It’s not going too far to call “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” an “adorable” musical. With its clever book by Rachel Sheinkin and peppy music by William Finn, the title tells you all you need to know about where the musical takes place: a middle school auditorium, where six intelligent, unconventional students do battle over words. The Keegan Theatre is doing justice to the virtues of “Spelling Bee” in its current production, directed by Christina Coakley. The students who gather to participate in the competition are talented singers and dancers, giving the musical a jazzy surface appeal. But the real charm of “Spelling Bee” is in its structure, which gives each contestant a chance to reveal something about his or herself.
In his number “Magic Foot,” for instance, William Barfee (Dan Sonntag) explains how he draws a word with his foot before spelling it out loud, doing a dance routine in the process. Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere (Shayna Blass) sings plaintively of what it’s like to have two gay fathers who push her to compete.
