Stone-walling the local press

THE late Broadway producer David Merrick was famous for outrageous publicity stunts, and it looks as though Broadway producer David Stone is attempting to follow in his footsteps.

For his official announcement of a Chicago production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” on Monday, Stone staged a media event in which he called on Chicago reporters to spell words in public -- just as audience members do at performances of the show.

But that little gimmick was upstaged by his barring Chicago Sun-Times critic Hedy Weiss from attending because of remarks she had made at a similar event in March. (Weiss had protested what she said was Stone’s favoritism toward the rival Chicago Tribune.)

Weiss showed up at the “Spelling Bee” event anyway and was prevented from entering. Stone referred to her absence by calling on her as a spelling “contestant” and then noting that she was “in detention.” He added in a written statement, “We have also decided to withhold her juice box.”