How the ‘25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee’ heals our inner child

The pacing of the musical was phenomenal. Each character gets their own arc—diving deep into who they are and how they overcome their issues through music. For instance, Marcy Park—played by Shanaia Gomez and alternated by AC Bonifacio—is filled with boredom-stricken confidence due to her intelligence, making her seem like the cocky star of the competition. But that facade drops as she tells us about her inner turmoils and transforms into a different person.

The musical’s cast is nothing short of perfect—hailing from different performing backgrounds. From ABS-CBN’s Star Magic talents to young theatre professionals and veterans, Missy Maramara, the musical’s director, and the creative team selected those who best embody their character. “We looked for powerful singers who are malleable actors with great chemistry and who will be able to delve into such questions with openness, courage and skill to navigate the themes sustainably with fun, discipline, and passion,” Marmara shared. 

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The Sandbox Collective’s iteration of the musical chose to veer away from previous international renditions of the set design—opting for a more modern touch and playing into the “bee” aspect. Hexagonal shapes with honey effects decorate the ceiling, while jumbled-up letters are printed arches. One truly unique thing about this version is multimedia integration, creating a distinctive sensory experience—a welcome innovation that Maramara brought.

The musical’s most exciting and humorous part is the audience’s involvement as “guest spellers.” We’ve seen it in other productions of The Sandbox Collective, like Every Brilliant Thing and its Filipino translation, Bawat Bonggang Bagay. Members of the audience are immersed into the production to join the cast in spelling various words at random—even the cast doesn’t know what the word is and if they’ll get it right—making for funny interactions and impromptu dialogue that ensures no show is the same.

With an impeccable cast, relatable themes, hilarious jokes, and audience engagement, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a musical that makes us laugh at our awkward younger selves while reminding us of hurtful wounds that may or may not have healed. It does not aim to cause sorrow. It shows us how far we’ve come and urges us to recognise who we are now. Because in the few hours we spent watching our characters come of age, so did we.

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