The annual competition will take place at Circle in the Square Theatre. Ninety-six contestants from New York City public and private elementary schools will battle — as the show's characters do — hoping to move on to the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

The winner of the spelling bee will not only receive a trophy and the title, but win the chance to make their Broadway debut on stage as one of the musical's contestants at an upcoming performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee pits 10 contestants (six actors, four audience members) against each other in a battle for the championship of the local spelling competition.

The spellbinding new musical directed by James Lapine (Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods) and created by composer-lyricist William Finn, librettist Rachel Sheinkin and conceiver Rebecca Feldman.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee 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 for the top prize of Best Musical. Fogler and book writer Sheinkin took home awards for their work. The new musical currently enjoys a San Francisco run at The Post Street Theatre and will play an open-ended sit-down run at Chicago's Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place (starting March 28). A run at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre precedes the show's national tour which starts in Baltimore.

For more information on the musical, visit www.spellingbeethemusical.com.