"If you're feeling pretty and witty and gay," states an announcement for the special show, "the students of Putnam County are sure to show you the definition of F-U-N at Gay Night." No one under the age 16 will be admitted to either the previously announced "Adults Only" (March 4) and "Gay Night" performances "due to mature material and politically incorrect humor."
Directed by James Lapine (Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods) and created by William Finn, Rachel Sheinkin and Rebecca Feldman, Bee plays the Circle in the Square Theatre.
Spelling Bee was based on C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E, an original play created by Feldman and the comedy troupe The Farm. Composer-lyricist Finn provides the score to the musical incarnation with a book by librettist Sheinkin.
Original cast members Derrick Baskin, Deborah S. Craig, Lisa Howard, Jose Llana and Sarah Saltzberg are now joined by Jared Gertner, Barrett Foa, Greg Stuhr and Jessica Snow Wilson in the current cast.
The musical earned six Tony Award nominations, including Best Score, Best Book, Best Direction, Best Featured Actor (Dan Fogler) and Featured Actress (Celia Keenan Bolger) as well as a nomination for the top prize of Best Musical. Fogler and book writer Sheinkin took home awards for their work. Spelling Bee, in its second year on the Broadway boards, has already played stints in San Francisco, Boston and Atlanta and currently enjoys an open-ended run at Chicago's Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place as well as a national tour.
For more information on the musical, visit www.spellingbeethemusical.com.