THEATER REVIEW

On its delightfully funny surface, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," is about the competition between six Putnam County spellers vying to win and go on to the national spelling bee.

But at it's charmingly poignant core, the show is about a bunch of misfits trying to grow up and find their places in what they already know can be a cruel world.

The show, which opened Thursday night at the Ephrata Performing Arts Center, is a modest affair set in a school gymnasium. It runs about 90 minutes with no intermission. There are no complex plots or grandiose numbers.

But it's those modest shows that often have the most heart, and this show is overflowing with it.

Not the sappy sentimental kind, but the edgy kind that feels succinctly real while being outrageously funny.

I haven't laughed this hard at a show in a long, long time.

We meet the junior high contestants, including: William Barfee (Bob Breen) who has sinus conditions, a severe peanut allergy and a magic foot that spells out the words for him, thus allowing him to avoid eye contact with everyone.

The lonely Olive Ostrovsky (Danielle Marsh), declares the dictionary to be her best — and possibly only — friend, though William might become one.

There's the earnest and lisping Logainne Schwartzandgrubenieere (Marisa Hoover), whose two fathers (Bobby Checchia and Matthew Rush) push her to be a winner at all costs.

Marcy Park (Tanya Roman) is a calm, cool overachiever who speaks six languages and comes to realize that losing is kind of fun.

Chip Tolentino (Caleb Seip) is last year's champ whose raging hormones destroy his concentration.

And Leaf Coneybear (Checchia in a quick and effective character transformation) has attention deficit disorder and has been told he's stupid so often he believes it, even though he can get into the zone and spell with the best of them.

Then there are the adults, who are misfits themselves.

Rhona Perretti (Kathy Robb) is a former champion who still obsesses about the bee and gives color commentary.

Mitch Mahoney (Rush, also in a quick and effective character transformation) is on parole and his community service is being the comfort counselor for the kids who spell a word incorrectly, offering a hug and a juice box before he kicks them out.

And then there's Vice Principal Panch (Jeff Marsh), who doesn't want to be there, but is running the bee.

His cynical attitude is never overdone, but whenever he uses a word in a sentence for the kids, it's totally inappropriate and unbelievably funny.

The humor in the show is slightly risqué, but generally kind of sweet.

Adding to the fun are the four spellers chosen from the audience, who are contestants in the bee and get to stay until they misspell a word.

The improvisational origins of the show are never far from the surface and that's a big part of its charm.

Director R. Matthew Good has brought together a wonderful cast and made them all hum. There isn't a weak link in the bunch.

Breen shines the brightest as William, who confidently answers "I know," after he's told he spelled a word correctly, but knows a lot of people don't like him.

And Jeff Marsh's timing is impeccable as he reads those inappropriate sentences or responds to a kid's question.

The music is pretty forgettable, though I will remember Danielle Marsh's beautifully sad "The I Love You Song," and Rush's knockout voice on "Prayer of the Comfort Counselor."

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is so joyfully funny and silly, it will make you forget your cares and woes.

But at the same time, it will remind you that being a junior high kid is a rough time in life, and being a nerd, which all of these kids (and adults) really are, makes it even harder.

That combination makes for a wonderful show.

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" runs through Saturday at the Ephrata Performing Arts Center.

jholahan@lnpnews.com