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Our Favorite Moment of the Bee? Chatting with the Company of the 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE Reunion!
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Nov 8, 2022
With cheers, tears, and special surprises (we're looking at you Celia Keenan-Bolger!), nine original cast members of the hit Broadway musical, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE - Derrick Baskin, Deborah S. Craig, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Dan Fogler, Lisa Howard,Jose Llana, Jay Reiss, and Sarah Saltzberg (plus Jenni Barber) - reunited for a special one-night-only 10 Year Anniversary benefit concert Monday night, July 6.
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0:00
Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World
0:02
I'm at the after party for the one night only 10th anniversary concert of the musical
0:07
the 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. And I caught up with the cast just minutes after the curtain rang down
0:14
I mean, we spoke that very first day of rehearsal. What were the other rehearsals like
0:19
Kind of fly by the seat of our pants. Did you get any work done
0:25
On Sunday night, we put some numbers together, basically like, what do we do
0:30
Tonight, we step, kick, what? And then today, we stumbled through the show
0:36
That was it. I mean, very minimal rehearsal. What did tonight mean to you
0:44
I just love that I got to revisit that part with all of the people that are the B to me
0:53
And we did the final number, and I was singing, and I was looking around
0:57
and I got emotional because I was like, this would probably never happen again
1:02
And I was like, oh, my God. You know, I just started to cry because it was such a special night
1:08
and it was like riding a bike. We just sank right back into it, and it was like we've been doing this all along
1:14
What did tonight mean to you? Oh, it meant everything, actually, being able to come together for spook and honor her
1:20
but also just getting the gang back together and reliving all that joy
1:24
and, you know, it was just so special. It was wonderful. It was a really special evening
1:29
What were the rehearsals like for you because not everybody was together at the same time
1:32
and you were all reminiscing? I've been doing a lot of yoga in preparation for this
1:38
You know, it was interesting. I thought that everybody else would remember everything
1:43
And so when I finally came back and I got into rehearsal, I was shocked that they also had big gaps in their brain
1:48
and I felt better about the fact that I don't have early onset Alzheimer's. So I felt good about that
1:53
When you took your bow tonight, do you remember what you were thinking? I was just so grateful
1:59
I was grateful that we could do this to honor Spook, to raise money for our family, and grateful that we could all be together
2:04
that we're all here and healthy and happy. It was just all love, really
2:09
Originally in rehearsal, what are your favorite moments of creating this show
2:15
It was done very quickly. We wrote it for about two months in New York City
2:21
and then we went to the Barrington stage in the Berkshires, and we wrote the rest of it there
2:27
We didn't expect to. We didn't know whether we were going to have a first act
2:31
and we ended up with a whole show, which we added to eventually
2:35
but we basically had a whole show. So it was a fun show to write, you know
2:41
If you could sum up the best part of the experience of working on this show
2:45
what was it for you, Bill? I never thought I was going to have a hit
2:52
I never thought I was going to have a show with... That made me money. I mean, I'm shocked
2:57
I'm shocked that a show this effortless and beautiful could make money like that
3:03
So, you know, I just love it. What did it all mean to you
3:08
What do you remember emotionally about going through this show tonight? What do I remember emotionally
3:14
Well, it was really nice at the end, talking about spook and remembering her
3:21
and everyone was getting choked up. and it was just a beautiful moment
3:26
seeing all the alumni on stage and everybody that have been involved with the show for how many performances tours I mean it was just for me it was just beautiful
3:38
I was part of the very beginning and you see all the different Barfys and all the different characters on stage and that's just a beautiful thing to see how many people have been touched by the show
3:50
Do you remember what you were thinking when you took your bow tonight? I was thinking, I need a drink
3:59
That's what I was thinking. That's a good one. I talked to you during rehearsals. What was tonight like
4:04
We met the very first day. Oh, my gosh. It was just the most extraordinary night
4:10
I tell you, probably top three favorite nights in theater I've ever experienced
4:15
I am just beyond grateful and just feel full of love and hope
4:21
Was it like a Broadway rock concert? It was like a Broadway rock concert
4:25
It was, with a lot of character actors acting like rock stars
4:29
We don't get that a lot, so it was sort of like, ah. I caught up with you the very first day of rehearsal
4:35
You were all just sort of getting to see each other again. What was that week and a half like of just sort of revisiting, getting to see each other again
4:42
It was amazing. I mean, it was so hard to get to rehearsal because we kept wanting to talk and catch up
4:46
It was like, oh, remember that time when we did this thing and then that happened? And we're like, James was like, we've got to get to rehearsal
4:51
We've got to know what we're doing. We're like, oh yeah, right, I'll give you a show. And tonight, of course, was in memory of Andrea, your stage manager
4:58
Talk about what tonight means to you. Oh my gosh, Spook was just the most extraordinary person
5:03
And to honor her and honor her children and her husband, it's the most, it's what you want to do as an artist
5:10
And it was a way to really just celebrate her and to also give an amazing amount of money
5:16
and just concern to an incredible organization. and she would be, she is exploding right now
5:23
She is like, ah! Tell you what tonight meant to you emotionally
5:26
of trying to put that all into perspective because you're there doing it, but just remembering the good times
5:32
for the first time around. And for Andrea, you know, your stage manager
5:36
Well, you know, a lot of us, for a lot of us, it was our first Broadway show
5:42
And at the time, you know, we started the rehearsals and we were, you know, making friends
5:48
and even then we were like, this feels different than other shows
5:52
You know, it feels like we're going to be friends for life. And we, you know, and we would say that
5:58
We're like, oh, this is really amazing. And of course we didn't know that at the time that that was true
6:05
And Spook, you know, because we were so green, it was like we were coming to do this show
6:10
We didn't really know what was going on. And she sort of ushered us and wrangled us
6:15
and we were like a box of kittens, you know, kind of all over the place. And she was so amazing and so patient and loving and wonderful with us
6:24
And it was such a blessing to have her, to keep her, or to have her to keep us sort of on track
6:31
And we all just sort of had this experience together, and it was so wonderful
6:36
When you took your bow tonight, do you remember what you were thinking? The feeling of love from the audience
6:45
It was like a wall of love just rushing towards us. And to have all of the alumni to come and show up
6:54
you know just all these people that love the show and love spook it was it felt unbelievable You know it felt palpable that love How do you feel tonight
7:08
Oh, man, I don't know if I can quite put into words how I'm feeling
7:14
It was just such a special night. This was my Broadway debut 10 years ago, and to see how far all of us have come
7:21
This is my first family in New York And we've all just grown in 10 years
7:26
And just to reunite with my first family Tonight was magical And to honor a beautiful woman
7:32
Tonight was just so special Yeah We spoke that very first rehearsal
7:38
What were the rest of the rehearsals like? Well, none of us
7:42
All of us didn't make all the rehearsals Because we're all doing something different So it's a little bit crazy
7:47
But it was also like a trip down memory lane Most of the rehearsals we laughed
7:51
to be honest. And they were like, ah, I guess we should rehearse the show. But we kind of just
7:55
you know, we kind of just reminisced. It was great. Yeah. So you had everybody today
8:00
though, before the show, right? Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And that was magical. We're like
8:04
I can't believe, it's been 2007 since the entire cast has been together
8:09
Like, most of us have been together here and there, but like tonight was the first time all of us have been together
8:14
It was great. When you took your bow tonight, do you remember what you were thinking? Yeah
8:19
I was very grateful. I was thankful and grateful, and I was very nostalgic
8:26
and it just made me really grateful for how far I've come as an artist, as a man
8:31
You know, it was great, yeah. Now, first, congratulations. First of all, how do you feel tonight
8:36
I feel, you know, I feel like I've gotten back together with my family
8:40
I think the Spelling Bee family will always be one of the closest and meaningful
8:44
and silly and fun families that I've been so lucky to be a part of
8:48
and two days together, a week together, to just get this back up has been joyful and unbelievable and amazing
8:55
What were rehearsals like for you? You know, my head is not necessarily, my head is in the King and I right now
9:02
My put-in is this Thursday, so I've been, when it all landed around the same time
9:07
I knew that it was going to have to be like, okay, take this hat off, put this hat on
9:11
But what's great about the spelling bee is that we all just clicked right back in
9:15
like we never left, so it was great. Favorite memory of doing the original production of Spelling Bee was what for you
9:22
Oh, my gosh. I'd have to say, you know, a lot of the best memories come from when we did it off-Broadway at Second Stage
9:29
I think it was just so fresh and it was so new. And none of us knew exactly what was going to happen with it
9:34
We were just having a lot of fun. And then even the move uptown, but, like, there was something about that Second Stage experience
9:40
It was just so raw and innocent and sweet. And we all became really best friends
9:45
going into King and I I cannot wait, what is going through your mind
9:51
you know, The King and I, obviously another show that means a lot to me, was my first show and I did on Broadway in 96
9:55
and I played Luntah in that part and, you know, going into it
10:00
I feel like it's already part of my DNA and part of my family and part of my bones
10:05
and I just want to go in and do it on her and play the part
10:10
hopefully my way and the way that I want to respect the role of the king
10:14
So I'm excited to do it. And to go into a production like Bartlett Shears and Lincoln Center with Kelly O'Hara
10:20
and with my former wife, Ruthie, it's just phenomenal. It's a dream job, and I'm really excited to be a part of it
10:28
How do you feel tonight Tonight was a very emotional evening for all of us To do the show I think the last time I did it was probably eight years ago and we been putting it together over the course of like 18 hours over
10:43
the past two and a half weeks maybe a week actually and it really is like riding a bike
10:49
and there's things that we remember they're like oh yeah we had this really weird moment right now
10:53
but then it also brings us back to that time when we were putting the show together and
10:58
It was such a special moment in all of our lives. So it was a very emotional night for us on so many levels
11:06
And then, you know, also, you know, honoring Spook, our beloved stage manager, who is no longer with us, to, like, be doing it for her
11:13
It just felt like the right thing. And it was a really special night that I'll never forget
11:17
We spoke that very first rehearsal. Half the cast was there. It was all, like, old home week
11:23
Nobody wanted to rehearse. You were all, like, catching up and, like, naming babies and everything else
11:27
It was like hurtling cattle. It was like no one was paying attention
11:32
We did focus eventually and put this together. And there were things that happened tonight that were not supposed to happen and strange mess-ups
11:41
But this show is very forgiving. And the spirit of the show was born in a way that it's supposed to be scrappy
11:48
And it's supposed to be a little rough around the edges. So I feel like those moments really worked
11:53
And that was a great moment that we tried to make Sarah's water break on stage
11:57
And they created this whole contraption, and I couldn't get it to release
12:03
So I basically broke the contraption and pressed on the small of her back
12:07
to make the water finally rush out of this bag that was in her back
12:11
I mean, you know, things like that, which, you know, worked for us. One night only. One night only. Never see it again
12:17
I thought her water was going to break tonight. You were going to have the baby on stage. You were going to name the baby
12:21
Yeah, if her contraption didn't work, I was actually going to force her water to break because I needed the water to break
12:25
It was a real emotional rollercoaster ride getting through this show tonight
12:29
It was like a Broadway rock concert from the second you guys walked out, right? I felt like a Jonas brother
12:34
I mean, I was not expecting that reaction. And it really truly is a testament to the fans who love the show so much
12:43
you know, that they showed up and that they gave us such a warm response and were kind of game to go along on this ride with us
12:51
because they knew, I think, that we put this together with some scotch tape
12:55
in a dream. Your show sold out in like 12 minutes. Did it really
12:59
Oh, I had no idea. That's very exciting. Bombshell and this literally
13:03
sold out overnight. That's amazing. That's really amazing. Yeah, it's a special
13:09
show, and I think this cast, you know, helped put the show together, so the fact that we all
13:15
came together was something really special. And I know Celia wasn't able to
13:19
vocally do the show tonight because she's apparently exhausted. She's working on
13:23
two hours of sleep over the past two weeks, But the fact that we could bring her in and utilize her at the end of the show
13:30
that's when I broke down. Seeing her come out and put that placard on her neck, I just lost it there
13:36
Do you remember what you were thinking when you took your bow tonight? I don't
13:41
I do remember being very overwhelmed by just the amount of love that was coming back toward us
13:49
Cherry Jones was about three aisles in, and she was just beaming the entire time
13:53
and Cherry Jones, she's the greatest actress we have on the American stage
13:57
And to have her laughing and just throwing us love is really a special thing
14:02
I'll remember her face during that performance
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