New Bedford Hosts Star-Studded Adult Spelling Bee

It’s not every day you get asked to join a Tony Award-winning musical – especially one where your ability to spell words like “chimerical” or “weltanschauung” might make or break your moment in the spotlight.

So when the New Bedford Festival Theatre invited me to be a guest celebrity speller in its upcoming production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, how could I say no?

I'll be taking the stage on Friday, August 8 at 7 p.m. at the beautifully restored Steeple Playhouse in downtown New Bedford. While I’d love to say I’m stepping up to the mic cool, calm and collected, the truth is, I’m brushing up on my dictionary and hoping I don’t embarrass myself in front of a live audience.

The competition? Stacked. The pressure? Real. The cause? Totally worth it.

For each performance of Spelling Bee, four audience members are brought on stage to become part of the chaos. Yes, real people trying to spell real (and usually ridiculously difficult) words. To add to the fun, New Bedford Festival Theatre has lined up a roster of local celebrity guests to join the ranks, including artists, city leaders, media personalities and even a Barstool Sports comedian.

A Star-Studded Lineup

Here’s the lineup of Guest Celebrity Spellers:

• Friday, August 8 at 7 p.m.: Yours truly, Gazelle from Fun 107
• Saturday, August 9 at 7 p.m.: Hendrick Hernandez-Resto, Latinx artist & audio engineer
• Sunday, August 10 at 2 p.m.: Blair Taylor, Director of Education at the Zeiterion
• Thursday, August 14 at 7 p.m.: City Council President Shane Burgo
• Friday, August 15 at 5:30 p.m.: Jerry Thornton from Barstool Sports & WEEI
• Saturday, August 16 at 2 p.m.: Heather Gersten from LITE 105
• Sunday, August 17 at 2 p.m.: State Rep. Mark Sylvia

The show itself is PG-13, fast-paced, wildly entertaining, and filled with improv hilarity. Think spelling bee-meets-stand-up comedy, with a Broadway twist.

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How To Get Tickets

Tickets are just $45 for general admission and can be purchased on the New Bedford Festival Theater website. Performances run from August 8 through August 17 at 159 William Street in New Bedford, with group discounts available.

So if you’ve ever wanted to see me sweat while trying to spell something French or fungal, come on down. I’ll be giving it my all, and more importantly, supporting a local arts scene that continues to make New Bedford shine.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some flashcards to review...