How do you spell joy? For New York theatergoers this fall, it’s “S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G B-E-E.”

You could make a credible case that “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” was the best-written musical of the 21st century until “Hamilton”—and watching its buoyant 20th-anniversary Off-Broadway revival, you might find yourself believing it. Few musicals from the era are as airtight, inventive, or downright lovable. William Finn’s vibrant, emotionally tuned score and Rachel Sheinkin’s Tony-winning, slyly compassionate book remain a model of musical-theater integration.

For the uninitiated, “Spelling Bee” unfolds as an actual elementary school spelling bee—complete with an onstage word pronouncer, escalating vocabulary, and a handful of audience volunteers who join the competition. As six quirk

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