From Glee Club To The Spelling Bee, Kevin McHale Is Ready For His Next Role

Kevin McHale has been wanting to perform on stage for years, and how lucky for us to have him performing in one of the most anticipated productions this fall. From his roots in a boy band, to the lovable Artie Abrams on Glee, McHale has been a part of our lives for many years and now he’s headed back to middle school!

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is headed to The Kennedy Center as part of their Broadway Center Stage series with a delightful cast including McHale as William Barfée. He joins a company of Broadway favorites including Bonnie Milligan, Leana Rae Concepcion, Nina White, Noah Galvin, Beanie Feldstein, Taran Killam and more. 

I recently caught up with McHale in Manhattan during rehearsals to chat all things Spelling Bee, Glee, and performing in our nation’s capital. Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. 

Theatrely: Rehearsals for these productions are fast and furious. How are you holding up?

McHale: You know, in this process, we have only two weeks to rehearse, but so far, so good. Everybody is so funny, I forget that I'm on stage the whole time and have to actually do things. We've been learning everything at such a fast pace, but also I've just been laughing so much. It has been like the nicest, funniest experience I've ever been a part of.

How did this project come to be for you?

I don't really know actually! I've wanted to do theatre for a long time and I've done workshops here and there, things come and go and then randomly this past year I have done a lot of theatre things. When this came up I figured it wouldn't really happen either but it was a show I really loved and wanted to be a part of, and now here we are!

Were you familiar with the musical beforehand? 

My boyfriend is obsessed with the show and he's introduced me to a lot of shows. We've been together for almost eight years now and it must have been in the first year or two. We were driving down the canyon and he was just playing some of his favorite musical theatre songs and I distictly remember “The I Love You Song” came on. I was like, what was that? and so he gave me the full education of Spelling Bee. I've never actually seen a production but my friend Jenna [Ushkowitz] from Glee is obsessed with it. Ali [Stroker] did a production of it. Everyone I know who knows the show has such fond memories of it, it's just such a sweet show and I'm thrilled to be a part of it.

I was just chatting with Dan Fogler [the original William Barfée] about his new play down in Florida and I brought up this production. He told me watching this is like his own American Dream coming true; watching this little character he created blow up and have so many great interpretations of it. He wishes you all the best!

And so I have goosebumps. I'm only slightly terrified of that! The original company created these incredible, distinct, specific characters. I saw Jesse Tyler Ferguson a couple weeks ago and he was like: just go have fun. We did all the hard stuff for you. It can be scary stepping into a role that is so iconic, but it is such an honor to get to play within the framework that they set up brilliantly.

Talk to me about your company, because it is a pretty great lineup you have. 

On the first day I walked in and it was full first day of high school vibes. I didn't really know anyone, but I have been such big fans of all of them for a long time. From day one, everyone has been so incredibly welcoming so it has been great, I'm just so excited to be in the room with all of them. As someone familiar with sitting in a classroom and watching people perform; it's very much that vibe again. You just get to see your friends show off and be comedic geniuses and sing like crazy. It's very nice to watch all these talented people do their thing.

So will audience members perhaps get a chance to join you onstage down at The Kennedy Center and spell?

This is a proper production of a Spelling Bee, so everything that comes with that will happen. I mean, it's a really important part of the show... I'm really excited and also a bit scared for that. Luckily I have nothing to do with it; it's basically all on Taran and Bonnie as the adults but they are incredible and I can't wait to see what happens.

The Kennedy Center is an iconic venue. Have you spent a lot of time in D.C.? 

I love D.C. so much! I've been there a couple of times already this year, I'm a bit of a political junkie so I try to get there as much as possible. I've never been to the Kennedy Center, only the lobby for a party. Philippe in the cast has actually performed in the theatre we will be in so he has been telling all of us what it is like, but I am very excited to be down there.

I guess I should ask, sometimes we see these productions make it back to New York, would you wanna come to Broadway with it if that ever would happen?

Sure! If that were to ever happen, of course but I'm just trying to get through the 20th of October and I will be very happy. But yeah, if they'd have me, this show is incredible and I would love to do it more than 11 times. The people are so great, so bascially whatever Danny wants I would do at this point; I've committed my life to Danny Medford.

Let’s jump over to your podcast And That’s What You REALLY Missed for a little. It is so fun to listen to, are you having a blast with it?

I am! Especially now as we're getting into sort of like the second half of the series, where our collective memory is pretty bad. We don't really remember much of it. We're sort of watching it for the first time again, which has been really fun. And then having the fans prep us is really fun. Since we started this, the best part has been interviewing the people who worked on the show, the cast and crew, and some of the die hard fans from around the world. I think since the beginning, because of Ryan Murphy, people feel like they can say whatever they want in a safe place and they know they are being heard and understood because we all experienced it together, so that context is there which has been really nice. We have some really exciting guests coming up so stay tuned...

Speaking of the world of musical theatre. Let’s go back before the pilot of Glee, how big into the musical theatre scene were you?

Honestly, I was more into it like as a child. I would put on productions of The Phantom of the Opera in my living room to no one or I'd force my mom to watch, I had a mask and everything. She would take me to touring shows that would come through Dallas, we would see everything. And then in my teens, I got more into the music world, I was in a boy band and all that. When Glee happened, being surrounded by all these very professionals, it was like an expedited course in musical theater. I taught them about current music and they taught me about Broadway. And since then, it has just been a part of my everyday life with Glee friends or my boyfriend. I'm always surrounded by it and I love that.

If they did a whole Spelling Bee episode on Glee, I'm curious as to which characters would be playing who?

Why didn't we do that?

I was thinking the same thing. 

Well, Rachel Berry would be Logainne — Gay dads, obviously. The teachers are easy. Who else? I mean, Kurt would be Leif, makes his own clothes... wait, is Glee based off of Spelling Bee? I feel like I would probably have the same part. You know what? They might have put Mercedes as Rona because she can sing up there. We need somebody who can hit those notes and nobody is hitting those notes excpet Amber. Chip would have been Blaine. Well, or Finn. I really think Spelling Bee is just middle school Glee.

I'm also curious which of your Glee cast mates who have yet to do Broadway would you love to see onstage?

Chris Colfer has to. I don't care what it is. It can be a one man show, there's nothing he can't do. I mean, Amber technically has not done Broadway yet either…

Have you gotten the chance to see any shows while you have have been in rehearsals?

I have been so bad. Every day I go home and just fall asleep. But I need to catch Sunset Blvd at some point. 

Nicole is stunning in it. 

I've known that girl since I was like 15 or 16. And she's always been a freak of nature, and I mean that as a gigantic compliment. When I was in the boy band, we opened up for The Pussycat Dolls. One day we walked in to a soundcheck and Nicole was on stage singing a cappella, I think a version of “I Don't Need A Man,” and we were all like, who is that! Jaw on the floor, freaking out. She's beyond talented and then getting to know her and watching her as a solo performer afterwards. Plus, she has always been such a theatre nerd, it's amazing to see all that's happening for her and I can't wait to see it. 

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will play the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center from October 11 - 20, 2024. For tickets and more information, visit here.