The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005 Original Broadway Cast)
When was the last time you heard a musical with a truly hilarious book? Rachel Sheinkin has concocted such a thing forThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,one of the most unexpected hits of 2005. Unfortunately, Sheinkin's wit is mostly lost on a cast album; fortunately, the show's songs are by the greatWilliam Finn. Set at the titular event, the musical never looks down on the competiting kids (played by adult actors), instead portraying them as endearingly nerdy but also smart, and endowing them with real personalities rather than predictably spelling-bee tics. The cast is uniformly superb, although personal faves include Sarah Saltzberg, playing Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre with a delicious lisp ("Woe Is Me"); Jesse Tyler Ferguson, bringing sweet innocence to Leaf Coneybear ("I'm Not That Smart"); and Dan Fogler, in a breakout comic performance as William Barfee ("Magic Foot," sounding like a sly tribute to Kander & Ebb). This show may be small in scale, but it's a huge winner.--Elisabeth VincentelliOther Great Musicals of the SeasonSpamalotDirty Rotten ScoundrelsThe Light in the PiazzaLittle WomenAll Shook UpAltar Boyz