Characters

The Spellers:

• Chip Tolentino (Chip Berkowitz in the Chicago production): Champion of the 24th annual Spelling Bee, he returns to defend his title, but he finds puberty hitting at the most inopportune moments. Also the first to be eliminated.

• William Barfée: A Finalist last year, but eliminated because of health reasons (someone put peanuts in the brownies). His famous “Magic Foot” method of spelling had boosted him to spelling glory, even though he only has one working nostril, a touchy personality, a severe peanut allergy, and the mistaken belief that he looks good in shorts (not to mention an easily-mispronounced last name. It’s Bar-Fay).

• Olive Ostrovsky: The pretty young newcomer to the spelling world. Her mother is in an ashram in India and her father is working late, as usual, but he’s trying to make it. She made friends with her dictionary at a very young age, and here she is.

• Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre: Logainne is the youngest and most politically aware speller, with two stage dads who would make Mamma Rose blush. Perhaps the most rabid competitor of the bunch.

• Leaf Coneybear: The Second runner-up in his district (the winner and first runner-up had to go to a Bat Mitzvah), Leaf comes from a large family of former hippies and makes his own clothes. He’s not really that smart, but his heart is in the right place and he has a unique talent for pulling obscure words out of the air. All of the children in his family are named after plants, and all of his words are South-American Rodents.

• Marcy Park: A recent transfer from Virginia, Marcy placed 9th in last year’s nationals. She speaks six Languages, is a member of all-American Hockey, plays Chopin and Mozart on multiple instruments, sleeps three hours a night, hides in the bathroom cabinet, and is getting very tired of always winning.

• Four spellers from the audience

The Adults:

• Rona Lisa Peretti: The #1 realtor in Putnam County, a former Putnam County Spelling Bee Champ (at the 3rd annual Bee) and returning moderator. Sweet but stern.

• Vice Principal Douglas Panch: After five years' absence from the Bee, Veep Panche is back as word pronouncer and judge. The “incident” of the 20th annual Bee is almost totally forgotten, and he’s in a much better place now, thanks to a high-fiber diet and Jungian analysis.

• Mitch Mahoney: The Official Comfort Counselor. Mitch is serving his community service with the Bee, and he might find he has a knack for hugs and handing out juice boxes.

The Parents and Others:

• Carl Schwartz: One of Schwartzy’s dads, he’s set on his heart on his little girl winning the bee, no matter what he has to do. Tries to sabotage William’s foot. Played by Leaf.

• Dan Grubenierre: One of Schwartzy’s dads, he’s slightly less insane than Carl (but still intent on getting his baby the gold). Played by Mitch.

• Leaf’s Mom: Overprotective and doubtful of her son’s abilities to stand up to the competition. Played by Logainne.

• Leaf’s siblings, Marigold, Brooke, Pinecone, Landscape, Raisin, and Paul: Not very confident of Leaf’s abilities. Played by Olive, Marcy, Chip and the volunteer spellers.

• Olive’s Mom and Dad: She’s in India, he’s working late, but they appear in Olive’s imagination to encourage her and tell her they love her. Played by Miss Peretti and Mitch.

• Jesus: Appears to Marcy in a moment of crisis. Played by Chip.

Tony awards

It earned six Tony Award nominations, and won two.

• Best Score (William Finn)
• Best Book (Rachel Sheinkin) WINNER
• Best Direction (James Lapine)
• Best Featured Actor (Dan Fogler) WINNER
• Best Featured Actress (Celia Keenan-Bolger)
• Best Musical

Current Broadway Cast

The Comfort Counselor, Mitch Mahoney / Derrick Baskin

Marcy Park / Deborah S. Craig

Leaf Coneybear / Barrett Foa

William Barfee / Josh Gad

Rona Lisa Peretti / Lisa Howard

Olive Ostrovsky / Celia Keenan-Bolger

Chip Tolentino / Jose Llana

Douglas Panch / Greg Stuhr

Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre / Sarah Saltzberg

Original Broadway Cast

The Comfort Counselor, Mitch Mahoney / Derrick Baskin

Marcy Park / Deborah S. Craig

Leaf Coneybear / Jesse Tyler Ferguson

William Barfee / Dan Fogler

Rona Lisa Peretti / Lisa Howard

Olive Ostrovsky / Celia Keenan-Bolger

Chip Tolentino / Jose Llana

Douglas Panch / Jay Reiss

Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre / Sarah Saltzberg

Broadway Replacements

Douglas Panch / Greg Stuhr

William Barfee / Josh Gad

Leaf Coneybear / Barrett Foa

San Francisco Cast

The Comfort Counselor, Mitch Mahoney / James Monroe Iglehart

Marcy Park / Greta Lee

Leaf Coneybear / Stanley Bahorek

William Barfee / Jared Gertner

Rona Lisa Peretti / Betsy Wolfe

Olive Ostrovsky / Jenni Barber

Chip Tolentino / Aaron J. Albano

Douglas Panch / Jim Cashman

Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre / Sara Inbar

Chicago Cast

The Comfort Counselor, Mitch Mahoney / James Earl Jones II

Marcy Park / Jen Sese

Leaf Coneybear / Derrick Trumbly

William Barfee / Eric Roediger

Rona Lisa Peretti / Lucia Spina

Olive Ostrovsky / Cristen Paige

Isaac "Chip" Berkowitz / Brad Weinstock

Douglas Panch / Bill Larkin

Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre / Christine Werny

National Touring Cast

The Comfort Counselor, Mitch Mahoney / Alan H. Green

Marcy Park / Katie Boren

Leaf Coneybear / Michael Zahler

William Barfee / Eric Petersen

Rona Lisa Peretti / Jennifer Simard

Olive Ostrovsky / Lauren Worsham

Chip Tolentino / Miguel Cervantes

Douglas Panch / James Kall

Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre / Sarah Stiles

Cast Album

The Grammy nominated cast recording includes:

• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Spelling Rules/My Favorite Moment of the Bee 1
• My Friend, The Dictionary
• First Goodbye
• Pandemonium
• I'm Not That Smart
• Second Goodbye
• Magic Foot
• Pandemonium (Reprise)/My Favorite Moment of the Bee 2
• Why We Like Spelling
• Prayer of the Comfort Counselor
• My Unfortunate Erection (Chip's Lament)
• Woe Is Me
• I'm Not That Smart (Reprise)
• I Speak Six Languages
• I Love You Song
• Woe Is Me (Reprise)
• My Favorite Moment of the Bee 3/Second
• Finale
• Last Goodbye

Words Used

• Acouchi
• Antediluvian
• Antihistamine
• Astrobleme
• Boanthropy
• Broccoli
• Capybara
• Catarjuens
• Camouflage
• Chimerical
• Chinchilla
• Chromatophore
• Coitus interruptus (adult show)
• Corzya
• Crayon
• Crepuscule
• Cystitis
• Dinosaur
• Elanguescence
• Flagellate
• Gardyloo
• Ilspile
• Indicant
• Halitosis
• Hasenpfeffer
• Hospital
• Kakapo
• Lugubrious
• Miso (adult show)
• Mohel
• Onager (adult show)
• Omphaloskepsis
• Palaver
• Phylactery
• Raconteur
• Rebus
• Schematic
• Sluice
• Staphylococcus
• Strabismus
• Syzygy
• Taint (adult show)
• Telephone
• Tittup
• Vas Deferens (adult show)
• Vug
• Vulpine
• Weltanschauung
• Zoonosis
• Audience words:
• Agnate (adult show)
  • Balmacaan
  • Cenacle
  • Cow
  • Casserole
  • Catarjunes
    • This is not a real word and was made up for the show.
    • An old Nantucket whaling term, with one written citation: "The neap tide is upon us. The leviathan nears. Catarjunes."
  • Elephant
• Finger (adult show)
  • Jihad
  • Krizzlemum
    • This is not a real word and was made up for the show.
  • Mexican
  • Smoogligan
    • This is not a real word and was made up for the show.
    • Definition is unknown. It is said to be from the 1780's, possibly referring to mutton.
  • Pakapoo
  • Ahimsa
  • Schuss
  • Badchen
  • Xerophthalmia
  • Vigintillion
  • Homunculus