TONY AWARD-WINNING POWERHOUSE
ALI STROKER
RETURNS TO THE NEW YORK STAGE
JOINING THE MULTI-AWARD-WINNING REVIVAL OF
THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE
AS RONA LISA PERETTI
ALONGSIDE OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST,
LAURIE HERNANDEZ
AS LOGAINNE SCHWARTZANDGRUBENIERRE
NOW THROUGH SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11 ONLY
(NEW YORK, NY – August 20, 2026) The producers of the 2026 Lortel, Dorian Theater, and Off-Broadway Alliance Award-winning revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee announce the final powerhouse performers to join the sensational cast for the shows third and final extension, through Sunday, October 11 only. Beginning September 7, Tony Award-winning sensation, Ali Stroker (Oklahoma!, “Glee”) will play Rona Lisa Peretti, and Olympic gold medalist Laurie Hernandez will play Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre.
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.
A New York Times ‘Critic’s Pick’, the first ever major revival of Spelling Bee has made its mark with a production deemed “brilliant” (Daily Beast) and “tender, joyous, bittersweet, and very, very funny” (New York Times). Starring a cavalcade of deftly talented and comedic triple threats, the show will close out its final extension with Stroker, Hernandez, alongside 2-time Emmy Award-winner Jon Cryer (“Two and a Half Men,” Pretty in Pink) as Vice Principal Douglas Panch, Tony Award Nominee Justin Cooley (Kimberly Akimbo) as Leaf Coneybear, Nina White (Kimberly Akimbo) as Olive Ostrovsky, Philippe Arroyo (& Juliet) as Chip Tolentino, Leana Rae Concepcion (Merrily We Roll Along) as Marcy Park, Matt Manuel (Ain’t Too Proud) as Mitch Mahoney, and understudies Brandon L. Armstrong, Jahbril Cook, DeMarius Copes, Vanessa Magula, Emily Nicole Rudolph, and Cecilia Snow.
Featuring a Tony Award-winning book by Rachel Sheinkin (Striking 12, Sleeping Beauty Wakes) and a vibrant score by Tony Award winner William Finn (Falsettos, A New Brain), this new production of the musical is directed & choreographed by Danny Mefford (Kimberly Akimbo, Dear Evan Hansen). The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a fast-paced and funny D-E-L-I-G-H-T. 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 Tony–winning Broadway debut in 2005.
The 20th Anniversary Production, and first ever major revival, opened to critical acclaim on November 17, 2025, following previews that began on November 7, 2025, and has now been extended three times. Declared by The New York Times as “the gift we desperately needed,” The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee delivers an unforgettable experience that leaves audiences spellbound. In addition to winning the 2026 Lucille Lortel Award, the Off Broadway Alliance Award, and the Dorian Award for Best Revival of a musical, the production was one of the most nominated shows of the season – on Broadway & off - receiving an additional Lortel nomination for Best Ensemble; 4 Drama League Award Nominations for Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Distinguished Performance (Cooley, Rogers); 4 Drama Desk Award Nominations for Outstanding Revival, Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Featured Performance (Cooper, Rogers); and 4 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations for Outstanding Revival, and Outstanding Featured Performer (Cooley, McHale, Rogers).
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was conceived by Rebecca Feldman with Additional Material by Jay Reiss and is based on "C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E," an original play by The Farm. First developed at Barrington Stage Company, the show debuted Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theater in 2005 – earning widespread critical acclaim and winning the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding New Musical. The show immediately transferred to Broadway’s Circle in The Square Theatre, where it won two Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards, and enjoyed a hugely successful run of nearly three years.
The new production of Spelling Bee features Scenic Design by Teresa L. Williams (The Preacher’s Wife), Costume Design by Emily Rebholz (Dear Evan Hansen), Lighting Design by David Weiner (Suddenly Last Summer), and Sound Design by Haley Parcher (Spamalot). The Music Supervisor is Carmel Dean (The Notebook), and the Music Director is Elizabeth Doran (Water for Elephants). Casting is by Geoff Josselson Casting (Sweeney Todd), General Management is by 321 Theatrical Management (Wicked, The Outsiders), and the Production Stage Manager is Rachel Zucker (Pirates! The Penzance Musical).
The musical is produced by Barbara Whitman, Aaron Glick, and Timothy Bloom by special arrangement with David Stone, and co-produced by James L. Nederlander, Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Debra Martin Chase, Rachel Sussman, Patrick Catullo and Ryan Solomon.
BIOGRAPHIES:
LAURIE HERNANDEZ (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.
ALI STROKER (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.