On the Stage: Paper Mill Playhouse's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee-A Very, Very, Very, Very Good Time

The Cast of ...Spelling Bee     Credit: Mark Garvin

Every once in a while I do get to the theater. When I do and if I have something to say on that show expect me to do a blog post about it. Today I saw Paper Mill's latest show and enjoyed it immensely. More thoughts on the show after the jump.

First off I'd like to say how much I like the show itself. It's a very fun show that has great music that's very catchy. There's no chance a person will walk out of the theater without having some sort of song stuck in their head. The show really draws you in with great characters and catchy music.

Part of what draws you into any show is a great cast and this show is no exception. The cast is a group of talented charming young actors who did a great job in their respective roles.  Ephie Aardema makes a great Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre. She is very talented and makes what can be annoying if played wrong, very funny. Will Blum plays William Barfee very well. He makes the magic foot interesting. Lyle Colby Mackston plays Leif Coneybear with ease. Olivia Oguma makes a good Marci Park. She made an annoying character less annoying and you can tell she was having fun. Brandon Yanez is good as Chip Tolentino. He plays the most cartoon role in the show really well. (*) Marla Mindelle, while annoying at times makes a great Rona. She made up random, funny quips at audience spellers with ease. David Volin does a good job as VP Douglas Panch. He didn't add much to the role but he was funny. Jarold E. Soloman was very, very funny as Mitch Mahoney. He also has a fantastic voice that really makes the songs sound good.

* Plus he gave me free Peanut M&Ms in the beginning of the second act. That made moving up for the second act worth it.

I'd like to give a special praise to Ali Stroker as Olive Ostrovsky. She is a great actress and I'm glad to see her onstage. She played the best role in the show very well and I really enjoyed watching her perform. She's working around a lot with being in a wheelchair and it's great to see her out there and performing. She is very talented and was fantastic in her role.

On the design, the lighting was nothing special. The sets were simple yet effective and the costumes worked for the characters.

I'd definitely recommend seeing this show when you get the chance. It's a great production of a great show. (Exactly what I've come to expect from Paper Mill Playhouse).

...Spelling Bee runs through February 13th at the Paper Mill Playhouse. Go to www.papermill.org for more information and to buy tickets.