Meet The Cast of The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee - Joe and Alyssa

Joe Garreck

What is your role in this show? Doug Panch. He's strung a bit tight but enamoured with Rona Peretti
What is your background in theatre? Acting for 29 years - trained at the U of A. Third show with ELOPE (previous ELOPE shows - Into the Woods and I Love you You're Perfect, Now Change)
What is your favourite word to spell, and why? Ossuary - great sentence for teachers (you'll have to see the show to find out why!)

Alyssa Lightfoot
Role: Brooke Coneybear, one of Leaf's many siblings
Background in theatre: This is my first ELOPE show but I have always had a passion for theatre! When I was in high school I was in a theatre intensive program! I was also in Young Frankenstein at the University of Alberta and in high school I did Pippin, Urinetown, and Babes in Arms!
Favourite word to spell: Apoop because it always makes me laugh!

Photos:
Top - Joe Garreck as Panch, "That is Correct!"
Bottom - Angela Tran and Alyssa Lightfoot as two of the Coneybear siblings waiting for Leaf to spell his word
Photo credit: Janine Hodder

Introducing the Cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Cast List

 (in no particular order)

Chip Tolentino - Mark Sinongco

Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere - Kristin Johnston

Leaf Coneybear - John Evans

William Barfee - Curtis Knecht

Marcy Park - Meredith Honda

Olive Ostrovsky - Nadine Veroba

Rona Lisa Perretti - Amanda Neufeld

Vice Principal Douglas Panch - Joe Garreck

Mitch (Maggie? Michelle? Maxi?) Mahoney - Kate Wylie

Ollive’s Mom Erin Foster-O’Riordan

Olive’s Dad - Stuart McDougall

Carl Grubenniere (Carl Dad) - Dean McQuay

Dan Schwartz (Dan Dad) - Matt Graham

Leaf’s Mom - Kat Evans

Leaf’s Dad - Shawn Wells

Marigold Coneybear - Monica LeBlond-Davison

Brook Coneybear - Alyssa Lightfoot

Pinecone Coneybear - Kelly Webber

Raisin Coneybear - Cleo Halls

Landscape Coneybear - Angela Tran

Paul Coneybear - Rolando Bautisto,

Jesus Christ - Dean McQuay

I am excited to get started on this show with this amazing group of people and the fabulous production team including Sally Hunt as Music Director, Kimberlee Stadelmann as Stage Manager, Jim Draginda as Production Manager and Patti Zeglen as Costume Designer. Tonight is our Read Through and we will start to work on music tomorrow night. I can't wait to hear these voices sing this show!

And it all comes together...

I have been really lucky in my theatre experiences in Edmonton, really in my life, but really, really, lucky in Edmonton.  I feel at home at Walterdale.  I have been there for a little over 6 years and have participated in many different roles within the company.  Working on Nine right now is wonderful.  I feel blessed with a fabulous team who all seem to be working for the best show possible.  I feel lucky that they all said 'yes' when I asked them.  Some of them I have not worked with in their capacity on the show, but I just thought they would be a good fit. Some I have worked with a few times before and I knew they would be a great fit.  Some, like Sally and Erin, I will always ask because there is a connection.  I feel like there have been no mistakes in the team, in any case. My cast is a joy.  A real joy.  I was blessed with a lot of choice at auditions and I know that there are others that would be just as wonderful in this cast, but I really like this group of people.  They make my job easier.  They push themselves for more.  They are fun and pleasant and understand my silliness.  There are no divas... We are 3 weeks from Opening Night.  Right on schedule, if anything a little ahead which might mean a couple of unanticipated nights off (don't want to over cook this baby).  The pole work, which I thought would take another week to solidify, is tight and amazing (Whose idea was it to have poles in this show?!?!  Great idea!).  The girls who use them are fearless and I am blown away!  One of them sings on the pole - UPSIDE DOWN!  AND she not only looks fabulous - she SOUNDS incredible!!  We slide into the home stretch, getting ready for the challenge of costumes, an orchestra, lights and make-up and we are ready.  It's a wonderful way to spend the month of June!