The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee!
July 2nd, 2009 by MelissaLast night was the opening of Manoa Valley Theatre's "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." What a fun little musical production! If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, what are you waiting for?

The entire theatre, including the bathrooms, is decorated like a high school. The cocktail servers are dressed like cheerleaders, with the exception of one guy who is dressed like a cafeteria lady.
Go Putnam Poi Dogz! The inside of the theatre looks like the inside of a gym. I sat with Christa Wittmier (aka @Supercw on Twitter), as we were two of the "VIP Celebrity Twitter Spellers" for opening night. Many MVT productions involve audience participation, which adds to the fun of the whole night. Keep in mind, we've had no formal training!
Speaking of Twitter, MVT does not allow photos, cel phones or Twittering during the show, so I don't have any show photos for the blog. If you want to see what the show is like, you just gotta see for yourself!
When Christa saw the theatre decorations, she started having flashbacks of high school. I already had my high school flashbacks last week (will blog about that soon), so I didn't need to trip out any more than I already have.

Being briefed with the "VIP Celebrity Twitter Spellers"--me, Arleen Anderson, Christa, and Angela Keen.
The story is about six (nerdy) young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. It's a hilarious, over-the-top version of "The Breakfast Club."
I can't reveal much more than that or tell you about the words we spelled without giving away the show. You just have to go see it.

Backstage with the cast
We had such a good time! I can't say enough about Manoa Valley Theatre; every production I've been to at this place has been really good. Then again...before this, every production I've attended at Manoa Valley Theatre before has included my family in the cast. ha!
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
July 1-19, 2009
Manoa Valley Theatre
2833 East Manoa Road
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
(808) 988-6131
businessoffice@manoavalleytheatre.com




We started off talking a little about how she got involved in politics, the Obama campaign, and now the Abercrombie campaign. Basically, she was surprised to learn that Asian Americans are the least likely to vote, so she lent her support to her candidate--now President Obama--to help foster change in that community.











It was still a lot of food, though. More than any alcohol, the amount of food was causing a severe case of Kanak Attack in everyone, requiring more frequent disco naps. We also found ourselves having to choose what to eat (or not), or leave portions unfinished. Even KGMB9's Steve Uyehara, who is known for his massive appetite, said, "If I eat anymore, I'll explode!" 







