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DERRICK BASKIN (Mitch Mahoney) is excited to make his Broadway debut in Spelling Bee. Recent credits: two shows at North Shore Music Theater - Aida (Mereb) and the world premiere of Memphis (Gator). He has played Adrian in Smokey Joe's Cafe at Pioneer Playhouse, Matthew Henson in Ragtime at Weston Playhouse, and Sundiata in Sundiata the Lion King of Mali (Town Hall). Derrick has a B.A. in Biology from Hampton University. A New York resident, Derrick calls Yokota AFB, Japan his home. Thanks Dad, Mom and CSADD. | Mitch Mahoney – Fulfilling his community service, this former felon is now the Bee’s Comfort Counselor, handing out juice boxes and a dose of reality to the losers. |
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DEBORAH S. CRAIG (Marcy Park). Off-Broadway: WaVe (Ma-Yi/Dir. Will Pomerantz), Pericles (Culture Project/Dir. Jesse Berger), Fuenteovejuna (NAATCO Dir. David Herskovits), The Karaoke Show (Project 400 & 2G/Dir. Diane Paulus). Regional/Europe: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Barrington Stage Company), Love's Labours Lost (American Stage), Dance With Me (Byrdcliffe), Falco (Ronacher Theatre, Vienna). Film: Board to Death (KMSG/Dir. Michael Kang), Big Daddy, Third on a Match (Crystal Reel Award, Best Actress). Love to my family and my friends. For my father. | Marcy Park – She made it all the way to ninth place in Nationals last year. She sleeps three hours a night. |
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JESSE TYLER FERGUSON (Leaf Coneybear) Broadway: George C. Wolfe's revival of On the Town. Off Broadway: Michael John LaChiusa's Little Fish (Second Stage), Christopher Shinn's Where Do We Live (Vineyard), The 2001 revival of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Century Center), newyorkers (MTC), Paul Rudnick's Most Fabulous Story Ever Told (Minetta Lane), Hair (Encores!). Regional: Comedy of Errors (Hartford Stage), Polly Pen's Embarrassments (Wilma Theater), David Sedaris' SantaLand Diaries (Pittsburgh City Theater). Television: "Sally Hemings: An American Scandal," "Absolutely Fabulous." Jesse made his solo debut at Joe's Pub and Ars Nova. www.jessetylerferguson.com. | Leaf Coneybear – As just the second runner-up in his district’s Bee, he really shouldn’t be here. |
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JOSH GAD (William Barfee) is thrilled to be making his Broadway debut in Spelling Bee. A recent graduate of the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, Josh is also a student of the Groundlings Improv, and a proud founder/member of The Lost Nomads Comedy Troupe: (thelostnomads.com). Credits include All in the Timing (Elephant Asylum), The Crucible (PPT), Skin of Our Teeth (CMU), Axis of E… (The York Theater), Roberto Zucco (NIDA), and “ER” on NBC. Much love to mom, Stan, Ida, and his F-A-M-I-L-I and F-R-E-N-D-Z-E. | William Barfee – A finalist in last year’s Bee, he was disqualified for a health-related incident. |
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LISA HOWARD (Rona Lisa Peretti) is making her Broadway debut! National tour: Les Misérables. Off-Broadway: Spelling Bee at Second Stage Theatre. Regional: Barrington Stage, St.Louis MUNY, Olney Theater Center, Human Race Theater and Kansas City Starlight. Some favorite roles include: Irene (Crazy for You), Joy (Cinderella), Brunhilde (Das Barbecü), And the World Goes 'Round and Trina (Falsettos). Lisa has appeared in numerous workshops, readings and cabarets in NYC. She is a graduate of the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. For more information and upcoming events visit www.lisahowardnyc.com. Many thanks to Mom, Dad and Matteo for all your love and support. | Rona Lisa Peretti – This former Spelling Bee champ is not only the county’s top realtor, she also runs a highly lucrative eBay business, selling sensible pumps at sensible prices. |
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CELIA KEENAN-BOLGER (Olive Ostrovsky). Broadway debut. Off-Broadway: 25th Annual Putnam Co. Spelling Bee, Michael John LaChiusa's Little Fish (Second Stage Theatre), Kindertransport (MTC), Summer of '42 (Variety Arts). Favorite regional credits include Johanna in Sweeney Todd (Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration), Emily in Our Town (The Intiman Theatre), Clara The Light in the Piazza (Goodman Theatre). Concerts: The Lincoln Center American Songbook Series with Adam Guettel, An Evening with Audra McDonald at the Michigan Theatre, West Coast premiere of Bill Finn's Elegies: A Song Cycle. Celia graduated from the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Program. | Olive Ostrovsky – Her mom’s in an ashram in India. Her dad promises that, this time, he’ll try to make it. |
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JOSE LLANA (Chip Tolentino) For this show, a Drama Desk Award (Best Ensemble). He was last seen on Broadway co-starring in Flower Drum Song (Ta). Other Broadway: Rent (Angel), Street Corner Symphony (Jessie-Lee), The King and I (Lun Tha). Off-Broadway: On the Town (Gabey, NYSF), Saturn Returns (Public). Regional: Martin Guerre (Guillaume, U.S. premiere, Guthrie Theater), Ballad of Little Jo (Steppenwolf Theatre, Jefferson nomination), Candide (Prince Theater, Barrymore nomination). Television: “Sex and the City.” Film: Hitch (starring Will Smith) and Unconscious. Albums: Cast recordings and self-titled solo album under the VIVA Philippines label. For my mother, Regina Tolentino Newport. |
Chip Tolentino – Last year’s Putnam County champ is beginning to learn the ups, and downs, of puberty. |
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SARAH SALTZBERG (Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre). Theatre: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Second Stage Theatre's off-broadway premiere and Barrington Stage Company's world premiere). She created the Logainne Schwarzandgrubenierre character in C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E, which she co-produced at the Theatorium in NYC. Off-Broadway: Helen in The Donkey Show (Club El Flamingo), Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Access Theatre), No-Lips Nolesky in The Detective Sketches (Lincoln Center Theater Lab) and longform improvisational comedy with the Upright Citizen's Brigade. Sarah dedicates this performance to Lucy Jane, and thanks Wendy for all of her love and support. | Logainne Schwartzand-grubenierre – The youngest of the competitors, her stage fathers would make Mama Rose blush. |
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GREG STUHR (Douglas Panch). Recent NY credits: David Mamet’s Romance (Atlantic Theater Co.), Keith Reddin’s Frame 312 (Atlantic) and Can’t Let Go (Keen Company). Greg’s performed at Williamstown, Primary Stages, EST, Rattlestick, South Coast Rep, the Alliance, among others, and with Buffalo’s Irish Classical alongside members of the famed Abbey Theatre Co. TV: “Third Watch,” Law & Order,” “Law & Order, SVU.” Upcoming film: Tahoe. On Broadway, his performance as the cop in Elaine May’s Taller Than a Dwarf caused critics to unanimously proclaim: Greg Stuhr plays the cop. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon Drama. | Vice Principal Douglas Panch – The “incident” of five years ago almost forgotten, this Lake Hemingway-Dos Passos Junior High Vice Principal is now in a better place, thanks to a high-fiber diet and Jungian analysis. |  |
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TODD BUONOPANE (Understudy for Barfee, Coneybear, Mitch, Mr. Panch). Broadway Debut! Off-Broadway: The Butter and Egg Man (Atlantic). Regional: Gemini, The Musical (Prince), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Goodspeed), and 2001 national tour of Godspell. Other New York: In My Life, Jacob Sterling: For Crying Out Loud and Once Upon a Time in New Jersey. BFA from University of Michigan. For Mom & Dad. | ||
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MAURICE MURPHY (Understudy for Mitch, Chip, Mr. Panch) is overjoyed to be making his Broadway debut. New York/Off-Broadway: Two Gentleman of Verona, The Public Sings benefit concert. A 2005 BFA musical theatre major from Millikin University, Maurice’s college credits include Jekyll & Hyde, A Little Night Music, Secret Garden and Angels in America: Millennium Approaches. Much love to Dulcinea Eisen, my family and friends for their prayers and support. Hebrews 11:1. | ||
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KATE WETHERHEAD (Understudy for Olive, Marcy and Logainne). Broadway debut. Off-Broadway: Tatjana in Color (The Culture Project), Cam Jansen (Lamb's Theatre), Sarah, Plain and Tall and Summer of the Swans (Lucille Lortel Theatre). Regional credits include The Spitfire Grill and Working. Tours: A Christmas Carol. Kate is a graduate of Circle in the Square Theatre School. | ||
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LISA YUEN (Understudy for Olive, Marcy, Ms. Peretti). Broadway: Miss Saigon. National tours: The King and I, Flower Drum Song, Scarlet Pimpernel and Pirates of Penzance. Off Broadway: Second Stage's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and York Theatre Company. Over 20 regional productions, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, TV and commercials. UCLA graduate. Thanks Mom. Love to family and friends. |
