The Coastal Carolina University Theatre production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a Tony Award-winning musical, opens on Wednesday, Oct. 27 and runs through Saturday, Nov. 6.

Shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 27 through Saturday, Oct. 30, and Wednesday, Nov. 3 through Saturday, Nov. 6. There will also be one matinee at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6. All performances will be at the 79th Avenue Theatre at the Myrtle Beach Higher Education Center located at the intersection of 79th Avenue North and U.S. 17 Bypass in Myrtle Beach.

The “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is a musical comedy about the angst of overachievers, chronicling the experience of six adolescent outsiders for whom a small town spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time. The musical focuses on six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, who learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser.

The musical is directed and choreographed by Barbara Hartwig, artist-in-residence and lecturer of theatre at CCU. Steven Gross, associate professor of theatre at CCU, is the musical director. The cast includes musical theatre majors Meredith Gratton, Caleb Jernigan, Matthew McCoy, Shannon Burke and Amanda Jeter, dramatic arts majors Chad Bagwell, Charles Armstrong, Sarah Burton and Justin Ables.

General admission is $15. Alumni, senior citizens (65+) and Osher Lifelong Learner Institute members are $10; teens (11 to 17) and children, accompanied by an adult, (10 and under) are $5.

For tickets or more information, call the Wheelwright Box Office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 843-349-2502.