“The word is ‘BRILLIANT.’ You marvel at the witty genius behind this exceptional musical.”
The Daily Beast
“How do you spell joy? For theatergoers, it’s S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G B-E-E.”
amNY
SPELLING BEE had its final Off-Broadway performance on October 11, 2026
Twenty years after a buzzy, Tony Award®-winning run on Broadway, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee returned to New York City.
As contestants white-knuckled adolescence and the heat of competition, their emotions ran from A to Z — but they stood up to the mic anyway because they love spelling, and because being a champion could solve everything.
With music and lyrics by Tony Award® winner William Finn, a book by Tony Award® winner Rachel Sheinkin, and new direction and choreography by Danny Mefford, Spelling Bee is about the little wins that carry us through life’s many awkward spells.
Photos by Joan Marcus
YOU COULD BEE ONSTAGE!
#SpellingBeeNYC
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