The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The Practical Details
Lotteries & Rush
The Show
The Theatre
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Stage Door
Full guide →Getting there. The lobby and box office are on W 50th St., but the stage door is round the block on W 49th St., on the far side of Worldwide Plaza. All five stages are one basement level and share it. Performers also use interior doors down by the coat check and can come straight out from behind the stage, so on any given night a house manager is the reliable answer.
When to go. Head straight out at curtain call. Two-show days are the worst bet at both performances — the cast rests through the matinee and is spent by the evening. A Sunday matinee is the best single bet, because it is a one-show day. In bad weather the barricades sometimes never go up at all.
Who comes out. Anywhere from nobody to most of the cast. Nobody can tell you in advance which three — not us, not the theatre. Treat any list that claims otherwise with suspicion.
What to bring. Tonight’s Playbill and a fine-tip Sharpie, held open to the page you want signed. Ask before you photograph anyone, and keep the pavement clear — it is a working door, not a red carpet.
Why “not confirmed”. The door above is a fact about the theatre and holds for years. Whether THIS production does a stage door is a fact about the company — it changes with the cast, and no source publishes it. We’d rather say so than guess.
Where to Buy Tickets
The Lowdown
Six young spellers — each more neurotic and hilarious than the last — compete for spelling glory in a church gymnasium in Putnam County, where moderated by adult officials who are barely keeping it together. The show weaves audience participation, confessional humor, and surprisingly touching moments into one of Off-Broadway’s most joyful revivals in recent memory.
With Kevin McHale (Glee) and Lilli Cooper (Tootsie) leading the cast, the show has become the hot ticket of the season — extending twice and drawing celebrity guest spellers including Daniel Radcliffe and Jon Cryer.
Original book by Rachel Sheinkin, music and lyrics by William Finn, directed by Danny Mefford.
Want a show with a live NYC lottery? Our Broadway lottery hub lists every open draw — and if these are new to you, start with Broadway Lotteries 101.
Reviews
Our verdict
The beloved spelling-bee musical gets a 20th-anniversary Off-Broadway revival that critics called pure joy — funnier and a touch darker than it was in 2005. Jon Cryer and Kevin McHale headline a charming cast, the audience-volunteer bit still kills, and the whole thing is a tender, bittersweet delight. A near-perfect 96% audience score. Lovely, low-key, and a great cheap night out.
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