Off-Broadway Musical Theatre Back On a New Stage in New Hope
Off-Broadway Musical Theatre had to wait through construction of a new stage, and then the COVID-19 pandemic, to see the curtain go up on another performance.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is so much more than Off-Broadway Musical Theatre’s summer offering. The last time OBMT put on an outdoor performance in New Hope, none of what you see now was there.
The 2018 performance of the Wizard of Oz began a two-year hiatus of the theater group punctuated by massive construction, a pandemic, and finally a new outdoor amphitheater at New Hope Civic Center Park.
“It just kinda moved us forward into the 21st century. We now have this beautiful seating. We’re more open to the city of New Hope, where before it was a little secluded. It’s definitely like a breath of fresh air,” said Rachael Perry.
Perry is a veteran OBMT performer playing Mitch (Michelle) Mahoney, an ex-con parolee assigned to be the comfort counselor during the spelling bee.
“It’s super amazing to be doing theater again. And to be doing it outside with such an amazing cast. We bonded so quickly,” said Sydney Summers, who plays Olive Ostrovsky.
Off Broadway Musical Theatre presents “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
The cast had to reach into their way-back machine to remember how to play children in a spelling bee.
“I work with 7-12 year olds. So I get to just kind of watch them behave all day. And I”m like, ‘cool, I’m going to steal that. I’m going to do that on stage,'” said Summers .
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” runs through Aug. 7.
