Farmers Alley Theatre Expands to Kalamazoo College's Festival Playhouse with 'THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE'

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Farmers Alley Theatre has announced it will move to a larger venue for its summer 2024 productions due to increased audience demand. The theatre will relocate from its current 100-seat location in downtown Kalamazoo to the 280-seat Festival Playhouse at Kalamazoo College. The move will start with the Tony-award winning musical, 'THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE,' to accommodate more spectators and improve the theatrical experience.

This move also begins a partnership with Kalamazoo College’s Theatre Arts Department, allowing Farmers Alley Theatre to offer a season of critically acclaimed productions. After 'THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE,' the theatre will present 'School of Rock: The Musical' in July. This collaboration provides the theatre with a larger venue and enhances the college’s cultural offerings.

'THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE' combines humor and emotion, depicting a group of young competitors in a spelling championship. The musical explores themes of adolescence, victory, and self-acceptance through the competitors' personal and often humorous stories.

The cast features both new and returning actors, including three from the 2023 production of 'Rent.' Directed by Farmers Alley Theatre founder Rob Weiner, the production aims to offer engaging performances with catchy tunes and witty scripts in the larger Festival Playhouse.