(RONA LISA PERETTI, long time local hostess of the bee enters and makes sure all is in order. While adjusting the microphone RONA flashes back to the moment when she herself stood here as a contestant - and spelled her winning word.)

[VOICE, spoken]
Miss Peretti. Please spell "Syzygy."

[RONA, spoken]
S-y-z-y-g-y. Syzygy?

[VOICE, spoken]
We have a winner!

[RONA, spoken]
Hahaha! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[CHIP]
At the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
My parents keep on telling me
Just being here is winning
Although, I know it isn't so

[RONA]
But it's a very nice, very, very nice

[RONA & CHIP]
Very, very nice
Very nice
Beginning!
[RONA, spoken]
Our winner here last year, Chip Tolentino

[SCHWARZY, spoken]
Ms. Peretti!

[RONA, spoken]
And our youngest competitor, Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre

[CONEYBEAR]
At the 25th Annual
Putnam County Spelling Game (Bee!)
I'll stand when they announce my name

[RONA, spoken]
Leaf Coneybear

[CONEYBEAR]
And try and keep from shaking

[SCHWARZY]
Alas, his shaking will not pass

[CONEYBEAR, CHIP, RONA & SCHWARZY]
'Cause it's a very big
Very fraught —
Simple but it's not —
It's a very big undertaking
[RONA, spoken]
Returning from last year's tragic setback: William Barfee!

[BARFEE, spoken]
It's pronounced Barfée; there's an accent ague

[RONA, spoken]
Uh, I'm not sure who this girl is —

[MARCY, spoken]
Marcy Park, recent transfer

[SCHWARZY]
Winner's destination: Washington, D.C

[CHIP & SCHWARZY]
Plasma TV
In a fancy hotel

[MARCY, CHIP & SCHWARZY]
Where they treat you well

[ALL SPELLERS]
All because you love to spell
We spell!
[RONA]
It's a marvelous memory
If you win the spelling bee
One's life improves from A to Z
The minute you are crowned here
I see
A trophy held by me!
And when I won
Did I swell?
Oh, the stories I could tell —
But braggarts
Don't do well around here

[OLIVE, spoken]
Hi, I'm Olive Ostrovsky
Do you know where I check in?

[BARFEE, spoken]
Shut up!

[CONEYBEAR]
At the 25th Annual
We've memorized the manual...

[ALL SPELLERS]
About how to spell these words
Words that require thought
People think we're automatons
But that is exactly what we're not

[MARCY]
We hear the word

[SCHWARZY]
We breathe

[CONEYBEAR]
We wait

[ALL SPELLERS]
Unlike idiots
We ideate

[RONA, spoken]
To ideate is to form an image or idea, to think

[CONEYBEAR]
At the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

[SCHWARZY]
We feel no animosity

[SCHWARZY & OLIVE]
And yet our heads are spinning

[BARFEE]
We are
The slightest bit bizarre

[MARCY]
But since the time is now

[CONEYBEAR]
Holy cow

[SCHWARZY]
We shall make a solemn vow
To concentrate on winning

[ALL]
We concentrate on winning
At the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
We speak so damn convincingly

[RONA]
They're nervous but they're grinning

[GIRLS (OLIVE, MARCY, SCHWARZY)]
It seems
We're living out our dreams

[BOYS]
Which is a very nice, very nice
Very very very nice

[ALL]
Very nice, very nice
Very very very nice
Very nice
Beginning

[RONA]
25th Annual

[SPELLERS]
25th Annual

[ALL]
Putnam County Spelling Bee!