"Words don't do justice to this witty, zany Bee…a hyperactive volley of funny songs, zany physical comedy and an endless parade of laugh-out-loud one-liners" —Peter Birnie, The Vancouver Sun [Read More]

"So excellent that you’ll leave the theatre knowing what excellence is…everybody in the cast rocks" —Colin Thomas, The Georgia Straight [Read More]

"This is the feel-good show of the summer, another sure hit for theatrical magician Bill Millerd" —Jerry Wasserman, Vancouverplays [Read More]

"The laughs seldom stop…pitch-perfect summer fare" —Andrea Warner, Westender [Read More]

"A hilarious trip back to a-d-o-l-e-s-c-e-n-c-e" —Mark Robins, Gay Vancouver [Read More]

"Word nerds of the world, r-e-j-o-i-c-e and s-i-n-g… moments of hilarity and moments of poignancy, and the infectious score keeps toes tapping and audience members humming" —Julie MacLellan, Burnaby Now [Read More]

"The lively humour of The Spelling Bee is both original and intelligent, designed to create more buzz in the arts community than a stadium-full of vuvuzela horns does for the soccer community" —John Jane, Review Vancouver [Read More]

"A little gem of a musical charming, entertaining and a whole lot of fun" —Gillian Lockitch, Review from the House

"There just aren’t enough words of praise for Spelling Bee" —Baila Lazarus, The Jewish Independent [Read More]

"How do you spell comic relief?" —Vancouver Sun preview [Read More]

"No joshing, he’s a very busy bee" —Province interview with Josh Epstein [Read More]

Straight Choice [Read More]

"Irresistible, riotously funny and remarkably ingenious—gold stars all around" —The New York Times

"A super-smart show that is also a bona fide crowd pleaser"—Wall Street Journal

"Funniest thing on seven consonants"—The Washington Post

"It’s spelled W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L"—Wall Street Journal

"William Finn and Rachel Sheinken’s winsome and winning new musical is so generously warm-hearted, only the most bitter misanthrope could resist its charms"—Variety

"Spelling Bee is a winning experience for everyone"—USA Today

Audience Comments

"It was my first time for seeing this show. What a delightful surprise! Not a weak performance, everyone was exceedingly good. In every production though, there is one that stands out. Tracy Neff is just so incredible. The sky is the limit for this young lady. Great direction, set and lighting. All the best!"
—Tim

"Even my 14 year old son loved it. He "hates musicals" as a rule. My 10 year old twins laughed throughout and my half deaf mother-in-law could hear every word! It is the kind of show that should never close. Each character was so compelling. I looked up the play on youtube and found unimpressive videos of other productions. They do not do this show justice. Looking up the actors in this production on the web I found that each one has a long resume of very successful shows."
—Gregory, Vancouver

"It was a fun evening for our family and I loved the audience participation!"
—Lucinda

"Spelling Bee was FANTASTIC! It was funny. The cast was great. It was sweet having volunteers from the audience. I recommended the play to many people. It made the rainy weekend a sunny one!"
—Ava, Vancouver

"Highly entertaining!!! Enjoyed it immensely...very funny and well presented. I would recommend this play to anyone and will do so. It kept me laughing the whole time!! Well done."
—Janis, Port Moody

"Highly entertaining!!! Enjoyed it immensely...very funny and well presented. I would recommend this play to anyone and will do so. It kept me laughing the whole time!! Well done."
—Jacqueline, Victoria

"I may only be fourteen years old, but I've seen many shows, and I have to say that this one was by far the funniest! My mom and I attended the performance and we both laughed through almost the entire 2 hours. But not only was I impressed with the music and book, I also loved the Broadway look of the set and the phenomenal portrayal of the characters by the outstanding cast. I thoroughly enjoyed the choreography and the direction was just genius. Congratulations on an incredible performance!"
—Alina

"Loved the show, which we saw on Saturday, August 7th. I laughed myself silly, as well as enjoying the vocal harmony and terrific voices. Liked the "interactive" aspect of the show too, with four audience members inserted among the contestants. Wonderful cast!"
—Esmee, Burnaby

"The Arts Club/Belfry Theatre co-production more than fulfilled the great anticipation with which we waited to see it! The actors were all completely immersed in their characters and took great care of the audience members who participated in Act I. One of our group was selected and had a great time onstage, which only made a great experience even better for all of us. We laughed and even cried in places. What a great, uplifting evening of theatre! Bravo to all!"
—Valerie, Comox

"Fabulous, laugh out loud comedy! My husband and I do not get out to the theatre very often these days due to a young family, and we are so glad that we made an effort to see "The Bee." Go buy your tickets now - you will be glad you did!"
—Jennifer, West Vancouver

"You have again picked a perfect summer winner! The superb cast strikes the perfect note. This hilarious little gem will leave you smiling for days. A Mexican student we took said it was one of the highlights of her stay."
—Donia, Delta

"I really, really enjoyed watching The Spelling Bee... All the actors were f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c... There was never a dull moment all throughout the musical... Hope the Arts Club will produce more musicals like this... Just can't wait for Hairspray next season..."
—Anonymous

"What wonderful casting! It would be a travesty to see any other actors in those parts -- you were all SO good. And what terrific songs! The 3-piece band - phenomenal! The set -- like a real high school gym! All this and audience participation, too! I loved every minute and as soon as it ended, I wanted it to start again. Arts Club, you really rocked with this one. I wish I could buy the movie rights. Thanks for bringing it to us!"
—Sandi, Tofino

"Great production. We loved it!"
—Rita, West Vancouver

"What a charming play - full of comedic characters that have you feeling their angst as they struggle to spell during the "Bee". Not just students involved in a spelling bee, each person has a story of their own to tell as to why they are there...I loved it!"
—Linda, Vancouver

"What a great show. We really enjoyed ourselves. It was hilarious!"
—Doug, Maple Ridge

"Fabulous, very funny, great entertainment. Having members from the audience is an added bonus to the fun. I highly recommend it."
—Bev, Coquitlam

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was absolutely fantastic. The best musical I’ve seen so far this year! I'm thrilled that I got to be a "Guest Speller" - it was a dream come true to be a part of such a wonderful show, and it made my experience even more wonderful! The show is filled with great actors, great music, great comedy, and touching, heartwarming moments."
—Danielle, Coquitlam

"Outrageously funny!!! This one will for sure lift your spirits no matter what mood you're in. We loved it...and every character in it. Thanks for the great time!"
—Rick & Shelley, White Rock

"This was the most hilarious, fabulous show I have seen in a long time. All of the actors were engaging, and provided accurate portrayals of their characters, especially Josh Epstein, as William Barfee. What an incredible "magic foot"! Spelling Bee is a must see for all audiences! Great Job!"
—Robyn, Vancouver

"We loved this production! Great cast, very funny show."
—Jane, Sechelt

"A bright, amusing and thoroughly well presented summer production. The cast were uniformly excellent. Well done! I have already recommended the show to several friends."
—Dan, Vancouver

"Very, very cute! I loved it."
—Danielle, North Vancouver

"Save yourself the airfare to NYC. Spelling Bee is performed with the passion, humor and skill of an 'on-Broadway' production. I was thoroughly entertained!!"
—Terry, Langley

"It was amazing. Just the funniest thing I've seen all year. It was also wonderful to recognize some of the cast! Have told everyone I know to go see it even if you don't like musicals. The cast, set and band were wonderful!"
—Meghan, North Vancouver

"So many great productions this past year or so, starting with Les Mis, then Buddy, and now Spelling Bee. The cast was marvellous and the three audience volunteers got right into the flow also. Very entertaining, as I have come to expect from Arts Club musical comedies. Keep up the good work."
—Dennis, Abbotsford

"Did you steal my students and put them on stage? I felt like I knew most of them. Maybe they were a little odder than my crowd but I'm sure I've met them. Thanks for a wonderful evening!"
—E, North Vancouver

"I had read a couple of reviews of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" before seeing it last night - and I went in having very high expectations.
I absolutely loved it and it exceeded my expectations completely. The characters were great and audience participation was hilarious!! Everyone should see this!"
—Alison, Vancouver

"It was great fun. The production is very crisp and the actors "all" very accomplished and seemed to be having as much fun as the audience. A few friends have also attended as a result of my enthusiasm."
—Alvin

"I loved this show. I brought my daughters (ages 16 and 14) and they enjoyed it too. I had seen it in New York about 2 years ago. I was concerned that the jokes wouldn't translate but they customized it for a Vancouver and Canadian audience. I would definitely recommend it for anyone. What a lot of fun"
—Christine, Vancouver

"Absolutely brilliant! The best production I've seen in years. We laughed and laughed and laughed some more. Bravo, bravo to the cast for a dazzling production!"
—Wendy, Vancouver

"Very enjoyable and entertaining, high level of energy by the cast and by the audience "volunteers"."
—Keith, Cranbrook

"I thought the show was great! Quick witted and fast paced - I have already started spreading the word. I saw the show on Broadway a few years ago and I was looking forward to the show being performed in Vancouver - I loved the local references!"
—Susan, Vancouver

"We are visiting from Israel and I wanted my daughter to have the experience of seeing an Arts Club production. As someone who grew up in Vancouver I had very fond memories of the Arts Club. You did not disappoint, Spelling Bee was a thoroughly enjoyable production and I would highly recommend to everyone. I especially enjoyed the local B.C. references that were threaded throughout the performance. Well done and bravo -- keep up the good work."
—Meira and Yamit, Kibbutz Maayan Baruch, Upper Galilee, Israel

"A hilarious comedy/musical from start to finish! A must see this summer. Another excellent production by the Arts Club Theatre Company!"
—Leanne, Maple Ridge

"Absolutely fantastic! Didn't know what to expect, but I was thrilled and my husband and I left with big grins on our faces."
—Ashlee, New Westminster

"I absolutely loved the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee!! My friend and I sat in the front row and thoroughly loved every moment!! My only regret is not having the C-H-U-T-Z-P-A-H to get up on stage!
So, I guess I'll just have to buy another ticket and give it a go!! Thanks for a wonderful performance!!"
—Tony, Vancouver

"This play has energetic performers, witty and topical dialogue and an audience participation element that is engaging. They all hit the right notes and I left the theatre humming. Good show for everyone!"
—James, Vancouver

"This was a delightful laugh-out-loud production that we really enjoyed. We'll be back again!"
—Cynthia, Bainbridge Island, WA

"The show was outstanding! All of the individual characters kept us laughing through the whole show! We loved it!"
—Justine

"Best show I've seen in years! Fantastic! Knee-slapping funny, with surprising depth of character development. Ingenious audience participation. Touching and thought-provoking. An experience to remember."
—Carol, Vancouver

"Great cast, outstanding performance! I attended with my family (wife, daughter 22 years old and her 22 year old boyfriend) and we continued laughing long after the performance. It was the high point of our vacation in beautiful Vancouver, B.C."
—Gerald, Eugene, Oregon

"Very good and we have not laughed so hard in a long time. Thank you all"
—Marlene, Port Coquitlam

"I had a huge smile on my face the entire performance - what a fantastic evening!!!"
—Malcolm, Colorado Springs
 

Blog Coverage

Introducing…The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Let the Bee begin!

Who are those spellers?

Spelling Bee Fun Facts!

Spelling Bee 100th performance!

The Real Leaf Coneybear?

Artistic team

Music and lyrics by William Finn
Book by Rachel Sheinkin
Conceived by Rebecca Feldman
Starring Michael Blake, Jeremy Crittenden, Josh Epstein, Sara-Jeanne Hosie, Brian Linds, Alison MacDonald, Tracy Neff, Rosie Simon, Vincent Tong
Directed by Michael Shamata
Musical Director Bruce Kellett
Set Designer Yvan Morissette
Costume Designer Erin Macklem
Lighting Designer Marsha Sibthorpe
Choreographer Laura Krewski
Stage Manager Louis-Marie Bournival
Assistant Stage Manager Sarah Pearson
 

Coming soon