<p>My son is also a spelling bee winner. I still remember going to his first district meet and seeing a mom and dad sitting front and center with a camcorder on a tripod intent on recording the whole thing because the previous year they felt their son had been ‘ripped off’ by the judges. Sure enough, their little precious goes out on the second word and they started arguing the judges ‘misheard’ him . Oh brother.</p>
<p>I still think it’s a great experience …one bad apple and all that. But, I do wish our district would refrain from asking teachers with a strong East Texas accent to call the words. Goood grief…it’s ‘pinch’, not ‘peench’.</p>
<p>Susan, it’s quite possible I’m thinking of an earlier leg of the tour. The boy I was thinking of has the initials MZ, it’s not AK-B. It’s hard to keep all these kids straight. Bee has had many Tisch connections, starting off with Bill Finn and then extending to Rachel Sheinkin and also to castmembers.</p>
<p>AlwaysAMom, I don’t know MZ (but my D would know of him), but I do know that last year when DS was on the tour (the first year of the National Tour), her friend was playing Leaf. This actor’s contract wasn’t renewed I believe for this year’s tour, or in any case, he did not return. Last year, DS was understudy for Olive and Logainne (though performed many times) and this year returned on the tour and is playing Logainne. So, the boy you are thinking of was likely the one I mean who played Leaf LAST year, but now on this year’s tour, it is AK-B.</p>
<p>PS…I see the name you mean on Shifting Ground’s site (MZ). I knew that the actor was a friend of DS. However, reading his bio, he is not a Tischie but a graduate of UMichigan.</p>
It’s hard to keep all these kids straight. Bee has had many Tisch connections, starting off with Bill Finn and then extending to Rachel Sheinkin and also to castmembers.</p>