Alto Sax: Sloane Klein; Cello: Ella Niehus; Drums: Chris Majure; Percussion: Matthew Toniolo; Piano: Emily Krasinski; Synthesizer: Gretchen Martin

Production crew

Directors: Bill Sherry and Konnie Kay Sherry

Directors’ Assistants: Maya Cassell, Everette Alhambra

Choreographer: Konnie Kay Sherry

Vocal Director: Michael Molloy

Technical Director: Joe Pietrie

Orchestra Director: Andy Masters

Production Assistant: Ryan Colton

Stage Manager: Julia Merritt

Student Tech Directors: Simrin Chavez, Brady Rosales

Prop Masters: Nathan Lomnicky, Claire Raue, Sophie Reck

Lighting Designers: Sophia Kummer, Brian Zuckerman

Sound Designer: Charles Talbot

Costume Designers: Gabriel Adriatico, Kassie Kashin

Running crew

Stage Manager: Julia Merritt

Backstage Left Manager: Logan Barnum

Backstage Right Manager: Simrin Chavez

House Manager: Cory O’Rourke

Running Crew: Ethan Cozzi, Claire Raue

Costumes: Gabriel Adriatico, Milena Kessler

Lighting Board Operator: Charles Talbot

Spotlight Operators: Sophia Kummer, Izzy Tanig

Sound Board Operators: Brady Rosales, Brian Zuckerman