At SFCM, spelling mistakes have never sounded so good.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee featured a quirky group of "tweens" competing for the crown of spelling champion while candidly disclosing (and singing) hilarious and touching stories from their home lives. One by one, they face the doom of the "ding" until one winner remained.

Student Syona Ayyankeril as host Rona Peretti.

"One of the things I loved was how much it challenged me as both a singer and an actor," said student Syona Ayyankeril, who played Rona Peretti, a former spelling champion who served as host. "I definitely felt a little intimidated at first, but it ended up being so much fun interacting with the audience and getting to incorporate some of my own jokes while also exploring a more contemporary Broadway vocal style." Ayyankeril is a Voice student of Catherine Cook.

Student JJ Trimble as Leaf Coneybear.

Student spellers like JJ Trimble, who played Leaf Coneybear, a naive but endearing tween—like most, if not all of the cast, had to bring humour into the story, on top of singing. "Trying to connect the physical and verbal comedy and characteristics was probably the hardest part of this process," Trimble, who is a student of Matthew Worth, said. "But it was an amazing show to be a part of, and the energy and participation of the audience made it a fun experience."

The cast performs in the Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall.

Participation of theatergoers included Ayyankeril (Rona Peretti) selecting "random" members to join as spellers on stage including SFCM's Provost Jonas Wright, Dean Ryan Brown, and Professional Development Chair Kristen Klehr. "What fun to be part of this perfectly executed, hilarious work," Wright said. "It was an honor to share the stage with our students, to witness their craft, artistry, and poise in real time. Bravo!"

Other audience members included Composition faculty member Jake Heggie, (who recently celebrated his first GRAMMY win for Best Opera Recording). "I was blown away by the explosive talent and teamwork that went into SFCM's wonderful, hilarious production," Heggie said. "Top-notch singing and acting from these incredibly gifted students who are primed and ready to take the world by storm!"

Student Seth Hanson (center) performs as speller Chip Tolentino.

Musical Theatre productions at SFCM provide ensemble experience to singers with an emphasis on American musical theatre. Each year, SFCM Opera and Musical Theatre produces four fully staged opera and musical theatre productions with full or chamber orchestra. Recent performances include She Loves Me, Candide, and Little Women. This production was directed by faculty member Michael Mohammed.

The sold-out performances also showcased upgraded projection technology in Hume Concert Hall. "Every aspect of it was done at the highest professional level: sets, costumes, the band, the choreography and direction," Heggie added. "What a total delight to be there!"

Projection technology used in Hume Hall.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee premiered on Broadway in 2005 and has remained a crowd-pleaser and fan favorite ever since. The cast began rehearsals in October. "I think having all of this time helped our cast bond and feel comfortable enough to try out silly character choices," said Katie Ivie, who played standout Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre. "I was able to test my limits and explore what I thought was effective comedy, as well as balancing healthy singing as my character."

Student Katie Ivie performs as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre.

Ivie, who studies with Rhoslyn Jones, even delivered a comedic, socially relevant custom monologue exclusive to this production, to thunderous applause. "My colleague Caitlin Burns (Marcy) actually came up with the punchline at the end of my monologue: 'Do men always think they're right or something?'" Ivie added.

In SFCM's evolving vocal program, students appreciate the multi-genre approach. "I feel really grateful to be in a program where I can do something like Spelling Bee one month and then switch gears and perform an opera role in a foreign language the next month," Ayyankeril said. "Having that kind of variety, and feeling encouraged by the faculty to develop all those different skills, has helped me grow so much as a performer."

Future concerts include Opera and Musical Theatre's Cendrillon on Friday, March 13th, and Saturday, March 14th, as well as Historical Performance's Alcina on Saturday, April 18th, and Sunday, April 19th,  and the Season Finale Opera Showcase Thursday, May 7th and Friday, May 8th. 

Learn more about studying Opera and Musical Theatre at SFCM.