A live theater nonprofit organization founded by two local women is readying for its next widely anticipated production at New Canaan Library.
The Connecticut Stage Company is running “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at 7 p.m. on Saturday April 5 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 6.
From the CT Stage Company’s production of “Little Women”
Founded by Kate Simone and Lorah Haskins, the CT Stage Company has already put on well-known shows in “Into the Woods,” “Little Women” and, most recently, “Hair.” They chose “Spelling Bee” this time “to introduce our community to one of our favorites that they may not have seen before,” according to Simone.
“Spelling Bee also brings a bit of levity to our stage, after having three shows that dug deep and pulled at our heartstrings,” Simone said in an email. “This show is pure joy and comedic genius. And where better to do a show about a spelling bee than in a library?”
Rehearsals for the CT Stage Company’s production of “Hair”
Recommended for ages 12 and up, the show follows an eclectic group of six mid-pubescents as they vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime.
True to its mission, the CT Stage Company production features stars of the stage, including the current lead in “The Book of Mormon” on Broadway.
Haskins said she and Simone “can’t believe how lucky we are that they are coming up from the city to share their talents with us.”
From the CT Stage Company’s production of “Little Women”
“All of the actors in Spelling Bee are professional actors; six of them have Broadway credits,” Haskins said in an email. “Their calibre is unmatched, which our audiences will get to see up close on the library stage, closer than they’d ever be in a Broadway theatre. Our proximity to the city makes it very easy for these talented folks to take a week away to come do one of our shows.”
That talent includes Kevin Clay (who had played Claude in CSC’s production of “Hair”), the lead in “The Book of Mormon”; Jacob Keith Watson, who has been in six Broadway productions; and Sadie Seelert, who grew up in New Canaan and has been a Broadway performer since she was 9.
“Getting her back on our stage is a dream,” Haskins said. “We even have a Broadway performer who is a local mom, Corinne C. Broadbent, joining us for Spelling Bee.”
One hour prior to each performance, New Canaan’s Claire Ayoub—writer and director of the film “Empire Waist”—will host a contest in which ticket holders may enter their name for the chance to be a guest speller onstage with the cast. (Local “celebrities” already slated to be guest spellers include New Canaan First Selectman Dionna Carlson, New Canaan native and Broadway influencer Katie Oxman and this reporter.)
More information about “Spelling Bee,” and tickets, can be found here. (Note: Premium seating is already sold out for Sunday’s performance.)