Magic Foot, Take me to the final round.
Magic Foot, I barely lift it off the ground.
Magic Foot, I do it without making a sound.
Magic Foot, write the letter.
Magic Foot, write the perfect letter.
Magic Foot, it’s an alpabetter.
This year’s musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, concluded with the final bows from the leads, ensemble and crew. With songs like “Magic Foot”, “Pandemonium,” “The I Love You Song” and “Woe is Me”, the songs will be running through the heads of the cast and audience long after the final curtain.
The opening night was on Jan. 24 after many months of rehearsals. The show’s closing night was the next day, Jan. 25.
“With the part that Vice Principal Panch plays in the show,” junior Alexzander Talkington said. “It required extensive thinking and restraint on when to act disappointed, mad, furious, crazy, whiny, or madly in love. All of these emotions need to be controlled throughout the show, as not every moment would be funny or have the same impact if it wasn’t for the restraint.”
When unexpected events occur, the cast’s chemistry and rehearsals help them react seamlessly and keep the show going.
“When something off-script happens in a performance,” junior Jhun Abarquez said. “We have to be able to act as if it truly was supposed to be in the musical in a way our character would react. The cast together builds our chemistry through our rehearsals, we get to know each other, which also helps us to be comfortable with each other on stage.”
The cast’s chemistry helps them handle surprises on stage, while also building the confidence needed for challenging moments.
“Since freshman year I have been wanting to join the musical but never did,” Garay said. “I was scared of being on stage in front of a big audience with a microphone, singing and acting. I knew I would regret it if I never tried out, so this year I did. It was rewarding getting to put on an amazing production and being in a talented cast, but it was personally rewarding because I got to do something I never thought I could do.”
The journey to opening night wasn’t without its own set of difficulties, as technical issues and limited rehearsal time created extra pressure for the cast.
“We had a few mishaps with microphones not picking up someone while they’re on stage, and microphones just being off completely,” senior Sarah Paris said. “We never had a single tech rehearsal due to the freeze. It was tears and sweat trying to line everything up and practice when we didn’t have the time to do so.”
Even with technical setbacks and little rehearsal time, the cast faced the challenge head-on. One of the most difficult moments was performing ‘The I Love You Song,’ a piece that required not only precision but also emotional depth.
“‘The I Love You Song’ was hard to perform because of its meaning and its popularity,” senior Odalys Garay said. “A lot of people knew the song so it felt like I could not mess it up. It was also a very emotional and technical song so Devan, Sophia, and I really had to nail our individual parts and sell it to the audience.”
The unscripted segment with Dr. James on closing night brought an unforgettable burst of laughter from the audience.
“By far my favorite moment from the whole musical was the segment with Dr. James on closing night,” Talkington said. “Calling her up to the stage and doing that entirely improved segment was fantastic, and I’ve legitimately never heard an audience laugh that hard before. I’ll look back at the moment fondly forever. As an actor with nine years of experience, it’s by far my favorite moment so far in my career.”
