Like "A Chorus Line," Manoa Valley Theatre 's "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" tells its story through character songs strung out against a clearly defined framework without finding a list of the show's musical numbers.

In "Chorus Line," the framework is an audition for a Broadway show. In "Bee," it's a traditional middle school spelling bee. In both shows, the songs describe the histories, hopes and fears of the singers. A significant difference, however, is that in "Bee" the singers are all about 12 years old — but played by adults.

Directed by Linda Johnson with musical direction by Kenji Higashihama, the production captures some of the charm of a group of adolescents competing for perfection. But in choosing an approach that uniformly delivers the songs by belting them out of the theater and into the neighborhood, it abandons variety, texture and subtlety.

A prime example is "The I Love You Song" delivered far into the show by the girl (Ivy Hays) — who insists that an audience seat be saved for her absent father — and by the parents (Andrea Clark and Jaq Ryan Galliano) who appear only in her imagination. She is asked to spell "chimera — an unrealistic hope" and segues into a lovely, poignant number — "you never asked me to join you ... and I had quietly packed" — whose emotion is not fully exploited.

Granted, "Bee" is a musical comedy, but playing it exclusively for the big laughs and its built-in absurdity misses the opportunity to balance pathos against humor.

One senses that some singers could deliver the music with more subtlety, and there are moments that display good character work.

Joel Libed is appealing as a boy scout disabled by surging puberty. Jennifer Harris is conflicted as a super-achiever who speaks six languages, but insists that she "is not all business." Kimo Kaona is a bundle of contradictions who insists that he is "not that smart," but enters a trance to correctly spell the names of obscure rodents.

Set designer M.J. Matsushita creates a believable "gymnatorium" environment, and the producers have inserted an intermission break for drinks and snacks into a show that was originally a long one-act.

There's some fun in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," but the production downplays the rest of the story behind the young contestants.