Beginning September 7, Tony Award-winner Ali Stroker (Oklahoma!, “Glee”) will play Rona Lisa Peretti, and Olympic gold medalist Laurie Hernandez will play Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Tony Award winner Alex Newell (Shucked, “Glee”) and TV star Laura Marano (Disney’s “Austin & Ally,” Netflix’s The Perfect Date) play their final performances on Sunday, September 6, as Rona Lisa Peretti and Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, respectively.
The show will close out its final extension with Stroker, Hernandez, Jon Cryer as Vice Principal Douglas Panch, Justin Cooley as Leaf Coneybear, Nina White as Olive Ostrovsky, Philippe Arroyo as Chip Tolentino, Leana Rae Concepcion as Marcy Park, Matt Manuel as Mitch Mahoney, and understudies Brandon L. Armstrong, Jahbril Cook, DeMarius Copes, Vanessa Magula, Emily Nicole Rudolph, and Cecilia Snow.
Featuring a book by Rachel Sheinkin and a score by William Finn, this new production of the musical is directed and choreographed by Danny Mefford. As six wonderfully unique and impassioned contestants vie for the championship by spelling their way through vexing vocabulary, hilarious and poignant personal stories unfold…along with a dash of riotous audience participation. This charmingly witty and touching musical has entertained audiences across the world since its Broadway debut in 2005.
(Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, beginning September 7) is an Olympic gold and silver medalist, two-time New York Times bestselling author, broadcaster, and performer. She first captured international attention at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games as a member of the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team, where her athletic excellence and charisma made her a fan favorite. She later won the Mirrorball Trophy on Dancing with the Stars Season 23. Laurie is the author of I Got This: To Gold and Beyond and her children’s illustrated book She’s Got This, both New York Times bestsellers that center on confidence, resilience, and self-belief. In recognition of her impact and Latina heritage, Mattel honored her with a Laurie Hernandez “Shero” Barbie. A second-generation American with Puerto Rican roots, she made history as the first U.S.-born Latina to join the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team since 1984. In addition to her athletic and literary achievements, Laurie has become a respected gymnastics analyst for NBC, providing commentary for the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Her live coverage from Paris earned widespread praise from viewers and the entertainment community alike. Laurie is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied drama with a minor in creative writing. She made her Broadway debut this spring in & Juliet and is currently developing scripts for a television short series. A national speaker and passionate advocate for mental health and children’s rights, Laurie was named a UNICEF USA Ambassador in 2023.
(Rona Lisa Peretti, beginning September 7) is a Tony and Drama Desk Award winner for her role as ‘Ado Annie’ in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! She made history as the first actor in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway in Deaf West’s acclaimed revival of Spring Awakening and the first actor in a wheelchair to win a Tony. Off-Broadway: Richard III (Shakespeare in the Park). Film: Office Romance (Netflix), Christmas Ever After (Lifetime). TV: “Echoes” (Netflix), “Ozark” (Netflix), ”Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu), etc. Ali co-wrote the novel, The Chance to Fly and its sequel, Cut Loose!; and she wrote the children’s book, Ali and the Sea Stars.
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