REVIEW: Masquers win 1st place with ’25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’
For the first time in almost two years, the Masquers of West Essex returned to the stage with a live musical performance of “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” the weekend of March 18-20. Set in a competitive, exciting scene, the stage was brought to life by the ‘contestants’ and was spectacular from start to finish.
A majority of the musical took place in the setting of a classic, overly competitive school spelling bee. The crazy, unique characters are what made the show so entertaining, as each and every character was completely different from the others.
Although most of the play was based on humor, there were some touching scenes as well. Apart from the laughter, there were numerous scenes that, as directed by the lighting and backgrounds, provided a more serious mood. Even though everyone loves a good laugh, the scenes revealed the characters’ inner thoughts and past which gave great insight into the characters’ lives.
The show overall was light-hearted and extremely entertaining. Directed by Masquers Director Brittany Hernandez, each and every scene was artistically outstanding. The scenery, songs, dance numbers and humor used in the show brought a whole new spotlight to the stage. Ever since the onset of COVID-19 in the United States broke just as Masquers was set to perform “Mamma Mia” in March 2020, the West Essex auditorium has not seen a musical. This show was the perfect way to bring it back to life after a two-year hiatus.
Although the cast was smaller than previous years, the musical felt larger than life. The actors did an amazing job all around. They even interacted with the audience, such as giving out candy during the performance and pointing out people in the crowd.
Every single scene of the show was engaging, and I could not look away from the stage. With lead roles played by junior Hudson King as William Barfée, junior Claudia Marino as Rona Lisa Peretti, sophomore Eden Kleefield as Olive Ostrovsky and freshman Lexi Ciardella as Logainne SchwartzandGrubenierre, the cast could not have been a better fit. There was true chemistry between the actors. Despite it being their first time all working together, the castmates seemed to have an apparent bond with each other and their characters. They embodied their characters, and once they walked on stage they were the spelling bee contestants.
To no surprise, the musical was nothing short of amazing. It was heartwarming, hilarious and extremely entertaining throughout the entire production. The cast and crew’s strenuous hard work and dedication undeniably paid off, and fans cannot wait to see what is coming next for the Masquers crew.
