Saturday, 3 November 2007 03:23 pm
(no subject)
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deckardcanineDespite my agreement to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with my family, I was not enthused. In fact, I completely forgot it was scheduled for last night until I spoke to Mom a couple hours before leaving work for the day. As a result, I had forgotten to bring my glasses (which I really should take to work anyway) and wound up borrowing my mom's spare glasses. They were adequate for me, tho I'd never worn bifocals before.
Why was I so doubtful that I would enjoy the production? After all, I like spelling bees and most plays, including musicals. Maybe I was still disenchanted from having seen a few non-Arena bummers like Pippin, Batboy, and Urinetown. Something about the cumbersome title suggested that it was going to be excessively corny, sarcastic, mean-spirited, or all of the above. The fact that it was rather new and hadn't stood the test of time yet didn't help.
Well, it is corny, but in a good way. The audience, myself included, applauded on many occasions even other than the ends of songs. (There are no intermissions or real scene changes in the play, unless you count brief flashbacks and fantasies that leave most of the stage as it is.) The best humor generally comes from the example sentences for the spelling words.
As for sarcasm and meanness, there certainly are some major caricatures, and not just among the contestants. "Comfort man" Mr. Mahoney has a bigger part than I anticipated. But unfair as it is to keep giving the lisper words like "strabismus" or mispronouncing the French-based surname Barfee, the play does take a few turns for the sweet and poignant. Things turn out mostly good. Even the conversation with Jesus up in the balcony is remarkably respectful -- to both believers and nonbelievers.
If you've heard about the play before, you've probably heard about the aspect that most stands out: selected audience members among the participants. In the minutes before the show starts, those who wish can apply for the role, and early on, four names will be called to fill the empty space on the bleachers. They clearly select a healthy variety from among the applicants they consider more interesting. (I considered applying, but I don't present much character in RL.) When one of the selected has a turn at the mike, he or she gets an appropriate introductory line, such as, "Peter is the first boy in his class to turn grey." These people must have been coached to ask for a definition and sentence, because they all did. Some of the words are designed to be easy, but ultimately they all get out and receive a hug and a juice box from Mr. Mahoney. The main times it must have felt awkward to be on stage were the song and dance numbers, when they were the only ones who didn't know what to do.
In this performance, the last remaining participant from the audience, who looked the right age for an actual spelling bee contestant, happened to spell "catterjunes" correctly. The pronouncers cracked up, and the audience applauded heavily. But he had his next turn right away, this time with a seven-syllable word for which they refused to give a sentence. He was dinged right after he started.
If I have one complaint, it's that the production is not quite family friendly. It would be if not for one character's lust-related incident and follow-up song, which was partly suggestive and partly explicit. My next complaint would be the venue's lack of an incline. A little girl behind me told her parents she couldn't see, and I myself was struggling with a slightly tall man in front of me.
But I was glad to end the week this way, even at the expense of NaNoWriMo time for the night. I wouldn't be surprised if this played for years like Sheer Madness. They'd keep it fresh by changing the handful of period-specific comments.
Why was I so doubtful that I would enjoy the production? After all, I like spelling bees and most plays, including musicals. Maybe I was still disenchanted from having seen a few non-Arena bummers like Pippin, Batboy, and Urinetown. Something about the cumbersome title suggested that it was going to be excessively corny, sarcastic, mean-spirited, or all of the above. The fact that it was rather new and hadn't stood the test of time yet didn't help.
Well, it is corny, but in a good way. The audience, myself included, applauded on many occasions even other than the ends of songs. (There are no intermissions or real scene changes in the play, unless you count brief flashbacks and fantasies that leave most of the stage as it is.) The best humor generally comes from the example sentences for the spelling words.
As for sarcasm and meanness, there certainly are some major caricatures, and not just among the contestants. "Comfort man" Mr. Mahoney has a bigger part than I anticipated. But unfair as it is to keep giving the lisper words like "strabismus" or mispronouncing the French-based surname Barfee, the play does take a few turns for the sweet and poignant. Things turn out mostly good. Even the conversation with Jesus up in the balcony is remarkably respectful -- to both believers and nonbelievers.
If you've heard about the play before, you've probably heard about the aspect that most stands out: selected audience members among the participants. In the minutes before the show starts, those who wish can apply for the role, and early on, four names will be called to fill the empty space on the bleachers. They clearly select a healthy variety from among the applicants they consider more interesting. (I considered applying, but I don't present much character in RL.) When one of the selected has a turn at the mike, he or she gets an appropriate introductory line, such as, "Peter is the first boy in his class to turn grey." These people must have been coached to ask for a definition and sentence, because they all did. Some of the words are designed to be easy, but ultimately they all get out and receive a hug and a juice box from Mr. Mahoney. The main times it must have felt awkward to be on stage were the song and dance numbers, when they were the only ones who didn't know what to do.
In this performance, the last remaining participant from the audience, who looked the right age for an actual spelling bee contestant, happened to spell "catterjunes" correctly. The pronouncers cracked up, and the audience applauded heavily. But he had his next turn right away, this time with a seven-syllable word for which they refused to give a sentence. He was dinged right after he started.
If I have one complaint, it's that the production is not quite family friendly. It would be if not for one character's lust-related incident and follow-up song, which was partly suggestive and partly explicit. My next complaint would be the venue's lack of an incline. A little girl behind me told her parents she couldn't see, and I myself was struggling with a slightly tall man in front of me.
But I was glad to end the week this way, even at the expense of NaNoWriMo time for the night. I wouldn't be surprised if this played for years like Sheer Madness. They'd keep it fresh by changing the handful of period-specific comments.