TCAN Players Present The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Nov 8-17

TCAN’s resident community theater group, the TCAN Players, present The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee from Nov 8-17. In this Tony Award-winning musical comedy, six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser. A story of the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky loveable cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time.

The incredible cast includes award-winning actors and actresses from the area, including Natick, Newton, Weston, and Wellesley. Written by Natick native and Broadway composer William Finn, the show is heartwarming and hilarious while exploring the competitive world of spelling bees.

Finn provided valuable advice for the actors and praised the group. "It gives me great pleasure to know that my work is being produced in the town where I learned so many things," he said in an email.

This show contains mild adult humor. Visit the event page for ticketing information and showtimes.

Meet the Cast:

Jess Couture (Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre): Past credits include Nun in The Sound of Music with Concord Players (2013 DASH Award Winner for Best Production of a Musical), Phantom in The Rocky Horror Show with Emerson Umbrella, Little Sally in Urinetown with the First Parish Players and many more. Jess can next be seen in Legally Blonde with Arlington Friends of the Drama. Now a resident of Jamaica Plain, she grew up in Arlington.

Julia Fein (Olive Ostrovksy) : Previous roles include Little Becky Two Shoes in Urinetown, Mona in Chicago, and Mary in Merrily We Roll Along. This past summer, Julia participated in Northwestern University’s Theater Cherubs program. Julia’s next project will be with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, where she will be playing Margaret in a staged-reading of Richard III. The Beaver Country Day School senior lives in Newton with her family.

Ben Gold (William Barfèe) : His recent credits include Peter in Company (TCAN Players), Leon Czolgosz in Assassins (F.U.D.G.E. Theater), Kendall Nesbitt in Lady in the Dark (Brandeis University), How The Other Half Loves (Zero Point Theater), The Other Side of Town (a web series workshop with Mass Theater Experiment), Brighella in The Servant of Two Masters (The Vokes Players), and the piano player in Bye Bye Liver: The Boston Drinking Play (A.R.T. Oberon). Ben has a degree in theater and voice from Brandeis, and lives in Weston with his family.

Dan Goldstone (Mitch Mahoney) : Recent roles include Cecil B. DeMille in Sunset Boulevard (Nextdoor Theater); Prof. Callahan in Legally Blonde: The Musical (Marblehead Little Theater) Horton the Elephant in Seussical: The Musical (Footlight Club); Amos Hart in Chicago (Quannapowitt Players); Lt. Munoz in City of Angels (Longwood Players), and Daddy Warbucks in Annie (Little Theater of Stoughton). He is the founder and president of a Boston-area financial services company and lives in Wellesley with his family.

Lali Haines (Rona Lisa Peretti) : Favorite roles include Erzulie in Once On This Island, Sour Kangaroo in Seussical, Ayah/Fakir in Secret Garden, Josephine Strong in Urinetown, Jack's Mother in Into The Woods, Mama Euralie in Once On This Island, and Miss Stacy in Anne Of Green Gables. The Weston resident is a doctor and yoga teacher who received her medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Elaine Hom Eastwood (Marcy Park) : Past roles include Mayzie in Seussical (NCT), Callie in Stop Kiss (TCAN Players), Pippi in The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Amazing Things), Marcy in ...Spelling Bee (NCP), and DeLee in Smokey Joe’s Café (Riverside). The Boston University graduate and Natick resident teaches and choreographs children’s dance and coordinates marketing and publicity for TCAN.

Todd Sandstrom (Leaf Coneybear) : Todd was last seen at TCAN Players as George in Stop Kiss; before that he played Hal in Proof (DASH Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Play). Other favorite roles include Jason McConnell in bare (MIT Musical Theatre Guild), Cat in the Hat in Seussical (Needham Community Theater), Hunter in [title of show] (Acme Theater), Skip in Glory Days (FUDGE Theater Company), Harold Bride in Titanic (Needham Community Theater - DASH nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical) and Barnaby Tucker in Hello, Dolly! (Footlight Club). The Pennsylvania native is a resident of Brighton.

Brad Walters (Doug Panch) appeared this summer as Launcelot Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice at the Vokes Theatre in Wayland. His 20 years at Reagle Music Theatre include the roles of Harry Macafee in Bye Bye Birdie, Sipos in She Loves Me, Benny Southstreet in Guys and Dolls and Sitting Bull in Annie Get Your Gun with Andrea McArdle. A native of Allentown, Pennsylvania, he now lives in Malden with his family. He is a graduate of Boston University and works as an administrator.

Brian C. Williams (Chip Tolentino) : Favorite roles include Kenickie in Grease, J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Academy Playhouse), Uriah Heep in David Copperfield (Harwich Junior Theatre), and Peter in Jesus Christ Superstar in Concert (Peregrine Theatre Ensemble). Most recently, Brian played Bo Decker in Bus Stop (Chatham Drama Guild). Next month, he will play Clement C. Moore in 'Twas the Night Before Christmas at the Harwich Junior Theatre. The Centerville resident is studying theater and dance at Cape Cod Community College.

Kathy Lague (Stage Director): This is Kathy Lague’s directorial debut with the TCAN Players, but audiences may remember her as Abby Brewster in the Players’ 2009 production of Arsenic and Old Lace. Her performances with other companies include Born Yesterday, and Urinetown (Vokes Theatre); The Importance of Being Earnest (Sudbury Savoyards), and 1776 (Concord Players). She has directed seven Gilbert & Sullivan operettas for the Sudbury Savoyards. She holds a degree in vocal performance from Boston University and is treasurer of the Concord Players. She lives in Sudbury with her husband Mike.

Barry Singer (Music Director): The Players welcome Barry Singer to the Natick stage with this production. His musical theater credits include productions with the Sudbury Savoyards, the Arlington Friends of the Drama, the Concord Players, and revue and cabaret productions at the Berklee College of Music. He grew up in the footlights in Connecticut, with parents who were founding members of the Westport Community Theater. He briefly led the cappella group Serious Fun, and is now a freelance musician and conductor of the Philharmonic Society of Arlington, and regularly guest conduct with other groups. He is married and lives in Arlington.

For more information, visit the event listing.