The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a one-act musical comedy about a spelling competition. The competition is held in a middle school, six students are very strong competitors with different styles. This musical is hilarious but also heartwarming because some emotional parts of the competition.Before watching this musical, the characters interest me a lot.

There are three “teacher” in the competition. Rona Lisa Peretti, who was a former Spelling Bee champion herself. She loves children very much, especially the moment before the competition, when everyone is full of joy. Vice Principal Douglas Panch is a returning judge after his absence for five years. He likes Rona, but she does not return his affections. This part of setting attracts my attention, because it shows me that this musical does not only focus on the Spelling bee competition,but also on the relationships between the characters. It makes the whole story more catching and interesting. Mitch Mahoney is a Comfort Counsellor who hands out juice box to losing students.

Besides the teachers, the competitors are all from different background with distinctive characteristics. Olive Ostrovsky is a newcomer. Her mother always works very late; one of her best friends—dictionary helps her to be competitive in the Spelling bee. William Morris Barfee was a Spelling Bee finalist last year. However, he eliminated because of an allergic reaction to peanuts. Logainne is the youngest among all the students, but she often makes comments about some political figures. Marcy Park is almost a “perfect” girl. She speaks six languages and plays some instruments. Now, she is even tired of wining. Leaf Coneybear is a boy comes from a large family, who is easily distracted. Charlito was the champion of the Twenty fourth Spelling bee, and he returns to defend his title.

Unlike most of the musicals and plays, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee also has interaction with the audiences. It could stimulate an active atmosphere and shorten the distance between audiences and the actors. I am looking forward to watch this special musical!