GORHAM — The word to spell is “hilarious.”

Hmm, could you use that in a sentence?

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” is h-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s.

And the University of Southern Maine’s school of music will present the Tony Award-winning musical comedy Oct. 30-31 and Nov. 1.

In the musical six quirky adolescents compete in a fictional spelling bee, run by three equally quirky grown-ups. They all learn that winning isn’t everything, and losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser. This tuneful, offbeat and at times heartwarming show has a twist — at every performance audience members get the chance to become part of the action as on-stage spellers. Thus, every show has a new dynamic as the cast adjusts to the unexpected.

At the Putnam County Spelling Bee, theatergoers meet six contestants: the reigning champ, Chip Tolentino (played by Joey Valliere of Old Orchard Beach); the lisping youngster with two dads, Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere (played by Autumn Pound of Portland); the home-schooled, highly distracted Leaf Coneybear (double cast with Kyle Dennis of Pittsfield and Chris Ellis of Litchfield); the loud but sickly bully, William Barfee (played by Roger Marcotte of Rockland and Michael Lynch of Westport, Mass.); the ultimate overachiever, Marcy Park (Caitlin O’Reilly of Farmington); and the quiet bookworm, Olive Ostrovsky (Emily Holden of Fryeburg and Kelly Mosher of Marstons Mills, Mass.)

The “adults” at the spelling bee are as nearly as wacky as the kids. They include Rona Lisa Perretti (Greer Vashon of Waterville) the bee’s longtime hostess and former champion; the frustrated vice principal and band director of a local junior high, Douglas Panch (James McDonald of Ipswich, Mass.), who is pressed into service as a substitute word reader; and Mitch Mahoney (Jeremiah Haley of Portland) who acts as the bee’s comfort counselor, even though he has no idea how to make the kids feel better about misspelling.

There will be four performances in Corthell Concert Hall. Curtain is 8 p.m. each night, with an additional 5 p.m. matinee on Sunday. There is no intermission.

Tickets are $15/$10/$5. Call 780-5555.

Since Saturday is Halloween, there will be a costume competition for all audience members that night.