Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world's leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond.  Founded in 1952 by composer Frank LOESSER and orchestrator Don WALKER, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form.  

MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide.  

MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences.  MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.  

Rebecca FELDMAN is the conceiver of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for which she won a Lucille Lortel Award, Drama Desk and Tony Nomination for Best Musical.  She directed its world premiere at Barrington Stage Company in the summer of 2004.  

Rebecca is Associate Producer on Transparent, the Musical Finale and served as Staff Writer on the finale as well.  She is currently developing an episodic drama with Big Kid Pictures, called La Coyote, which has been selected to the WeForShe’s 2019 Writeher List.  

She is an alumna of the Lincoln Center Director's Lab as well as the AFI Directing Workshop for Women where she won the Jean Firstenburg Award for Best Short.  

Her short films include, My First Time Driving (AFI Jean Firstenburg Award, Best Short at Lake Arrowhead Film Fest, Best of Shorts at Outfest), A/V Club (TV Pilot, NYTVF), Uber Alice (Woodstock Film Fest), Dead Cat (Producer, Tribeca Film Fest) and Irving (Official Selection Rhode Island Film Fest, Official Selection USA Film Fest, Ft. Lauderdale Film Fest, Atlanta Jewish Film Fest).  

Jay REISS is playwright.  He is a Julliard graduate and provided additional material to the book for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.  REISS appeared in the original workshops, Off-Broadway cast, and Broadway cast of the musical as Vice Principal Douglas Panch.  

Mr. FINN is the writer and composer ofFalsettos, for which he received two Tony Awards, Best Book of a Musical (with James LAPINE) and Best Original Score.  He has also written and composed In Trousers, March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland (Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, two Los Angeles Drama Critic's Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, the Lucille Lortel Award, and Guggenheim Fellowship in Musical Composition).  Mr. FINN wrote the lyrics to Graciela Daniele's Tango Apasionado (music by the great Astor PIAZZOLLA) and, with Michael STAROBIN, the music to LAPINE's version of The Winter's Tale.  His musical, Romance in Hard Times, was presented at the Public Theater.  Recently, he wrote Painting You for Love's Fire, a piece commissioned and performed by The Acting Company, based on SHAKESPEARE's sonnets.  For television, Mr. FINN provided the music and lyrics for the Ace Award-winning HBO cartoon "Ira Sleeps Over," "Tom Thumb and Thumbelina," "Pokey Little Puppy's First Christmas," and, with Ellen FITZHUGH, two "Brave little Toaster" cartoons.  Mr. FINN has written for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and The New Yorker.  A graduate of Willi ams College where he was awarded the Hutchinson Fellowship for Musical Composition, FINN now teaches a weekly master class at the NYU Tisch Graduate Program in Musical Theatre Writing.  His most recent projects include Elegies, A Song Cycle (Lincoln Center) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee which ran on Broadway and has been produced nationally and internationally, as well.  

Broadway: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Tony, Drama Desk awards); Off Broadway: Striking 12 (Lucille LORTEL nomination), Off-Off: Serenade.  Regional: Guthrie, Little House on the Prairie ; Center Theater Group, Sleeping Beauty Wakes (Los Angeles Ovation Award); London: Blood Drive.  Residencies, fellowships, commissions include: Eugene O'Neill National Theater Center, Baryshnikov Dance Foundation, MacDowell Colony, Manhattan Theatre Club, Deaf West, McCarter Theatre, Playwrights Horizons.  Rachel is a volunteer mentor for TDF's Open Doors program, a visiting instructor at Yale School of Drama, and adjunct faculty member of NYU's Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program.  

The Farm was founded in 2000 by Rebecca FELDMAN, Artistic Director.  It is a collective of writers and performers, including Jay REISS, Dan FOGLER, and Sarah SALTZBERG.  The Farm’s interest is in the role of improvisation in creating new work for the theatre.  The Farm initially designates a two-week intensive period in which to discover, develop, and rehearse a play from the impulses borne mainly out of the pressure of a deadline.  Previous projects include “Super” (at Atlantic Theatre Studios), “Why I Hate Florida” (workshop at White Wave in DUMBO) and “C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E” (at the Present Company Theatorium in October 2002), on which “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is based.  The character and original dialogue of “Beth Marguiles,” “Vice President Douglas Panch,” “Mr. Barfee,” and “Logan Schwarzengrubenierre” were created by Rebecca FELDMAN, Jay REISS, Dan FOGLER, and Sarah SALTZBERG, respectively.  

Mandy has spent over 40 years in Hong Kong, teaching Jazz & Tap Dance and sharing her love of Musical Theater.  For 20 years, she was a full-time Lecturer of Musical Theater Dance at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where she choreographed for numerous musicals and dance productions.  Over the years, she has also worked with various local and international companies (both amateur and professional), choreographing and directing musicals.  The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will be her 6th musical for HKUST – previous productions being 9 to 5; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Singin’ in the Rain, Wonderful Town and The Music Man.  

Isaac DROSCHA, vocalist and conductor, holds a Doctorate in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan and is currently a faculty member in the Division of Humanities at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.  

He has performed a number of roles with various companies in the United States, including the Des Moines Metro Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Opera New Jersey, and Arbor Opera Theater.  His performances have received numerous positive reviews, and some of his notable roles performed include roles in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Le Nozze di Figaro, The Rake’s Progress, Madama Butterfly, L’Elisir d’Amore, Die Zauberflöte, Die Fledermaus, Falstaff, and Ariadne auf Naxos.  He was also recently featured in two films produced by RTHK based on the operas La Serva Padrona and Rita.  He is a close partner of Musica Viva HK.  

He is a prolific concert performer of oratorio and art song and frequently lends his vocal talents to radio and television at RTHK.  

As a conductor, he has conducted choirs, opera, and musical theatrer performances in Hong Kong and the US.  

Isaac WONG graduated with First Class Honors in stage design from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and is currently working as a freelance stage designer in Hong Kong.  Isaac has an impressive portfolio of recent set design credits, encompassing a diverse range of productions.  Some notable works include set designs for plays such as Appointment with Death, Go Back For Murder, Nunsensations!, and 8 Femmes for Theatre Space.  He has also contributed to productions by the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, including The Finale of Mr. AD, In Times of Turmoil, Wolf in the House, and Last Supper.  Isaac's versatility extends to collaborations with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, BHT Theatre, Yat Po Singers, Musica Viva, Boom Theatre, The Theatre Wonderland, and many more.  

Graduated in the Bachelor of Arts in Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in Theatre Lighting Design.  

Her recent productions in lighting design include Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story presented by City University; Heather, Guys and Dolls, Titanic the Musical, Catch Me If You Can the Musical, My Fair Lady, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Into The Woods, Legally Blonde, Footloose & Hairspray presented by Face Production; Elf The Musical Jr., King Arthur, Magic Flute, Marriage of Figaro presented by Opera Hong Kong and Wonderful Town, 9 to 5 the musical, Singin’ in The Rain presented by HKUST.  

HA Yan-pui graduated from the Theatre, Sound and Music Recording Department at The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.  She works as sound designer and engineer for many local and overseas productions and as sound consultant for some musical festivals.  Her recent design works include West Kowloon x Hong Kong Repertory Theatre The Impossible Trial (Best Sound Design, 31st Hong Kong Drama Awards); Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra’s The Palace of Eternal Life on a Moonlit Night; Musical Yat-sen for the Hong Kong Arts Festival; The Woman in Kenzo for Chung Ying Theatre Company (Best Sound Design, 30th Hong Kong Drama Award; The Originals (Reimagined); Sing Out (Best Sound Design, 27th Hong Kong Drama Awards); Our Immortal Cantata (re-run) for Yat Po Singers (Best Sound Design, 26th Hong Kong Drama Awards), and many more.  

HA Yan-pui graduated from the Theatre, Sound and Music Recording Department at The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. She works as sound designer and engineer for many local and overseas productions and as sound consultant for some musical festivals. Her recent design works include West Kowloon x Hong Kong Repertory Theatre The Impossible Trial (Best Sound Design, 31st Hong Kong Drama Awards); Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra’s The Palace of Eternal Life on a Moonlit Night; Musical Yat-sen for the Hong Kong Arts Festival; The Woman in Kenzo for Chung Ying Theatre Company (Best Sound Design, 30th Hong Kong Drama Award; The Originals (Reimagined); Sing Out (Best Sound Design, 27th Hong Kong Drama Awards); Our Immortal Cantata (re-run) for Yat Po Singers (Best Sound Design, 26th Hong Kong Drama Awards), and many more.

Graduating from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a major in Theatre Design, Moraine LO is a freelance wardrobe supervisor and dresser.  Her experience in various productions has honed her skills in costume management and design, enabling her to contribute effectively to the creative process.  Moraine is passionate about bringing characters to life through thoughtful wardrobe choices and collaboration with directors and performers.  

A Set and Costume Designer who studied at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in Set and Costume Design and graduated in 2024 from the University of Lincoln, with a degree in Event, Exhibition, and Performance Design.  Currently, he works in production at Theatre Space.  

Productions include the professional performance series “Don’t Forget Me” for Teens Theatre (Set and Costume Design), the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts School of Dance “Choreography Workshop 2 - Vortex•Moon Shadow•The Boy” (Set and Costume Design), School of Music “Falstaff” (Assistant Set Designer), and School of Drama “BU21” (Assistant Costume Designer) for among others.  

Marcus has also gained experience in stage and project management, serving as Assistant Stage Manager for Theatre Space’s “The Musical Into the Woods” and “Readers Theatre - Chess23” .  Additionally, he was the Costume and Styling Director for the poster of “Don’t Forget Me” and has worked on various project planning initiatives, including the Duo Lab.  

Follow Marcus on Instagram: @marcustyw_

*With the kind permission of Theatre Space.  

Fred graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Major Art, Event and Stage Management.  During the school with drama production The Man of the Blue and black, he got the award “The Best DSM of the Academy in 2011/12”.  

Fred has worked at the Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park and has worked with different companies to serve as stage manager and production manager.  He worked many times for the Hong Kong International Airport festivals as a stage manager.  Fred has also participated in the production of children in different regions, not only the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao, he also went to Africa to teach local orphans and the production of the musical Azibo.  In 2013, he worked on the D100 radio, be a DJ.  Fred has been a tutor of HKAPA Excel Summer Musical for four years from 2014 to 2017.  He has also taught many primary and secondary school students in theater and stage knowledge for many years.  Fred is also currently the Artistic and Technical Director at Theatre Merchants.  In 2016, he built up a new production house "Earth’s Kidz Production", and he hopes he can produce more and more good production and education for the kids.  He believes "Theatre is for all Kidz.  The Kidz future is something we build in the present".  

Vanessa’s journey in theatre began in 2001 when she worked on a production of Hello, Dolly! as a Production Assistant.  Since then, she has worked in many different capacities in production and marketing for various theatre groups in Hong Kong.  Credits include La Cage aux Folles, Glengarry Glen Ross, Fiddler on the Roof, South Pacific, The Dresser, Peter Pan, My Fair Lady, The Full Monty and The Wizard of Oz.  Vanessa was the Associate Producer for ABA Productions, overseeing and executing a wide range of roles and responsibilities for their international touring shows.  She is now working independently as a Production Stage Manager.  

Chuck-jee CHAU is an active collaborative pianist and mallet percussionist.  He is keen in theatrical music, being the band leader in multiple shows.  For HKUST Summer Musical, he has been a coach, rehearsal pianist or stage percussionist, in productions from Guys and Dolls (2012) to The Music Man (2024).  He also played in live bands in local musicals, including The Woman in Kenzo (2021) of Chung Ying Theatre.  

After his studies in CUHK majoring in Computer Engineering and minoring in Music and German, he taught and conducted research on computer music at HKUST.  He was engaged in student art activities, and took up the role of the Learning Community Fellow for UG Hall VII Arts a-LIVE.  He is now a lecturer at CUHK, working on computer music, music information retrieval, etc.  His research works have been published in the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) and the Journal of Audio Engineering Society (JAES).  

Roderick YU is a pianist who takes up different roles in orchestral, opera, chamber music and vocal piano accompanying.  He was invited to perform with Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra, Collegium Musicum Hong Kong, Guildhall New Music Ensemble, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble and HKBDA Wind Orchestra.  He has also performed in international music festivals in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Canada, Austria and Hong Kong.  His performance of Brett DEAN’s Wolf-Lieder (2006) has been broadcasted in the BBC Radio 3 in London.  He is currently Young Artist-in-Resident of Shantou Xiangyuan Piano Museum and the pianist of the TimeCrafters.  

Roderick completed his Master’s Degree with Distinction with the support of Leverhulme Trust at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.  He has received the Scotiabank scholarship to be the Art of Song Fellow during the 2013 Toronto Summer Music Festival, where he received intensive coaching from Elly AMELING, Julius DRAKE and Michael MCMAHON.  Roderick was trained as a lieder coach by Konrad JARNOT and Christoph BERNER in Universität Mozarteum Salzburg.  

Ian started his music education in classical singing as a tenor since secondary school, and remained passionate since.  He is a current staff member in the Center for Engineering Education Innovation (E2I) in HKUST.  Prior to this production, he has participated in HKUST Musical productions 9 to 5 (ensemble), Singin’ in the Rain (as vocal teacher), and Wonderful Town (as Bob Baker), and The Music Man (as Harold Hill).  Ian obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2020 and Master’s Degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 2024.  He has worked as a freelance translator since university and translated the surtitles of Wonderful Town and The Music Man.  He also served as the Production Manager in Vocatelier Soirée in 2022.