NEED TO KNOW
- Glee‘s Kevin McHale will make his New York stage debut this fall as William Barfée within the twentieth anniversary revival of The twenty fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
- The limited-run manufacturing begins previews Nov. 7 at New World Levels
- Philippe Arroyo, Leana Rae Concepcion and Justin Cooley can even star
Kevin McHale is heading again to high school.
The Glee alum, 37, will make his New York stage debut this fall in The twenty fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, ipromiseyoumedia can solely reveal. McHale joins the primary revival of the Tony Award-winning musical comedy as William Barfée, the eccentric and endearing speller with a “magic foot.”
The restricted 14-week engagement begins previews Nov. 7 forward of a Nov. 17 opening night time at New World Levels in Manhattan. The run will proceed by way of Feb. 15, 2026.
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McHale will likely be joined in Spelling Bee by a buzzy forged of Broadway up-and-comers.
Philippe Arroyo, who originated the position of François in & Juliet on Broadway, has been forged as overachieving Boy Scout Chip Tolentino. Leana Rae Concepcion, seen just lately within the Tony-winning revival of Merrily We Roll Alongside and its upcoming movie adaptation, will play perfectionist powerhouse Marcy Park.
Rounding out the group is Kimberly Akimbo breakout Justin Cooley, a Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominee, who will step into the sneakers of light oddball Leaf Coneybear.
Further casting for the twentieth anniversary manufacturing of Spelling Bee will likely be introduced within the coming weeks. Followers hoping to snag early tickets can join the presale at spellingbeenyc.com earlier than 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, July 24. Normal ticket gross sales start Friday, July 25 at 10 a.m. ET.
Directed and choreographed by Danny Mefford (Kimberly Akimbo, Expensive Evan Hansen), the revival celebrates 20 years of one in all Broadway’s loveliest and hilarious ensemble musicals.
Initially developed at Barrington Stage Firm and based mostly on an unique play by The Farm, Spelling Bee premiered Off-Broadway in 2005 at Second Stage Theater. The manufacturing — which starred Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Celia Keenan-Bolger and Dan Fogler (amongst others) — rapidly transferred to Broadway’s Circle within the Sq. Theatre, the place it ran for practically three years and gained two Tony Awards, together with one for Rachel Sheinkin’s e book.
With a vibrant rating by the late William Finn (Falsettos, A New Mind), The twenty fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee follows six precocious pre-teens (performed by adults) as they compete for the coveted title of county spelling champ. Alongside the way in which, hilarious and touching private tales unfold (aided by a wholesome dose of viewers participation).
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McHale — finest identified for taking part in Artie Abrams on Glee — has additionally appeared in The Workplace, When We Rise and American Horror Tales. He made his stage debut within the Kennedy Middle’s 2024 manufacturing of Spelling Bee and just lately starred in Stephen Sondheim’s The Frogs in London.
He additionally co-hosts the iHeart podcast And That’s What You REALLY Missed along with his BFF and former Glee costar Jenna Ushkowitz.
