Laurie Hernandez and Ali Stroker Join the Fun in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee—See Photos

The Olympic gold medalist and Tony winner are now starring in the off-Broadway revival at New World Stages

First Look

by Sophia Rubino • Sep 14, 2026

Laurie Hernandez in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"
(Photo: Joan Marcus)

What to Know

Olympic gold medalist Laurie Hernandez and Tony winner Ali Stroker have joined The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee off-Broadway
Hernandez stars as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, while Stroker plays Rona Lisa Peretti alongside Jon Cryer and more
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs at New World Stages through October 11

A Tony Award winner and an Olympic gold medalist walk into a spelling bee… Ali Stroker and Laurie Hernandez have joined The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee off-Broadway. Both began their runs on September 7, with Stroker playing Rona Lisa Peretti and Hernandez playing Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre. The pair join Jon Cryer as Vice Principal Douglas Panch, Julian Sewell as William Barfée, Nina White as Olive Ostrovsky, Philippe Arroyo as Chip Tolentino, Leana Rae Concepcion as Marcy Park and Matt Manuel as Mitch Mahoney. Check out the photos and full gallery BEE-low, then buzz over to New World Stages to see the fun for yourself, where Spelling Bee runs through October 11.