The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

This musical comedy brings a fictional spelling bee to life with a cast of quirky adult actors portraying six eccentric adolescents. The show invites four real audience members on stage to compete alongside the cast, while the official pronouncer supplies absurd usage sentences on request.

Developed from an improvisational play, the musical features songs by William Finn and a book by Rachel Sheinkin. The production has become one of the most frequently staged musicals in American regional and school theatre, with international productions in Australia, South Korea, Germany, the UK, Mexico, and the Philippines.

Some performances are presented as adults-only "Parent-Teacher Conferences," adding profanity and sexual references drawn from the cast's rehearsal ad-libs. The show's Broadway cast recording was nominated for a Grammy Award, and a 20th-anniversary off-Broadway revival opened in November 2025.