Compass Rose Theater, an award-winning and critically acclaimed professional theater in Annapolis, just received seven 2025 Helen Hayes Award Nominations for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The Helen Hayes Awards recognize outstanding achievements from professional theatres and theatre-makers across the Washington, DC region. These nominations are for productions in the 2024 calendar year.
The 2025 Helen Hayes Award Nominations for Compass Rose Theater’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee are:
Outstanding DIRECTOR of a Musical: Tommy Malek
Outstanding MUSICAL DIRECTION: Rachel Sandler
Outstanding LEAD Performer in a Musical: Beth Amann
Outstanding LEAD Performer in a Musical: Sam Slottow
Outstanding SUPPORTING Performer in a Musical: Omar A. Said
Outstanding COSTUME Design: Tommy Malek
Outstanding ENSEMBLE in a Musical: Beth Amann as Rona Lisa, Cera Baker as Marcy, B.J. Robertson as Mitch, Lila Cooper as Olive, Stephen Emery as Barfee, Preston Grover as Chip, Taylor Litofsky as Logainnne, Omar A. Said as Panch, and Sam Slottow as Leaf.
“It’s an honor to receive just one Helen Hayes Award nomination, much less seven. I’m thrilled for our professional team, whose hard work, dedication, and talent resulted in this high honor. The audience loved it so much that I still imagine bringing our Spelling Bee cast back to the Compass Rose stage or taking it on tour in our area. That’s how proud we are, how great it was, and how much fun we had presenting it.“ – Producer Barbara Webber, Executive Director of Compass Rose Theater.
The Helen Hayes Awards celebration will be held on Monday, May 19, 2025, at The Anthem.