“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
#SpellingBeeNYC