Stages St. Louis will delight audiences this summer with...
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Stages St. Louis presents its first-ever mainstage “25th annual Putnam County”
Stages St. Louis will delight audiences this summer with its first-ever mainstage
production of the hilarious and off-beat musical, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”, playing May 29 to June 28, 2026, at The Ross Family Theatre inside the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, 210 E. Monroe Ave.
Purchase tickets online at www.StagesStLouis.org or by calling the Stages box office at (314) 821-2407. Group ticket blocks and two- or three-show season subscriptions are also available A beloved, PG-13 musical comedy packed with heart, wit, and unforgettable characters
Spelling Bee follows a group of quirky students competing for the championship of a lifetime—all while navigating the pressures of growing up, fitting in, and finding their voice.
Audience members may also enjoy the chance of a lifetime, as each show selects four willing participants to join the cast in the spelling bee live on stage!
Stages St. Louis locally produces the entirety of its seasonal lineup of Broadway-quality shows from the ground up, auditioning its own cast and creating the costumes, scenery, and choreography in-house. The upcoming production of
Spelling Bee is the first time since 1987 that Stages St. Louis has featured a completely local cast.
“I spent over 15 years asa casting director in New York, and after hosting many auditions in St. Louis, I’ve come to realize the talent here rival anything I seenanywhere else,” said Gayle Holsman Seay, Producing Artistic Director for Stages St. Louis and Co-Director of Spelling Bee. “It was my hope and belief that it would be possible to cast this entire show from the St. Louis local actor pool.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was the recipient of the 2005 Tony Award® for Best Book (Musical) and recently celebrated its popularity with a revival on Broadway for its 20th anniversary.
The five-week run of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee begins May 29 through June 28, with daily performances Tuesday through Sunday (closed Monday). Matinee showtime is 2 p.m. and evening shows begin at 7 p.m.; run time is approximately one hour and 40 minutes with no intermission.
To view a complete schedule of Spelling Bee performances or to purchase tickets online, visit www.StagesStLouis.org. Tickets can also be purchased by calling (314) 821-2407 or visiting either of Stages’ two box office locations at the KPAC or
the Kent Center for Theatre Arts, 1023 Chesterfield Parkway East, Chesterfield, Mo. Visit www.stagesstlouis.org/box-office for Box Office hours. Advance group tickets are also available for ten or more people; call (314) 821-2407 for more
information.
The evening performance of Spelling Bee on Friday, June 12 at 7 p.m. will be interpreted for the hearing impaired; special seating is available. A limited number of hearing devices are available at all performances. The matinee performance on
Saturday, June 27 at 2 p.m. will be audio interpreted by Mind’s Eye for the visually impaired. The KPAC also offers ADA parking and seating options.
. “Stages Speak” is offered the first week of each show’s run and is free and open to all. Stages St. Louis continues its 40th anniversary season with productions of
Guys and Dolls, July 24 to August 23, and
Come From Away, September 18 to October 18. Two- and three-show season subscriptions are available; for more information,
visit www.stagesstlouis.org. Follow Stages on Facebook and Instagram @stagesstlouis.
