The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

In a world ruled by spell-check, spelling bees still manage to maintain a sort of sadistic allure — watching kids at the height of awkward adolescence suffering through scrutiny and competition is apparently endlessly fascinating. But this Tony Award-winning musical turns a kind eye to the absurdities of this enduring tradition, presenting stereotypes of the spelling circuit — the fiercely competitive returning champ, the lisping overachiever, the hapless fat kid, and the overly enthusiastic adults who facilitate it all — with both humor and empathy. At 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 22, at Marygrove Theatre, 8425 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit; 313-993-3270, theatre.udmercy.edu. Those audience members interested in showing off spelling chops should arrive 30 minutes early to sign up for a chance to participate in the production as spelling bee contestants.

Marygrove Theater

8425 W. McNichols

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Venue phone: 313-862-8000