RS:   The show is a musical satire of spelling competitions and the pressure to go to Washington 鈥?where, in real life, the best young spellers compete in the National Spelling Bee. VOICE:   Ms. Peretti. Please spell syzygy.

RONA:   S-y-z-y-g-y. Syzygy?

VOICE:   We have a winner!

RONA:   Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

CHIP:   At the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling BeeMy parents keep on telling meJust being here is winning.

AlthoughI know it isn't so.

RONA:   But it's a very niceVery, very nice ...

RONA, CHIP:   Very, very niceVery nice beginning.

RONA:   Our winner here last year: Chip Tolentino.

SCHWARZY:   Ms. Peretti!

RONA:   And our youngest competitor, Logainne Schwarzandgrubeniere.

CONEYBEAR:   At the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling game -- Bee!

I'll stand when they announce my name:

RONA:   Leaf Coneybear.

CONEYBEAR:   And try and keep from shaking.

SCHWARZY:   AlasHis shaking will not passCONEYBEAR/CHIP/RONA/SCHWARZY: 'Cause it's a very big, Very fraught Simple but it's notIt's a very big undertaking.

RONA:   Returning after last year's tragic setback, William Barfee.

BARFEE:   It's pronounced Barfee, there's an accent egue.

RONA:   I'm not sure who this girl is.

MARCY:   Marcy Park. Recent transfer.

SCHWARZY:   Winner's destination: Washington, D.C.

CHIP/SCHWARZY:   Plasma TVIn a fancy hotel.

MARCY/CHIP/SCHWARZY:   Where they treat you well.

ALL:   All because you love to spell.

We spell.

RONA:   It's a marvelous memoryIf you win the spelling bee.

One's life improves from A to ZThe minute you are crowned here.

I see a trophy held by me!

And when I wonDid I swell?

Oh the stories I could tell!

But braggarts don't do wellAround here.

OLIVE:   Hi, I'm Olive Ostrovsky. Do you know where I check in?

BARFEE:   Shut up!

CONEYBEAR:   At the 25th AnnualWe memorize the manual ...

ALL:   About how to spell these words.

Words that require thought.

People think we're automatons. But that is exactly what we're not.

MARCY:   We hear the word.

SCHWARZY:   We breathe.

CONEYBEAR:   We wait.

ALL:   Unlike idiots we ideate.

RONA:   To ideate is to form an image or idea, to thinkCONEYBEAR:   At the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ...

SCHWARZY:   We feel no animosity.

SCHWARZY/OLIVE:   And yet our heads are spinning.

BARFEE:   We areThe slightest bit bizarre.

MARCY:   But since the time is now ...

CONEYBEAR:   Holy cow!

SCHWARZY:   We shall make a solemn vowTo concentrate on winning.

ALL:   We concentrate on winning.

At the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling BeeWe speak so damn convincingly.

RONA:   They're nervous but they're grinning.

GIRLS:   It seemsWe're living out our dreams.

BOYS:   Which is a very niceVery nice, very very very niceALL:   Very nice, very niceVery very very niceVery niceBeginningRONA:   25th AnnualSPELLERS:   25th AnnualALL:   Putnam County Spelling Bee!

RS:   The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is on stage in New York and San Francisco.  A national tour is scheduled to begin later this year.

AA:   And that's Wordmaster for this week -- online at voanews.com/wordmaster.  Our e-mail address is [email protected].  With Rosanne Skirble, I'm Avi Arditti.