This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Unknown speaker: Are we starting with the easy word? Yeah, lay it on me. What you got? Uh, okay.

[0:04] Unknown speaker: Eczema. Eczema is the easy one? Oh, shoot. Eczema. Can you use it in a sentence? Oh, shoot.

[0:14] Unknown speaker: I didn't prepare that hard. She said, put the lotion on the skin. Or it gets eczema.

[0:21] Unknown speaker: Okay. E-X-C-E-M-A? Ding! It's E-C-Z-E-M-A. You were close. E-C-Z? Oh, good gravy. Okay, here's your first one. Are you ready? Yes. Peace. Can you use it in a sentence? Yes.

[0:41] Unknown speaker: The thing your uncle wears to try and convince everyone he's not bald. Oh, peace. P-I-E-C-E, peace? Yes, but you don't get the ding. That is correct. That is correct. Okay, now I'm really scared. Eczema was the easy one. What's the second one? Nascent. Oh, shoot. Can I get a definition, please? Yes, because I'm going to Google it right now. Okay. I was like, okay, I kind of know it, but okay. Just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential. Wow. What is it again? Nascent. It's an adjective. So again, nascent.

[1:20] Unknown speaker: Yeah, just coming into existence. Like something that is just formed. Like natal would be the root word. I think it's just more for industries. The example that they have is this is the nascent space industry, you know? Of course. Of course, the nascent space industry. You know. Okay, I'm going to go with N-A-C-E-N-T, nascent. Oh, you're so close. Ding. N-A-S-C-E-N-T. You got the C, though. The C. Yeah, I was like, most people probably would have spelled it with the S and not the C. Oh, good one. Good one. Okay, here's your next one, Jen. Chrysanthemum. Oh, okay. I can see the word. Let's see if I can process it. Chrysanthemum. C-H-R-Y-S-A-N-T-H-E-M-U-M. Chrysanthemum. That is correct. Yay. Two for two, girl.

You're killing it. All right. Okay, what's my hard one? Okay, I promise you, it's just sounded out. The hard one is also a type of flower. Rhododendron. Rhododendron. R-O-D-O-D-E-N-D-R-U-M. Rhododendron? Oh, no. It was R-H-O at the beginning. That's the tricky part. R-H-O. And at the end, it's actually R-O-N. Rhododendron. So, I didn't pronounce it very clearly, I guess. That's a good one. What's my last one? Okay, your last word is bourgeois. May I please have it in a sentence?

[2:55] Unknown speaker: Yes. The original name of Costco was bourgeois.

[3:01] Unknown speaker: Oh my gosh. I don't even know if that's real. That's amazing. Okay. Bourgeois. B-O-U-R-G-E-I-O-S-E.

[3:14] Unknown speaker: Oh, so close. I messed it up. It's weird. It's E-O-I-S. E-O-I-S. Oh, no. Okay, great. Were you a good speller? Did you do spelling bees? I was an English minor, and I did spelling bees, but I did spelling bees in elementary school, and my elementary school was a private school, so there weren't that many people in it. But no, I've always really liked spelling, and I feel like as an avid reader, you just pick up more words when you read more things, and you're just like, oh, that's really cool. So, I was like, I've definitely seen bourgeois, and I should know, and I apologize in advance to my friend who got us through Paris.

[3:54] Unknown speaker: No, and I apologize to all those suffering from eczema.

[3:58] Unknown speaker: There you go.

[4:10] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Welcome, everybody, to a musical theater podcast where we discuss the cultural and emotional impact of some of our favorite musicals in theater history. My name is Jeffrey Scott Parsons. You can call me Jeff. Today, we are talking about the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Ms. Jennifer Lin. Hi, Jen!

[4:25] Jennifer Lin: Hi! So grateful you're here. This was a really great coincidence, because Spelling Bee was a listener request and also your request.

[4:34] Jennifer Lin: Yeah, I think it was the first thing I thought of when you were like, pick a show, and I was like, oh, which show hasn't been done yet? Why did you pick it? I think in a lot of ways, it might be the first show that I felt I worked on as a music director, if that makes sense. Like, the director was a professor at the school.

[5:01] Jennifer Lin: Oh, wow. So that was really cool. She kind of was able to collaborate with the student group that was like, hey, we really want to do the show, but we want, you know, for lack of a better term, adult supervision. Will you come and, you know, tell us how to do it? And it was probably, I would say it's the first show that I was like, oh, learn a lot of the ropes of music directing as you go with a not very easy score.

[5:22] Jennifer Lin: Yeah, seriously. You like learned as you go with William Finn. That's like, that's the name of a book right there. Learn as you go with William Finn. Not by William Finn. Exactly. But yeah, it was it was a good challenge. And I've always wanted to do it again. I did it recently. I did it last year at a school that I teach at. So it was weird now coming full circle. And now I'm the adult supervision.

[5:52] Jennifer Lin: Right. But doing the show with them, and it was really fun. And they were so good. Like, they choreographed it themselves. So yeah, so they got a lot of freedom to do that. And part of what the theatre program at this school does is it also gets students involved in stage managing, gets students involved in sets and lighting and sound. So like, we actually had student run almost everything other than me playing piano live for the shows and then the director helping like he was like in the back making sure nobody messed any of the sound equipment up but like, everything else was live. So I was like, that's really cool.

[6:28] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: For those who may not know you, you are an incredibly talented musician and music director. You're so smart. You're always on your game. You never seem stressed out. You're like very calm and even. But then probably my favorite part is that you have lots of like Rilakkuma notebooks and pencils and stuff in addition to all of that, which just makes me feel really happy inside.

[6:47] Jennifer Lin: Oh, that's amazing. We actually have like a almost life sized Rilakkuma who lives in our apartment.

[6:55] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Do you? That's fantastic. I love going into those stores. They have the most cozy, hugest stuffed animals you've ever seen in your life.

[7:00] Jennifer Lin: Yeah, this one was a purchase that I made when I was, I was sick. So I'd just taken cold medicine and I somehow convinced myself that drinking a hard lemonade would be a good idea. So I blame it on the combination of those two things. I bought it. I bought it in my first apartment when I was living with three other girls and like one of the girls watched me buy it on my laptop and she was like, yeah, that's a great idea. Totally sign up on this.

[7:29] Jennifer Lin: Yeah, she was like, I approve. It was like, great. Uh, I, I feel like it might've expanded. Like I just love cute things in general. So I just have like my phone case right now is this like ridiculous little yellow dog.

[7:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh my gosh, it's so cute. I did not know about the term kawaii until only a few years ago. There's so much like kawaii subculture that you can get into.

[8:01] Jennifer Lin: Right. Yeah. But for those who may not know that word, like the best definition I've heard is that when something is so cute, it hurts. Like you go, Oh, it's so cute. Yeah. Like that. That's like the definition of kawaii. It's like the little girl in, um, Despicable Me when she's like hugging the unicorn and she's like, it's so fluffy. I could die or whatever she says. I feel like that's the definition. You're like suffering from, from an overdose.

[8:27] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, exactly. All the more, the better at this point in time. Now, Spelling Bee is such an interesting show. I can't, I can't think of any other show that had the kind of genesis that it does or did. It started out as a play called, oh, I always forget this word. Crepuscule.

[8:40] Jennifer Lin: Crepuscule. Thank you. So I did do Spelling Bees in school. Did not, I'm not a bad speller by any means, but like, did not excel. And I remember my mom came to watch me in the Spelling Bee and I got dinged out, like on the third word, I think. And she told me, I was so proud of you because when they said the word, I knew that you didn't know it, but you took a deep cleansing breath before you started. And I have always remembered that.

[9:09] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That's a good parent. Oh, that's like, I love that you remembered the advice she gave you afterwards or like the feeling she gave you afterwards rather than the disappointment of missing the word.

[9:19] Jennifer Lin: Instead of like the utter failure. Yeah. That did not happen with me. So I don't have an uplifting story to tell you. No! I'm so sorry. No, it's, we, we joke about it, but. But yeah, so Crepuscule, and, and was it actually called Crepuscule or was it C-R-E-S?

[9:38] Jennifer Lin: I think it's that. It was like the spelled out version of Crepuscule. Cause that's what, that's what the, um, the PV score says. It says it's based on C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E, an original play by The Farm. And The Farm was an improv group that, you know, created the show about a spelling bee happening. And I mean, we've all seen, I mean, I hope we've all seen the script spelling bee and the kinds of interesting kids that find their home in, in spelling bees. It's adorable. It's like there's theater kids and then there's like spelling kids. And I, if there are theater spelling kids, they are.

[10:17] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: The ultimate tier.

[10:17] Jennifer Lin: They are the ultimate tier of weirdo. Yeah. And I, and I love it and I love them. And I think that this was such an inspired idea to make a musical out of because of that, because I think so often in musical theater, you have a bunch of very empathic and yet externally aware individuals to then delve into these types of characters with a lot of honesty, a lot of quirk, but then a lot of heart. I love this show. I think it's great.

[10:44] Jennifer Lin: To me, obviously the parallels of having adult play children, like in Charlie Brown, but there's something really refreshing about seeing people that you obviously know are adults, but like you see them go crazy on stage as these kid characters. And just like, there's something so genuinely like, like it's, I don't know if heartwarming is the right word, but you see it and you're just like, oh man, like there's a part of me that wishes I could do that normally, you know, like to be able to just like fully go leave Coney bear on the stage or whatever you want to do. And it's just like, this is, there's such a joy to seeing that. And it was really interesting doing it with a younger cast because even, even eighth graders and ninth graders are already like trying to put on personas, especially growing up in an age like now where, you know, social media is everywhere.

[11:28] Jennifer Lin: I would actually say it was interesting because our Barfay was totally cast against type. Like, you know, normally we'd be like, oh, somebody kind of, like an outsider, like a quirky person. He was like a really popular athlete. And so, but he was so game to go fully weird and do weird voices. And like he let the costume, the kids doing costume and hair, give them like weird hairstyles. And like people were like, his peers were coming by and being like, what is happening? He got a little self-conscious during that. So like we were trying not to like have them get ready in full view of the school. Like we had like a little dressing room for them to get ready. But, but like when he came out and people were just like, wait, is that, is that who I think it is?

[12:16] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, exactly. It was really fun.

[12:16] Jennifer Lin: See, I love that. I think that was very liberating for him. That's so brave. Yeah. You know, when you were talking about like, what is that thing that we get as an audience to see people doing that with such abandon and a lack of judgment on themselves? Right. I think it's wish fulfillment. You know, I think a good way of putting it.

[12:30] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah. When you're that insane, you still have an audience of people that's that still loves you. That would cheer you on. And doesn't reject you.

[12:40] Jennifer Lin: Yeah, exactly. No, that's a great way of putting it. It's a, yeah, it's like a bit of wish fulfillment on ourselves also, right? Being like, oh, yeah, well, if I was ever that uninhibited, like I could be like, oh, there's actually something really joyful about that and really positive about it, rather than just sort of automatically going, well, nobody would like you or that's too crazy.

[12:58] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yep. Amen. And isn't that what musical theater is all about?

[13:04] Jennifer Lin: So Crepuscule, like we said, was put together by an improv troupe. So the show was different every night. And they had like a specific structure to it. And they ended up filming many performances, performance that then got in front of a musical theater composer by the name of William Finn.

[13:24] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Now, good old Bill Finn is someone that we haven't talked about on the on the podcast. I'm a big fan.

[13:29] Jennifer Lin: Yeah. Back last year, when we did the episode about Music Man, I talked about how Meredith Wilson wrote Music Man based on what he knew, right? He was from Iowa, he played the piccolo, you know, he like all of these things were kind of led up to him being able to create this story. And William Finn is another who writes autobiographically.

[13:54] Jennifer Lin: He writes what he knows, and in many ways, he writes what he's lived. So he grew up Jewish, gay, and kind of weird. And that's his musicals. I was like, that's falsettos. Right? Yeah, he started

[14:09] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: As an off-Broadway writer, as so many of our American musical theatre writers did in the 80s, writing this off-Broadway trilogy of musicals that were known as *In Trousers*, *Falsetto Land*, and *March of the Falsettos*. I may be getting that order incorrectly, but they all kind of had to do with the same characters, the same themes, and that was eventually put together into one show. I guess not *In Trousers*, but the other two were put together into one show called *Falsettos* that came out in the early 90s. Incredibly groundbreaking musical, and I hope to do an episode on it, but a groundbreaking musical that had to do with being gay, about the AIDS crisis, and yet somehow is still a family musical. It's one of the few musicals from, I think, that decade that feels so traditional, and yet incredibly progressive, if that makes sense.

[15:06] Jennifer Lin: Yeah, no, I saw the production that was on Broadway a couple years ago with Christian Borle, and I do remember thinking that it is just, it's like a family sitcom, but the characters being gay and lesbian. Just being who they are.

[15:26] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Exactly, and then, you know, like for the little kid, it's just the little kid being a little Jewish kid, and you're like, that's who he is, with a, you know, with a very dysfunctional family. Colorful, dysfunctional family.

[15:42] Jennifer Lin: Right, but I guess it's a very almost sly way. Sly sounds like negative, but I mean like it's a very, I feel like it must have been a very kind of easing into a way of like talking about these topics, especially in musical theater. This was before *Rent*, you know, I think we think of *Rent* as the AIDS musical, if you will, and *Falsettos* preceded it.

[16:07] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Okay, so then, plot twist, William Finn has a brain tumor.

[16:07] Jennifer Lin: Yes.

[16:15] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And ends up writing a musical about it. Once again, the title character, semi-autobiographical, has a brain tumor, thinks he's going to die, is also Jewish and gay. And also a composer.

[16:21] Jennifer Lin: Yeah, and a composer. Oh, you're so right. And the musical is called *A New Brain*, which has, oh, fantastic score. Now I want to do a *New Brain* episode, too. So weird, so quirky. Again, there's like a frog who talks and jumps and sings, you know what I mean? Like weirdo ideas, but filtered through this gorgeous score and really deep, like that score feels so deep to me emotionally speaking.

[16:46] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, I mean, and it's interesting, because with a lot of Finn, you know, sometimes it's the complexity and the harmonies and stuff that like, you're just like, wow, that's so, you know, obviously, he's such a smart writer, and you can hear all those layers and stuff. But like the song that gets me every time when I listen to that is *Sailing*, right? And that's like the simplest song in the show. And you're just like, I just like thinking about it, I'm like, I'm gonna cry.

[17:07] Jennifer Lin: William Finn also does a lot of song cycles.

[17:18] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yes. I've played through *Elegies* before.

[17:24] Jennifer Lin: Oh, really? Which is actually, yeah, I did that in college, too, as like a student directed show. They were like, we're gonna do *Elegies*, and everybody's gonna do song. So that was really fun to do, because it was all student conceived. And again, because each one of those songs is very different, like they're all about loss in some sort of way. But there were some that were hysterical, because it was about like losing your dog and like being like, you know, my I hated my dog or whatever, like, just the fact that he like wrote a song about hating your dead dog. But then, you know, there's the song, is it anytime? Oh, my gosh, just I know, again, you look at the lyrics, and you're like, Okay, I'm just gonna be an emotional mess for the next 10 minutes. All of that wrapped up in one show, you know, or in one song cycle, I remember just being like, this is a stunning breadth of work, even though they're all tied together by a shared emotional thread.

[18:10] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, yeah, shared emotional thread. You're exactly right. But so various. On top of that, he loves story songs, like even in *A New Brain*, you have a bag lady type character stepping forward, and having her own *Ladies Who Lunch* moment where she just doesn't have anything to do with the plot other than she's introducing her life. And, and so he is the kind of composer that almost that might feel more at home. It's in song cycles, because he's able to take it wherever he wants to emotionally without being tied to a specific narrative, which is why I then think it's so interesting that he saw *Crepuscule*.

[18:49] Jennifer Lin: Yeah, I'm not gonna spell it.

[18:49] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And then, and saw this kind of improvisational play as a great basis for, for a composed musical.

[19:03] Jennifer Lin: Yeah, I'm wondering if like the individuality of the characters was sort of the his segue into it being like, oh, you know, telling each individual character story is the same way of like telling each individual song and *Elegies*, you know, like to be able to be like, oh, these are varying very, very different people. But like, there is that kind of again, he's so good at the commonality of it. So it's like, yes, they're all very different people. But they are all equally weird people at this equally weird event.

[19:29] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Totally. So that's sort of like the common factor. He ends up Okay, so on top of all of that, William Finn works at the Tisch School. He works at NYU in like the musical theater grad composition program. And one of his students was a woman by the name of Rachel Schenken. I guess he liked collaborating with her thought she had a lot of talent in school. And so he asked her to come on as the book writer. Now, I can't think of a more daunting job as essentially a newbie. She had written stuff before, but this is like her first major musical.

[20:05] Jennifer Lin: Yeah.

[20:05] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And it's with number one, William Finn, and number two, an improvisational play. And I don't know of any other musical in history that had that genesis.

[20:11] Jennifer Lin: Right. So from what I understand, and I read a lot of interviews with her, it was a highly collaborative process that at times, was terrifying, and felt completely out of control. And yet, she was kind of the perfect one to do it because of where she was at in her career, right? She was able to sit and listen. And sometimes all she would do was listen to a lot of the improvisation, learn about what characters had been made in *Crepuscule*. And then after taking in all of the information and everybody's opinion on what it should be, she'd get by herself and kind of write it out. And did a pretty fantastic job, if I do say so.

[20:59] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah, I would definitely say a fantastic job. Like these characters are now, I think, highly iconic in musical theater. And I feel, yeah, that's a great point to be like somebody who obviously hadn't been tested, I think, in that sort of sense yet, but like, had small enough of an ego to be like, I can sit and take all these things in without feeling like I have to force an idea out. Like, I feel like that's a very, there's so many different ways of working in collaboration. And that to me feels like a way that I feel very comfortable with. So I'm being like, Oh, yeah, I totally understand her wanting to do that, wanting to like taking all the information and process it. And I'd be like, Okay, this is what I have to bring to the table.

[21:42] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I think musical theater is probably the most collaborative art form out there. And so to see something like this, that within the history of musical theater, many people would call impossible for it to come to fruition in such a lovely, elegant way, is I think, a huge credit to her.

[21:59] Jennifer Lin: Yeah, I believe there were three actors from the farm who were brought into the musical because they could sing. And so because of that, those three characters were for sure already in the show.

[22:11] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Gotcha.

[22:11] Jennifer Lin: One of them was Barfay, played by Dan Fogler. Another one was Logan Schwartz and Grubenair. And then the third, I can't remember.

[22:26] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And I'm not sure which one the other one was.

[22:26] Jennifer Lin: Gotcha. So there were three actors who weren't quote, unquote, musical theater actors that brought their improvisations into the rehearsal room and lived on, which is very, very cool. I also think that in addition to bringing that content from the improvisational play, they also really worked hard to maintain a sense of improvisation within the musical. And they did this most successfully in two ways. The first way was bringing actual audience members onto the stage. I can't think of a Broadway show before this that was like, audience participation, but like real audience participation. You are in the show. You are a speller. You're going to sit here next to the other cast members who are going to be performing and dancing an entire number that you have never been. It's like my worst nightmare.

[23:04] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Oh, I, yeah, I think it's funny seeing, like, I've seen a couple of productions too. And like, people really did not realize, you know, they were like, yeah, I'll sign up in the lobby or whatever. And like, some people really did not realize they would be on, especially if you're a good speller, you're going to be in the show. For like, I don't know, 75% of the show, you're on stage.

[23:17] Jennifer Lin: You're on stage, a huge portion. It's one of those audience participation moments where whenever I've seen the show, it's worked beautifully. No matter what's going on with the person, it's always funny. It's, I'm trying to remember, prep wise, they do give like a couple of easy words first, right? To sort of like soothe the audience member who's just like, kind of-

[24:06] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: You're like, cow!

[24:06] Jennifer Lin: Yeah, who could be very freaked out. And I think they try and train the audience to always ask, like we did in the beginning, always ask for the definition and the sentence because that's sort of the part of the show, right? Because like, you go cow and they're like, can you please use it in a sentence? And then they're like, please spell cow, yeah.

[24:27] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: You know what a mother effing cow is. Yes, you know what this means.

[24:33] Jennifer Lin: But then there are like a lot of words. I remember when we did it at UCLA, like, and we had the pack for it, it was just like, there was like a big list of words that our principal just like had in case, you know, and like, we actually did have a night where some master speller was in and we could not move on past unless he like got out. And so I think he gave him the hardest word and he started spelling it and nobody else in the audience would have known. And I'm pretty sure Richie just was like, no, no, no, no, you got it wrong. You're like, ding, you got it wrong, bye!

[25:04] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: So that was really funny. And like, again, a great, I think a great testament to like his comfortability being like, you're the only person who can make this work. And he's like, well, we got to go on. So I'm going to have to knock you out of the program.

[25:17] Jennifer Lin: Well, it's like, we'll give you a trophy after the show, but we need to move on.

[25:20] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I know. Otherwise, this will never, like the show will be completely different. But it's true. Like that's the other kind of improvisational element that they maintained. The words are changing. They often get somewhat of an improvisational actor to play the vice principal so that they can play off whatever is currently happening with the audience participation, with the words, all of those sorts of things can be different from night to night.

[25:47] Jennifer Lin: Yeah. And definitely the energy can be different too, like depending on who you bring up. And like, I don't mean that in a negative way at all. Like, I don't think anybody who comes on is going to bring the energy down, you know?

[25:55] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: No, it's impossible. It's so well crafted.

[26:03] Jennifer Lin: It's totally impossible. Plus, like, if you have a tight cast, like they will know how to make it work no matter what. But like, just remember different versions of the show. Like if you had the enthusiastic people, it was like great to see them try and keep up with choreo, you know, like watch the dancers and like try and mimic them and be like, am I doing this right? It's such a joyful thing. And I feel like especially with young actors, that does tend to be something frightening at first when you go like, you're going to have an audience member. But I feel like everybody really stepped it up when we did it at this, when we did it in the middle slash high school range, like friends would come up and they were prepared. They were like, we're going to, like, we want to do well in the show, you know?

[27:01] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That's so cute.

[27:01] Jennifer Lin: It was, it was actually a really great synergy of everybody's intentions together because, you know, like the actors were like, okay, we're trying to stay in character, even though like one of my best friends is one of the spellers. But best friends were like, we want to do well so that like the show does well, you know, so it's really cute.

[27:10] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: It's really cute mashing of energy. And I feel like that's a, that's a really fun use of that to be able to be like, yeah, this is going to happen and you're going to be part of the show, whether you like it or not.

[27:18] Jennifer Lin: We are talking with very, about very specific types, very specific characters.

[27:24] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yeah. Do you find any of those to be problematic?

[27:29] Jennifer Lin: Speaking as like an Asian American person, like I was first very excited that there was a role, like specifically, like when you say Marcy Park, like any Asian American is like, that's Korean, because like Park is, Park is a Korean last name, you know, like, and that's, that's a very specific choice. And I feel like, I feel like they were clever enough to subvert what you would traditionally expect, let's say, in having a character like that, you know, having a character who's obviously got tiger parents. And, you know, she can do any sport under the sun. That song is so iconic to me, like, that she goes through all six languages. She, her song is called *I Speak Six Languages*. And she literally says different parts of the song in different languages. And it's very fun in the score to see it like spelled out phonetically. And like, yeah, I'm so sure. And everybody's like, what is the say? What is

[28:17] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Break it down.

[28:47] Jennifer Lin: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is such a unique and quirky musical. It really captures the essence of childhood and the pressures that come with it.

[29:07] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Absolutely! The characters are so relatable, and the humor is just delightful. What do you think makes the music by William Finn stand out in this show?

[29:27] Jennifer Lin: Finn's music is incredibly clever and heartfelt. He has a way of blending humor with deep emotional resonance, which really enhances the storytelling.

[29:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: I agree. The way the songs reflect each character's journey is so well done. Do you have a favorite song from the show?

[30:07] Jennifer Lin: It's hard to choose just one, but I really love "I’m Not That Smart." It perfectly encapsulates the insecurities of the character while still being funny.

[30:27] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That song is a standout! The way it balances humor and vulnerability is brilliant. How do you approach directing the music for this show?

[30:47] Jennifer Lin: My approach is to really dive into the characters' emotions and motivations. I want the music to feel authentic to their experiences, so we spend a lot of time exploring that in rehearsals.

[31:07] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That sounds like a great process. The ensemble work in this show is also fantastic. How do you foster that teamwork among the cast?

[31:27] Jennifer Lin: Collaboration is key! I encourage the cast to support each other and create a safe space where everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves. It really helps build that ensemble spirit.

[31:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That's so important, especially in a show like this where the characters rely on each other. What do you think audiences take away from seeing this musical?

[32:07] Jennifer Lin: I think audiences leave with a sense of nostalgia and reflection on their own childhood experiences. It reminds us of the pressures we faced growing up and the importance of friendship.

[32:27] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Well said! It's a show that resonates on so many levels. Do you have any memorable moments from past productions that stand out to you?

[32:47] Jennifer Lin: Definitely! There was a moment during a performance when one of the actors forgot their lines, and instead of panicking, they improvised beautifully. It turned into a hilarious moment that the audience loved.

[33:07] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Those moments are the best! They really highlight the spontaneity of live theatre. How do you keep the energy up during performances?

[33:27] Jennifer Lin: I always remind the cast to stay present and connected with each other and the audience. The energy in the room can be infectious, and it’s important to feed off that.

[33:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That's a great strategy. It really enhances the overall experience for everyone involved. What do you think is the legacy of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee?

[34:07] Jennifer Lin: I believe its legacy lies in its ability to tackle serious themes with humor and heart. It shows that it's okay to be imperfect and that everyone has their own unique journey.

[34:27] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: That's a powerful message. Thank you for sharing your insights, Jennifer!

[34:47] Jennifer Lin: Thank you for having me! It's been a pleasure discussing this wonderful musical.

[35:07] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Absolutely! I can't wait to see what you do next with it.

[35:27] Jennifer Lin: I'm excited too!

[35:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in to this episode of A Musical Theatre Podcast.

[36:07] Jennifer Lin: Don't forget to follow us on social media for more updates!

[36:27] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Yes, and if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends!

[36:47] Jennifer Lin: We appreciate your support!

[37:07] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Until next time, keep celebrating the magic of musical theatre!

[37:27] Jennifer Lin: Bye everyone!

[37:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: Bye!

[38:07] Jennifer Lin: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Jennifer Lin.

[38:27] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Jennifer Lin.

[38:47] Jennifer Lin: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Jennifer Lin.

[39:07] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Jennifer Lin.

[39:27] Jennifer Lin: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Jennifer Lin.

[39:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Jennifer Lin.

[40:07] Jennifer Lin: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Jennifer Lin.

[40:27] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Jennifer Lin.

[40:47] Jennifer Lin: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Jennifer Lin.

[41:07] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Jennifer Lin.

[41:27] Jennifer Lin: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Jennifer Lin.

[41:47] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Jennifer Lin.

[42:07] Jennifer Lin: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Jennifer Lin.

[42:56] Jennifer Lin: I feel like you're exactly right. Yeah, she like took out a restraining order on him. It's like literally step away. Yeah, can't handle it. We talked about Mitch Mahoney, who's the official comfort counselor, and starts out, I think, begrudgingly, he's doing his community service and then totally buys into it. Yep. And which is yet another kind of subverting the type that you mentioned. He ends up loving it. And what does he end up doing? He becomes sort of like their confidant, which is actually really, really sweet. Like the kids all write to him. Like they all like say, Dear Mitch, blah, blah, blah, blah. And like something happens, they all like overlap each other dialogue wise. That's so cute.

That's really cute. I think I feel like he keeps going back. Like I feel like that ends up being Oh, it becomes like his official position. Yeah, exactly. Like he decides that this is what he wants to do, which is amazing. Like literally becoming a counselor. Yes. That's so cute. Next up is Olive Ostrovsky.

[43:55] Jennifer Lin: And Olive is a newcomer to spelling. Right? Yeah. Her character is like just is both sad and beautiful and, you know, tragic and, and funny. But she's, she's kind of a weird, quiet girl. She seems to have kind of a chaotic home life. And there's something incredibly safe about spelling. There is a correct way to spell things. And so she, she like sits on the toilet with her dictionary, and finds a lot of comfort in that. Yeah. And this has led her to be like a first timer at the spelling bee amidst all of these quote unquote, professional kids, right, who have been studying nonstop for this, right? Her mom is in India. Yeah, she's kind of living her kind of like a prey love life. Yes, her prey love life in India. And she has like a fantasy sequence in which she imagines what her mom might say to her.

[44:56] Jennifer Lin: And her dad is also a fantasy in that sequence, because he's supposed to be at the spelling bee and he doesn't show and he doesn't even show up. She leaves a seat for him. Yeah, exactly. No, sir, please don't sit in that. Yeah, that's for my dad. And then he never comes. Yeah. How does she because I know she has to have like the signed form. And she doesn't have the signatures. Do they just let her participate? I feel like Rona Lisa waives that for her. And there's also a fee. And I feel like Panch actually pays that for her at the end. Oh, that's so I think that those two adults do see sort of how much this means to her and they realize that you know, her parental figures are completely absent and during the course of the spelling bee and they kind of step up for that. So that's a little redeeming moment for them.

[45:45] Jennifer Lin: Because Yeah, because Rona Lisa is kind of like, I would say obnoxiously in love with the spelling. She's like, constantly like, I love it when kids get stuff wrong, because then you see, you know, like she has really funny. Here comes the moment. It's my favorite moment. Yeah. 100%. That's like her her theme of the whole show. She goes, that's my favorite moment. And then Panch obviously is like trying to spell the words. And he's got a chip on his shoulder about being the vice principal. Like that's a running gag. Of course. Like he's the vice principal and not the not the true principal. Being a vice principal has to suck because you're in charge of a lot of work. Right? You have to be in charge of all of the stuff that nobody else wants to do.

[46:26] Jennifer Lin: Yeah, that's what being a vice principal sounds like to me. And you probably get less credit doing it too. Right? Yeah, exactly. So he's got that chip on his shoulder. And he's like, they're both seen as I think, more foils to a lot of the kids' development, but then like to have them have like a little bit of softening towards Olive is a nice, yeah, like a nice little moment for them too. That's so sweet. Yeah. In the professional world, I say keep saying professional, like they get paid. But but it's like the professional spellers.

[47:00] Jennifer Lin: Yeah. In the culture of the scripts, spelling kids have different tactics to help them spell. Yes, it's a very real thing. Some like tap their legs, some write it on their arm. Yeah, right on their arm. Some like speak into their hand, right? Because the rule is as soon as you say a letter out loud, it is officially considered a part of the spelling. Now I'm looking here on the Wikipedia for everyone's official name. William Morris Barfay. I didn't know that.

[47:28] Jennifer Lin: He's a world class speller. He tends to be incredibly awkward. It's like socially awkward. Maybe even a little disgusting. Yeah. Which disgusting kids are hilarious. Once I like choreographed a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for an intermediate school and my hat goes off to all of those teachers because those kids have not learned hygiene things yet. Oh gosh. And so you get like a stinky intermediate school kid. There's nothing quite as rank. But anyway, what Barfay uses to spell is his magic foot. So he takes a moment to spell it all out with his foot before he says it aloud. And that's kind of become his signature move. And he's really gung-ho on winning it this year because he came in, did he come in second last year?

[48:19] Jennifer Lin: I feel like he was either second or in the top three and then it was a peanut allergy that knocked him out, right? Oh, that peanut allergy. Always. Because there's a very funny flashback about peanuts in the middle of the show because it was Chip who won last year. Correct. Yes. So yeah, that makes sense that Barfay was second last year. Let's talk about him. Mr. Chip Tolentino.

[48:42] Jennifer Lin: Yeah. Kind of your all-American boy scout. He's definitely to me like written as the alpha, right? Oh, for sure. If there's like an alpha in prepubescent males, yeah, the spelling bee. And it's Chip. It would be Chip. Exactly. He like plays Little League. That's right. His descriptions. And so he's coming back to defend his title because he won the whole thing last year. Right. One of the big upsets is that he gets out pretty immediately because hormones are starting to affect his brainwaves as they do to everyone. Correct. At some point. But all of a sudden what has changed between last year and this year is the fact that now he's noticing girls and he keeps getting accidental boners. And he has a whole song about it.

[49:46] Jennifer Lin: Yep. Lots of body part songs. Yep. Barfay's talking about his foot. Tolentino's talking about something else. So he sings a song and unfortunately now has to work at the concession stand for the rest of the piece. Yeah. That's also really fun audience interaction because a lot of times they'll have whoever's playing Chip carrying like a giant snack box and just like throwing stuff into the audience. Throwing like M&Ms or whatever it is right into the audience. That yeah, that's also super fun because people were not expecting free snacks and they're always happy to receive free snacks.

[50:12] Jennifer Lin: Next up we got Logan Schwartz and Grubinier. Logan Schwartz and Grubinier and she has two dads. It took me a really long time to realize it was literally Schwartz and Grubinier was her last name. Which is like one dad's last name is Schwartz. Yeah. The other one is Grubinier and so her last name is Schwartz and Grubinier. Yes. Have you ever had pixie sticks? Yes. That's how I would describe Logan. She's like a little little crack kid on on pixie sticks like she's had way too many pixie sticks. Actually the last production I did this was our youngest actress was the girl who played Logan. She was so she was tiny and it totally made sense and she did a lisp beautifully.

[51:57] Jennifer Lin: Yeah. Yeah. She has a full-on lisp. Yeah. That's a part of the character because it actually they mentioned her speech therapy at the very end of the epilogue. So she has to have a lisp and so saying Schwartz and Grubinier with a lisp is also really fun. Her dads are very overbearing. She knows way too much about political and cultural affairs because of them. Yes. Yes. And you know for a girl of her age and she has a lot of pressure. Her song is called Woe Is Me.

[52:24] Jennifer Lin: Oh it's so it's so cute but it's actually really sad at the end. It is when you think about it but just the amount of pressure and and kind of perfectionism the it's interesting that she and Marcy have similar problems right but Logan isn't able to stand up for herself in the way that Marcy is. Right and it's actually really interesting that you don't see and I think that's how they again kind of like we're sidestepping a little bit of a problematic thing is like you don't see Marcy's tiger parents you in fact you see Logan's parents who are much more overbearing like Marcy talks about these things but like you don't see her parents like you know scolding her for getting it wrong or anything like that so it's more implied um and yeah 100% Logan not being able to stand up for herself um uh is is very heartbreaking because she obviously loves her dads but like she kind of sees that they're stressing each other out too right like they're trying to help her prep for the event but they're yelling at each other and they're um you know and she does have a moment in the show where one of her dads tries to sabotage the thing.

[52:27] Jennifer Lin: He pours uh yeah coke on this floor so that Barfay can't use his magic foot technique. Right and and that's the sad part is that not only does she clean it up because she's like I don't need to cheat to win but then she gets the word wrong and right after I know and you're just like no she just stood up for her principles and then she got the word wrong um and then so she sings the reprise of Woe Is Me as she's being uh kicked off I think right and so her her little theme is I hope you still love me America.

[53:01] Jennifer Lin: Yes I hope you still love me America. She sings that because you know she's obviously this is not the national spelling bee these kids are at but they're all prepping you know they're all like being trying to prep for the national spelling bee. She might as well be running for president. No 100% like that's the little girl that you do want running for president because I think honestly because of her caring nature because of the fact that she you know doesn't cheat to win.

[53:19] Jennifer Lin: Has principles. Exactly well I was like I'll take Logan Schwartz and Grubinier for president any day. Look I am not a parent yet I do want to be it's like it's kind of a non-negotiable as far as I'm concerned I really want to be a parent but it's something that we all have to be aware of because these types of parents do exist. My my sister my little sister owns a dance studio and she said that she had a mom who I know probably doesn't listen to this podcast so I'm fine to tell this story. Her daughter is six years old and she came up to her and said can you please write out a full plan so that when she's in high school she makes the drill team like the dance team of the high school. She's six. Man. And we're already looking at like she must be on this dance team when she gets to high school.

[54:07] Jennifer Lin: What if she doesn't like it after? What if she doesn't like dance? Yeah that's so terrifying. But like we we do this and we do it under the disguise of I want you are my child to excel. Yeah but uh no for sure I've definitely run into my fair share of parents like that for piano students you know. Oh I'm sure. And in some cases it's like very blatant they're just like we're we're just doing it so it looks good on their resume. I don't like actually care if they're good at piano or not or I mean even in general just speaking with some of these kids because I you know I try to come and approach them from a more I think less parental way being like well you know what is your schedule like and like sometimes these kids are like well I have this sport and this sport and then this activity and I'm like when do you have time to play piano like you honestly don't you know.

[55:04] Jennifer Lin: Yeah something's got to give at some point. And so like that's a different sort of overloading too right like to to spread them out so thin to just be like well fill out everything that they can do. It's like oh gosh I understand the the need for that but at the same no actually I don't like I don't really understand that either. I guess I understand the impulse to do that but I don't understand the actual need to do it. Sure sure sure. But yeah so Logan is Logan has a little bit of a helicopter parent in her situation.

[55:27] Jennifer Lin: Amen. Yeah great way of saying it. Uh we've already talked about Miss Marcy Park. Her amazing song is I Speak Six Languages. It's so great. In which she shows how she excels at everything without getting sore. She kicks the MD off whoever's playing piano and plays a section of the show on the piano too. Yes! That's really fun. Marcy Park forever my favorite character in the show.

[55:50] Jennifer Lin: Next up we got Leaf Coneybear. Oh Leaf. Leaf what a what a fun character. This is who I think I've always wanted to play. My agent for some strange reason submitted me for Barfay. What? Yeah and I would have picked you as a chip or a leaf first rather than Barfay. Right well and so I called him and I was like uh you know hey hey agent I don't think that this is right and he's like no I really I really do think based on the breakdown what they're looking for. You're like then come to find out he hadn't even seen the show. No wonder.

[56:23] Jennifer Lin: Hmm that's what happens sometimes. Leaf is literally spelled l-e-a-f right? Yeah no like yeah exactly like on a tree. Yeah. Yeah and cone like cone also from a tree. Yep.

[56:35] Jennifer Lin: Who enjoy trees. Anyway, it's such a great character. He wears like a helmet. We've all seen this kid. He wears a backpack constantly. He's like put together his outfit.

[56:47] Finger puppets. Yes, he has finger puppets. I have a nephew who loves to pick out his own outfit. It's always ridiculous, but it's my favorite thing on earth. It's so fun to watch. His thing is that he goes into a trance when he spells, right? Yeah. Like he's like, I don't know this word. I don't know if I'm going to be able to do it. And then goes into this trance and is able to do it perfectly. So it's this kid who seems kind of weird, maybe not very smart, and yet is able to go into this trance where he goes beyond all of that and spells words perfectly. Right. He's almost like he's getting a vision like every time he spells. Yes. He's transported out of his body for a moment.

[57:25] So this is our cast of zany characters. They all get out one at a time on various words, all of which have really funny definitions. It's a show that made me laugh. The first time I saw it, I saw the original cast. They came and did it randomly in Los Angeles. I can't remember what it's even called. It's a big-ish theater, very wide, but it feels very school-like.

[57:50] Like an auditorium. Yeah, exactly. And it was the entire original cast. They're doing it, at least that I remember. So funny. Made me laugh. And then I've seen a couple other productions since that also made me laugh. It's really fun to see what different people bring to these different roles because, you know, sky's the limit, truly, in terms of physicality, just some of these interesting little details, costuming, right? At the end, we have Olive and Barfey. We have the newcomer and Barfey. I forgot that one of the running jokes is that they keep saying Barfey.

[58:30] Yep. So Barfey has developed kind of a crush on Olive. I feel like it's kind of mutual. Like Olive has just been like... Yeah, like almost a camaraderie where it's like I'm weird, you're weird, I found my niche with spelling, you found your niche with spelling. Yeah. Let's just go for it. So they start spelling back and forth, and one word's given to one, one word's given to the other. It looks like they're neck and neck. And then who gets it wrong first? Olive gets a word wrong, and then Barfey has to spell Weltanschauung correctly to get it. I hope I didn't mess up the German pronunciation. But it's actually a really sweet moment because he's in the middle of spelling the word, and he looks over at Olive because she knows he's going to get it right. And she says, it's okay, Barf. Because she calls him Barf for short, which is so cute.

[59:25] And that was always a moment where someone in the audience would nervous laugh because everybody was obviously super invested in the show. And that's a little moment to break the tension when she's like, it's okay, Barf. And someone would go, ah. Like, I'm feeling too much. I gotta do the nervous laugh. I have to let some emotions out. And then he spells it correctly, and then they all go into champion. They sing champion.

[59:44] And so Barfey wins. But what an amazing debut for Miss Olive.

[59:49] Yes.

[59:50] Jennifer Lin: And what a beautiful friendship that's developed between them in a very public way. Everyone in the audience, we are all witnesses to this actual spelling bee, which makes it even sweeter, I think.

[1:00:03] Yeah. And actually, I feel like the show does a really good job of being aware of the audience, but also almost laser focusing in on the intimacy of a lot of these moments. Because that little moment when he looks at her, and we're all aware of it. But in a movie, it'd be the close-up to just the two of them. And her whispering, it's okay, you can win. But in the shared intimacy of the theater, you see that. But in your brain, you already know that was an intimate moment that we were privy to, that we wouldn't normally be privy to.

[1:00:38] Yeah, same thing with the flashbacks.

[1:00:40] Yeah, exactly.

[1:00:42] You know Alyssa Simmons?

[1:00:43] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[1:00:44] Jennifer Lin: Alyssa was saying that she saw a national tour of Spelling Bee in a really big theater, and she felt like it didn't work at all. Because there is an intimacy to these moments. I really love how you said that. A laser focus into these private moments that we still get to witness, because of the magic of theater. So it's a perfect show to do in smaller spaces because of that.

[1:01:06] Oh, 100%. The two times that I've done the show have not been in traditional theaters. The first time when we did it at UCLA, we did it in what was called the Treehouse, which is this weird... It literally looked like a rec room that was built into some trees. So it was just this big empty room, and we set up folding chairs, just as if people were here to see a spelling bee. And then when we did it at the Middle Elementary School, we did it in their lobby.

[1:01:32] No way!

[1:01:33] Jennifer Lin: Yeah, we did it in their lobby. So that was really fun, because kids were just sitting on the floor, and we had some seats for the adults that didn't want to sit on the floor. But it was in the lobby, so it just made it feel like it was almost a school event. You know, people were just coming to watch the kids spell.

[1:01:46] I love that. I love that by creating unconventional shows like this, you open people up to do unconventional productions of it in many different places.

[1:01:55] A hundred percent. I mean, speaking of the unconventional shows, one of my favorite experiences was doing Lizzie at a punk rock bar. We did it onstage in a bar that was serving drinks on the side, and I was like, this is a show where metal and punk bands come and play. And so we actually had a couple people that we knew who had wandered in, because they were just like, what's this show? What's going on in here?

[1:02:22] Exactly. They're just like, normally it's like a DJ or a band is playing, but here are these four women in Victorian outfits. Like, what's happening?

[1:02:31] Yes! Oh my gosh. That makes me so happy. Unconventional spaces forever. It's great.

[1:02:36] And honestly, that's one of the reasons why I do love LA, is because there's nothing conventional about the theater scene in Los Angeles. It just isn't. It's incredibly diverse. You're constantly fighting for a space because everything is so freaking expensive that no one can afford to actually be in theaters. So it sometimes brings out these really exciting additions to musical theater that in many ways I feel is related to Spelling Bee.

[1:03:06] Do you have any favorite songs that we haven't talked about yet?

[1:03:09] I mean, we brushed on it, but the I Love You song.

[1:03:12] Thank you. I wanted to bring it up.

[1:03:15] Jennifer Lin: I was like, oh, we talked about Mitch Mahoney's character singing that song. I did that song first before I did the show. I did it in a cabaret and I was like, what is this from? How have I never heard this before? The emotional gut punch that this song is, even without the context of knowing what the show was, I was just hearing three people sing about it. I think that's part of the magic of William Finn's writing, which is like-

[1:03:44] He writes three-part harmonies like nobody else.

[1:03:46] Yes, yes, yes, yes, 100%. Hearing the three-part harmony on this song, this is the most searing. Everybody has moments where their lines pop out. I'm sure it wasn't a mathematical thing, but it just feels like everybody was featured very equally and together what they can do as the voices blended together.

[1:04:09] Yeah, this song, Always and Forever. I think it's one of those songs that I can't listen if I'm driving and it comes up on Spotify because I'll just be driving through tears. This is not safe.

[1:04:18] I know. This is not okay if this comes on. It's up there with sailing for me, right?

[1:04:26] Absolutely.

[1:04:27] Jennifer Lin: And anytime. Speaking of the one hits from every show that I'm like, I'm going to cry, I'm going to cry.

[1:04:32] It's so true though. Honestly, when it hits you in the show, I think on some level you're like, oh crap, this show is this as well?

[1:04:42] Right, yeah.

[1:04:43] Because up until then, it's been-

[1:04:44] You've been laughing hysterically.

[1:04:46] Laughing hysterically, but at the same time, so invested and so heartfelt.

[1:04:51] Yeah.

[1:04:52] Jennifer Lin: And then, like you said, the sucker punch of this song, which is-

[1:04:55] Can we talk about how he sets it up though? It's so clever.

[1:04:59] We are absolutely on the same page. Olive receives the word chimerical?

[1:05:05] Chimerical, yes.

[1:05:07] Jennifer Lin: And so that word means-

[1:05:09] A fantasy.

[1:05:10] A fantasy, yeah. Something that doesn't- And so when she's given this word, and here's the definition, I can't even talk about it. She goes to this fantasy in which her parents are there together telling that they love her.

[1:05:22] Yeah. Or just both of us like, ah. And it's not even that, it's just like, they also apologize for all the things that they've put her through. So you're seeing the emotional intelligence of this, I don't know, 11, 12-year-old girl. To some extent, she knows there's a reason why her mom has left. And even if she doesn't put it into words, there's this like, oh, what is the devastating line? Her mom said, your sadness filled my room.

[1:05:49] When you were born, your sadness filled my room. And it's almost like she's acknowledging that depression, anxiety runs in the family. Though she literally says it runs in the family at one point. And then the dad comes in and just says like, I'm sorry that I'm taking my emotions out on you, right? Like, oh.

[1:06:06] Yeah, it's not your fault.

[1:06:06] Jennifer Lin: So much is happening in this song. And like, I don't, I'm trying to think, how did they do it in the original production? Because it's Rona Lisa's character and Mitch's character that sing, right? That are pretending to be the-

[1:06:17] Mother and father.

[1:06:18] Jennifer Lin: Yeah. Olive is still at the microphone, ready to spell the word, and you just have a lighting change. And very simply, they appear behind her in a sort of triangle. And I'm not even sure they really look at each other. They just sort of sing to her.

[1:06:35] They just sing to her and kind of almost a Les Mis sort of way.

[1:06:38] Right. And it's just, it's such a stunning moment. My gosh. Then at the very end, when she spells the word, right, they do the three part harmony on the final I love.

[1:06:49] Yeah. And then she spells chimerical and she gives the definition.

[1:06:53] You're right. She doesn't, like, she doesn't even ask for the definition. She knows. She knows exactly what it is.

[1:06:58] Highly fanciful. And then they sing you. And that's also another genius because they go from like these crazy, beautiful harmonies to single you.

[1:07:07] Unison. Yeah. And so like the male voice has to kind of float up to be unison with the two women singers. And it's just this beautiful, gorgeous tone. And then the song ends and everyone's like, why am I crying now?

[1:07:19] You're like, what happened to the fun spelling bee?

[1:07:21] I thought this was supposed to be fun. I know. Like, I feel like from that moment on towards the rest of the show, like it's equally funny and like heartbreaking at the same time.

[1:07:32] Right.

[1:07:33] Jennifer Lin: Like kind of going back and forth, trading, trading blows a bit.

[1:07:36] But oh man. Yeah, for sure. That if you wanted me to talk about one number in the show, that number.

[1:07:41] No, I'm so glad you did.

[1:07:43] Because that would be my pick as well.

[1:07:46] What is cool is that you can't have this kind of humor without this kind of heartfelt stuff. You know what I mean? I think sometimes we set out to create something while ignoring the other part that makes it possible. And the show doesn't do that. It does it really well. It's a great example of that.

[1:08:01] Right. I mean, it derives humor from, I think, a lot of either shared things or things that you are familiar with, right? Like, let's say the stereotypes that you're familiar with, but then it sort of balances that out with equally shared emotion. I honestly want to see more William Finn musicals like that's honestly what I am left with. He has such a very specific style that it comes around just every once in a while. And if you can catch it and it hits, then you get to enjoy it.

[1:08:35] But other than that, it's too often a lightning in a bottle type thing for me.

[1:08:41] Yeah, that I don't get. I don't get to consume it as much as I'd like to.

[1:08:44] Right. Like he's not been as traditionally as prolific, I guess, if you want to say, but I feel like most people only know him from Spelling Bee or Falsettos, right? It's just those two. So I love William Finn. I love Spelling Bee. I'm grateful that it was a hit because now more people get to love it as well. And yeah, that's all I got.

[1:09:06] Thank you so much for doing this.

[1:09:11] Jennifer Lin: Of course. You're so intelligent and so talented and so warm and lovely to talk to. I really appreciate it.

[1:09:14] Thank you.

[1:09:14] Jeffrey Scott Parsons: As always, if you have recommendations for shows you'd like us to cover on a musical theater podcast, be sure to email me at amusicalpodcast at gmail.com. Also follow us on Instagram and Twitter at a musical podcast for more great content. And you know what, check out our TeePublic store, because it has lots of great designs from shows past and present that you can put on all sorts of merchandise. Jennifer, how do we follow you?

[1:09:41] Jennifer Lin: I am on Instagram. I think it's just at... I should know this. I was like, I think it's just at J-E-N and then underscore L-I-N. Because I go by Jen Lin because there are a lot of Jennifer's. I post a lot about my cat who I hope you haven't picked up. She's been furiously meowing at the door for the last 10 minutes. She's like, why can't I get it? I post a lot about my cat and food and theater that I'm hopefully working on.

[1:10:13] Look, cat, food, theater. Yeah, I love it.

[1:10:17] Those three, the three necessities.

[1:10:19] And to all our listeners out there, in the words of the great Mitch Mahoney, goodbye.