Winner of the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a charming and deeply human musical that shines a light on the inner lives of six adolescents vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. As they candidly share hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, these tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words hoping to avoid the soul crushing “ding” of the bell that signals a mistake. Blending humor and heart, the show is a joyful celebration of individuality, belonging, and the courage to be seen.

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The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Delaware Theatre Company

Tony Award-winning Falsettos is a tribute to family and its many forms; a playful interrogation of faith and identity; and a celebration of the beauty, complexity, and necessity of love.

Marvin has left his wife, Trina, for his male lover; Trina has married Marvin’s therapist; and their son, Jason, is grappling with his parents’ divorce and his looming bar mitzvah. Everyone’s world has been upended and now they must explore what their new lives may hold. Featuring a sung-through score and set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic, Falsettos is a humorous and heartbreaking web of ex-spouses, co-parents, new lovers, and the lesbians next door.

Falsettos

Blank Canvas Theater

Falsettos is a hilarious and heartbreaking musical from Tony Award winner William Finn (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) and acclaimed director James Lapine (Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George). It’s New York in the early 1980s, and Marvin’s life is complicated—he’s recently left his wife Trina for his boyfriend Whizzer, but he still wants to stay close to his son Jason. What could go wrong? Everything. And it’s spectacular. As Trina moves on and marries Marvin’s own psychiatrist, and Whizzer struggles with commitment, this unconventional modern family tries to figure out how to make it all work. From neurotic parents to awkward bar mitzvah planning, their tight-knit circle of friends and family navigate the chaos with humor and heart. But when an unexpected crisis emerges, they must come together and discover what being a family really means. 

Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee takes us on a journey with an eclectic group of six mid-pubescents as they participate in the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! At least the losers get a juice box.

Sunshine Brooks Theater

The Rice City Players Present:  The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

A Musical Comedy Full of Heart, Humor, and H-I-L-A-R-I-T-Y!

Join The Rice City Players at The Grand Opera House of the South for an unforgettable evening of laughter, lovable misfits, and unexpectedly moving moments. Follow six middle-schoolers, each with their own hopes, quirks, and wildly competitive spirit, as they battle for the coveted spelling championship. Complete with improvised moments, audience participation, and a score bursting with energy, this Tony Award–winning musical promises a night of pure fun.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Be by The Rice City Players

Grand Opera House of the South

Get ready for a night full of laughter, heart, and a little bit of friendly competition! This Tony Award-winning musical follows an eclectic group of middle schoolers (played by adults) as they compete for the ultimate prize: the title of spelling bee champion. Featuring a double SFCM cast and performed with the SFCM Orchestra. 

SFCM Musical Theater Presents: 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Telling the semi-autobiographical story of a young composer facing a life-threatening medical emergency, the next musical in our Off Broadway Series is a quirky, funny, life-affirming look at love and loss. By the Tony Award-winning authors of Falsettos, A New Brain is both sardonic and energetic, and it is rarely fully produced, making it a perfect installment for our Off Broadway Series. Following the story of Gordon as he navigates health unknowns, an unsatisfying career, and an uncertain future, audiences will love this captivating small cast musical.

A New Brain- O.B.S.

San Diego Musical Theatre

A motley crew of six adolescents take the stage, but only one will earn the title of champion in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee! This delightfully witty and heartfelt musical has captivated audiences since its Tony Award-winning premiere in 2005. As the six preteens compete for the title, they tackle tricky words and even trickier circumstances while sharing their oftentimes comical and uniquely touching personal stories. Featuring music by two-time Tony winner William Finn and a book by Tony winner Rachel Sheinkin, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will have you pirouetting with cachinnation in your pew!

Northglenn Arts

Falsettos tells the tale of a dysfunctional, yet loving family in New York City at the dawn of the AIDS crisis. When Marvin leaves his wife and young son to be with his male lover, life gets a bit complicated to say the least. When Marvin’s wife becomes romantically involved with his therapist, the problems escalate. With help from their neighbors, the family learns to face their future with love and dignity.

SLOC Musical Theater

Marvin has left his wife, Trina, for his male lover; Trina has married Marvin’s therapist; and their son, Jason, is grappling with his parents’ divorce and his looming Bar Mitzvah. Everyone’s world has been upended and now, they must explore what their new lives may hold. Featuring a sung-through score and set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic, Falsettos is a humorous and heartbreaking web of ex-spouses, co-parents, new lovers, and the lesbians next door.

Court Theatre

Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has charmed audiences across the country with its effortless wit and humor. Featuring a fast-paced, wildly funny and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a truly fresh and vibrant score by William Finn, this Bee is one unforgettable experience.

Dakota Stage

A motley crew of wonderfully unique and impassioned young spellers each yearn to be the next county champion. With clever songs, quirky characters, and uproarious humor, this captivating musical comedy is a silly celebration of the thrill of victory, the irony of defeat, and the gift of being true to yourself.

Indiana Repertory Theatre

An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! At least the losers get a juice box. A riotous ride, complete with audience participation, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a delightful den of comedic genius.

Fort Boise Park

An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming "ding" of the bell that signals a spelling mistake.

Old Church Theatre

FALSETTOS revolves around the life of a charming, intelligent, neurotic gay man named Marvin, his wife, lover, about-to-be-Bar-Mitzvahed son, their psychiatrist, and the lesbians next door. It’s a hilarious and achingly poignant look at the infinite possibilities that make up a modern family… and a beautiful reminder that love can tell a million stories.

Stageworks Theatre

A seamless pairing of March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland, two acclaimed Off-Broadway musicals written nearly a decade apart, Falsettos is the tale of neurotic New Yorker, Marvin, who leaves his wife Trina and young son Jason to live with his lover, Whizzer. Hilarious, heartbreaking and utterly unique, Falsettos is a contemporary musical about family, relationships, bar-mitzvahs, baseball and AIDS.

March of the Falsettos

The Annex Theatre

A timely revival of the Finn & Lapine show about second chances and the urgency of art, Celebration Theatre brings us into the world of this queer musical of “captivating eccentricity” (New York Times) with an intimate experience of pathos, humor, and just a little bit of magic—to bring us back to life.

A New Brain

Los Angeles LGBT Center

Composer Gordon Schwinn is reluctantly writing a song for the star of a children’s TV show when he collapses. Supported by his lover, mother, best friend, and a manic medical team, Gordon confronts what appears to be a life-threatening illness while haunted by unfinished work and the specter of Mr. Bungee – the star of the children’s program. This moving, relatable, and comical musical by the Tony award-winning team of William Finn and James Lapine offers a touching examination of the ephemeral nature of life and the healing powers of art.

University of Miami

This Tony Award-winning hit is packed with a cast of unforgettable characters navigating adolescence one word at a time. It’s awkward. It’s honest. It’s absolutely hilarious—and it might just steal your heart. An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! At least the losers get a juice box.

Liberty Hall

William Finn and James Lapine's Tony Award-winning Falsettos follows a wonderfully imperfect group of people as they navigate divorce, new relationships, parenthood, friendship, and the ever-evolving meaning of family. As old wounds give way to unexpected connections, these characters discover that love rarely arrives in the forms we expect. Brimming with humor, humanity, and one of Broadway's most celebrated scores, this groundbreaking musical explores how joy, loss, laughter, and grief can coexist in the same moment—and how love endures through it all.

William Finn

Events

Upcoming events

Sep 16 - Oct 4, 2026

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee · Delaware Theatre Company

Jan 27 - Feb 14, 2027

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee · Merrimack Repertory Theatre

Apr 16 - May 2, 2027

Falsettos · Mosaic Theatricals

Past events

Sep 16 - Oct 4, 2026

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee · Delaware Theatre Company

4 - 19 Sep, 2026

Falsettos · Blank Canvas Theater

About

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