The SpongeBob Musical is co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau with a book by Kyle Jarrow, music supervision by Tom Kitt. The SpongeBob Musical is to be a one-of-a-kind musical event with original songs by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Jonathan Coulton, Dirty Projectors, The Flaming Lips, John Legend, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants and T.I., with an additional song by David Bowie and additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton. The design team includes scenic and costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Kevin Adams, projection design by Peter Nigrini and sound design by Walter Trarbach.
The SpongeBob Musical unleashes anarchic absurdity under the sea… and on Broadway. Conceived and directed by Tina Landau (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), it delivers a tidal wave of original music by songwriting royalty like John Legend, Cyndi Lauper, The Flaming Lips, T.I., Lady Antebellum, and Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith.
SpongeBob Squarepants
Palace Theatre
First Preview 06, Nov 2017
Opening Night 04, Dec 2017
Closed 16 Sept 2018
Cast
Lilli Cooper – Sandy Cheeks
Gavin Lee – Squidward
Danny Skinner – Broadway Debut – Patrick
Ethan Slater – Broadway Debut – SpongeBob SquarePants
Reviews
Creative
Conceived by Tina Landau
Book by Kyle Jarrow
Original Songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alexander Ebert, The Flaming Lips, John Legend, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants and T.I.; An Original Song by David Bowie; Additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton; Music orchestrated by Tom Kitt; Music arranged by Tom Kitt
Directed by Tina Landau
Choreographed by Christopher Gattelli
Scenic Design by David Zinn
Costume Design by David Zinn
Lighting Design by Kevin Adams
Sound Design by Walter Trarbach
Projection Design by Peter Nigrini
Hair and Wig Design by Charles G. LaPointe
Synopsis
Pre-Show
Before the show begins, a pirate sits down on part of the stage as the audience is taking their seats. The pirate is revealed to be SpongeBob’s number one fan, Patchy, who has traveled from Encino, California to catch the premiere of SpongeBob’s musical. Two security guards appear and tell Patchy to leave the stage, as the show is about to begin. Patchy objects, but the guards lead him out of the theater as Patchy claims that he is a victim of pirate discrimination and sings the protest song “Yo Ho, We Won’t Go”. One of the security guards apologizes for the interruption, then tells the audience to enjoy the show.
Act One
SpongeBob SquarePants awakens and happily welcomes the day with his pet snail, Gary (“Bikini Bottom Day”). He greets various friends in his hometown of Bikini Bottom—including his best friend Patrick, his neighbor Squidward, and his squirrel friend Sandy Cheeks—as he walks to the Krusty Krab restaurant. At work, his boss Mr. Krabs tells his whale daughter Pearl that she will own the restaurant one day. With Pearl uninterested, SpongeBob hints that he dreams of being manager. Mr. Krabs laughs at the idea, telling SpongeBob that he is “just a simple sponge” and could not handle the position (“Bikini Bottom Day Reprise 1”). The day continues uneventfully until a violent tremor suddenly rocks the entire town.
The mayor announces that all citizens should return to their homes. A television news report reveals that the tremor was caused by a nearby volcano that will erupt (“No Control”). SpongeBob checks up on Patrick, who is upset over the emergency. To cheer him up, SpongeBob reiterates that they are best friends forever (“BFF”). With the town in a panic over the impending doom, married villains Plankton and Karen try to convince the citizens to enter an escape pod that will take them away from the volcano. But, the two have a secret scheme planned. Once the residents are inside, they will hypnotize them into liking the chum that they serve at their restaurant, the Chum Bucket (“When the Going Gets Tough”). The townspeople, unknowingly, support this idea and decide to hold a last-minute music concert to raise money for the transport. Squidward, who dreams of getting to perform his own one-man show, is immediately shut down when he brings it up. Instead, Pearl suggests that the famous rock band, the Electric Skates, plays at the concert. Everyone agrees and Squidward is named manager of the event.
SpongeBob, however, is against the idea of leaving town and believes the citizens should fight to save Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob thinks back on Mr. Krabs’ words from earlier and wonders if he could really save the town (“Just a Simple Sponge”). He decides that he can think of a solution with the help of Patrick and his squirrel friend Sandy. Together, the three could build a device that could stop the volcano. Mr. Krabs sees the upcoming disaster as a money-making opportunity, holding an “apocalypse sale” on his signature fast food dish, Krabby Patties. Pearl worries about her father’s obsession with money, believing that it overshadows his care for her (“Daddy Knows Best”).
Meanwhile, SpongeBob convinces Patrick and Sandy to team up, climb the volcano, and stop it from erupting with an invention Sandy will build. Sandy has smarts and Patrick has strength, but SpongeBob does not know what he can contribute. Regardless, the friends are determined to succeed (“Hero Is My Middle Name”). Before they can start their plan, a group of cultist sardines appear. They found wisdom in Patrick’s simple thoughts at the town meeting and decide to make him their new leader (“Super Star Sea Savior”). Patrick likes the idea and decides to back out of SpongeBob’s plan so that he can bask in self-glory, angering SpongeBob. The two fight and end their “BFF” status. After Patrick leaves, Sandy reminds SpongeBob that things are bound to be okay. The entire company reveals their personal thoughts and feelings about the impending disaster (“Tomorrow Is”).
Act Two
After intermission, Patchy again sneaks onstage, telling the audience that pirates are persecuted by others because of stereotypes (“Poor Pirates”). Once again, security intervenes to chase Patchy away. SpongeBob wakes up and greets a new day: the day when the volcano is expected to erupt (“Bikini Bottom Day Reprise 2”). Bikini Bottom has fallen into anarchy and chaos: the mayor has employed a dictator-like rule over the people and an angry mob has started to hunt down Sandy, thinking her scientific achievements are the cause for the volcano’s impending eruption. Sandy is able to hide from the mob and show SpongeBob her invention, the Eruptor Interrupter. They plan to throw it inside the volcano and save the town.
Back in Bikini Bottom, the Electric Skates finally arrive (“Bikini Bottom Boogie”). Squidward asks if he may perform with them as an opening act. The band will only allow it if Squidward buys every item on a ridiculously long shopping list. Meanwhile, SpongeBob and Sandy make their way up the volcano with great difficulty. Sandy tries to lift their spirits by reminding them of what they have learned in karate class about never giving up (“Chop to the Top”). When they stop to rest, SpongeBob cannot help but think of how he misses Patrick and wishes he was there to help them. In Bikini Bottom, Patrick finds life as a guru unexciting and misses SpongeBob as well, prompting him to leave his followers behind to help SpongeBob (“(I Guess) I Miss You”).
Squidward obtains all but one of the items on the Electric Skates’ list (seahorse radish), so the band refuses to let him perform despite his pleas, calling him a “loser” in the process. Their use of this word causes Squidward -constantly called a loser in childhood by his classmates- to snap back at the band in anger, and they end up quitting. Now alone, Squidward insists that he is not a loser and performs a show-stopping song with a tap dance number and a back-up chorus in his imagination (“I’m Not a Loser”). Back on the mountain, SpongeBob starts to fall when Patrick saves him with a jetpack Sandy invented. The two reaffirm their friendship and follow Sandy to the summit of the mountain. When they reach the top, neither Sandy nor Patrick are able to reach the rim where they need to throw the device in. They turn to SpongeBob, who doubts his skills (“Just a Simple Sponge Reprise”). They remind him that he is the only one who can squeeze through tight areas and that his optimism has gotten them this far. With new determination, SpongeBob throws the Eruptor Interrupter in. They head back to Bikini Bottom and wait to see if their plan will work.
In Bikini Bottom, the entire city is in anarchy. Since the band is gone, there will be no concert and no escape pod. SpongeBob tries to calm everyone down, insisting that whatever happens, they have each other (“Best Day Ever”). When the time comes for the volcano to erupt, everyone braces for their deaths. The time passes without an eruption, signaling that the Eruptor Interrupter has worked. With Bikini Bottom safe, everyone decides that they should celebrate by having a new concert with Pearl as the lead vocalist (“Bikini Bottom Day Reprise 3”). Patchy joins in after descending from above on a rope, having finally managed to sneak into the show. During a curtain call, the cast performs one last song before the show comes to an end; it’s the “SpongeBob SquarePants Theme Song”!
Production History
Lyrics for the show were being written by January 2014, as the Flaming Lips’ lead singer Wayne Coyne mentioned through Twitter on January 16.[3] Plans for developing the show were first announced at Nickelodeon’s upfront on February 25, 2015.[4] The upfront presentation included a performance of the musical’s opening number, “Bikini Bottom Day.”[5] On February 26, Nickelodeon’s chief operating officer Sarah Kirshbaum Levy told the Associated Press that the show was “not definite.”[6]
In August 2015, Nickelodeon announced that the show would premiere in Chicago before a Broadway run in late 2016.[7] Its director, book author, and several of the musicians involved were also announced. The full cast list was released in April 2016.[8] The majority of the cast members play more than one character.[9] Rehearsals for the show’s debut in Chicago began on April 11 in New York.[10] Throughout early 2016, Nickelodeon executives met with Broadway theater owners to arrange its Broadway premiere. Michael Reidel of New York Post stated that Broadway representatives were “impressed” after seeing a presentation of the show.[10]
In late May 2016, technical rehearsals for the show were conducted.[11] Chris Jones of Chicago Tribune stated that Nickelodeon was concerned about “an incomplete SpongeBob costume [making] it into a photograph, spoiling a planned big reveal.”[12] In June, Gordon Cox of Variety reported that the musical’s budget was between $15 and $20 million.[11]
Music & Recordings
Original Chicago Production
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† Only featured on the vinyl record version of the Original Cast Recording.
Original Broadway Production
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SpongeBob SquarePants: Original Cast Recordin
On June 28, 2016, it was announced that the Chicago cast would record a cast album in early August with Masterworks Broadway producing the album. On September 14, 2017, the full cast recording was made available on the NPR website.[13] The cast recording was released in its physical form in stores as well as on streaming sites on September 22, 2017, two months prior to the show’s Broadway premiere.[14][15]
All tracks written and composed by various artists listed below (additional music, arrangements and orchestrations by Tom Kitt; additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton.)
Critical Reception
The Chicago production, in its preview period, received positive reviews. Dean Richards of WGN-TV gave it an A+, writing that “the story is multi-layered for kids and adults. It all adds up to one of the most fun, well produced, and best acted shows Chicago has seen in a long time.”[25] Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune praised the cast (particularly Slater, Skinner, Cooper, and Lee) and the production values. He wrote positively of the show’s songs, writing that the musical’s “biggest gamble—a score made up of singles by different songwriters and unified by orchestrator Tom Kitt—works quite beautifully.” Nonetheless, he warned “the transition to Broadway now needs to involve a dialing back of excess and more attention to truth—Bikini Bottom truth, sure, but metaphoric human veracity.”[26] Similarly, Steve Oxman in Variety magazine praises the entertainment, invention and “terrifically talented cast” but argues for a “slight shift in world view” to truly engage the broadest audience.[27] In the Chicago Sun-Times’ review, Hedy Weiss expressed praise for the set design’s creativity and the coherency, but felt that it was almost too extravagant; she wrote that the musical “exhausts itself long before it’s over.”[19] Kendall Ashley of Nerdist described the set as “pretty darn impressive” and called the decision not to use extensive makeup on the actors “interesting.”[28] Barbara Vitello of the Daily Herald also commended the actors’ costumes and performances, stating that the “imaginative costumes that add a punch of color to the glittering sea green and aquamarine backdrop are among the delights.”[29]
The Broadway production was equally praised. Ben Brantley of The New York Times, called it a “ginormous giggle of a show”, and particularly praised Slater’s performance as the titular character.[30] Marilyn Stasio of Variety stated the show provided a good amount of “giddy, goofy fun” for all audiences.[31]
References
- “‘The SpongeBob Musical’: Here Come the Songs In Behind-The-Scenes Promo”. Deadline. May 5, 2016.
- “‘SpongeBob’ Musical Will Open in Chicago, With Sights on Broadway”. The New York Times. August 31, 2015.
- Wayne Coyne [@waynecoyne] (17 January 2014). “Doing more lyrics for SpongeBob Musical!! Maybe as high as a star!!! #freaks #flamiglips…” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- Steinberg, Brian (February 25, 2015). “With Ratings in Flux, Nickelodeon Puts Upfront Focus on Shows”. Variety.
- Zuckerman, Esther (February 25, 2016). “SpongeBob musical has eye on Broadway”. Entertainment Weekly.
- “Nickelodeon announces mobile service Noggin for pre-K children”. New York Daily News. February 26, 2016.
- Calia, Michael (August 31, 2015). “‘The SpongeBob Musical’ Will Premiere in Chicago Before Broadway Bow”. The Wall Street Journal.
- “Broadway-Bound SpongeBob Musical Announces Complete Cast”. Playbill. April 8, 2016.
- Vincent Waller [@VincentWaller72] (28 December 2016). “@kargjuniordenhe All the Cast for the musical were new. Almost everyone in the musical, play multiple characters, &they’re great #SpongeBob” (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017 – via Twitter.
- Riedel, Michael (April 12, 2016). “Could ‘SpongeBob’ be the next great Broadway musical?”. New York Post.
- Cox, Gordon (June 15, 2016). “‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ Hits the Stage to Soak Up Broadway Spotlight”. Variety.
- Jones, Chris. “How SpongeBob SquarePants got his own musical in Chicago”. Chicago Tribune.
- “First Listen: ‘SpongeBob SquarePants: Original Cast Recording'”. NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-09-
- “Breaking: SpongeBob Musical Will Record Cast Album Pre-Broadway”. Playbill. July 28, 2016.
- “SpongeBob SquarePants – The New Musical Original Cast Recording Available September 22 From Masterworks Broadway”. PR Newswire. August 18, 2017.
- “‘The SpongeBob Musical’ picks its Patrick, Squidward and Plankton”. Chicago Tribune. February 18, 2016.
- McPhee, Ryan (December 4, 2017). “What Did Critics Think of Broadway’s SpongeBob SquarePants Musical?”. Playbill. Philip S. Birsh.
- “Meet Ethan Slater, the boy who would be SpongeBob”. Entertainment Weekly. May 27, 2016.
- Weiss, Hedy (June 19, 2016). “Feel-good ‘SpongeBob Musical’ rumbles, toils and bubbles”. Chicago Sun-Times.
- Gelt, Jessica (August 10, 2017). “From chorus girl to leading lady: Emmy Raver-Lampman, the Cinderella of ‘Hamilton'”. Los Angeles Times.
- Johnson, Joshua (September 9, 2016). “Singing with SpongeBob and Playing Mrs. Puff”. Harding University.
- Brantley, Ben (December 4, 2017). “Review: ‘SpongeBob SquarePants,’ a Watery Wonderland on Broadway”. The New York Times.
- Schuler, Barbara (December 4, 2017). “‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ review: Show makes a splash with fun songs”. Newsday.
- All References at WIKI
Palace Theatre Access and Seat Map
The Palace Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1564 Broadway (at West 47th Street) in midtown Manhattan, New York City. From 1913 through about 1929, the Palace attained legendary status among vaudeville performers as the flagship of the monopolistic Keith – Albee organization, and the most desired booking in the country. Designed by Milwaukee architects Kirchoff & Rose, the 1,740-seat theatre was funded by Martin Beck, a vaudeville entrepreneur based in San Francisco, in an attempt to challenge Keith-Albee’s east-coast monopoly.
Albee in turn demanded that Beck turn over three-quarters ownership to use acts from the Keith circuit. Beck took the deal, and was in charge of the booking. When the theatre finally opened on March 24, 1913 with headliner Ed Wynn, it was not an instant success. It lost money for months. The theater is notorious, too, for its enormous and difficult-to-sell second balcony in which nearly every seat has an obstructed view.
View Larger Map |
| Address |
| 1564 Broadway (between 46th St & 47th St) New York, NY 10036 |
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| Transport |
| Subway: A, C, E to 42nd St–Port Authority; N, Q, R, 42nd St S, 1, 2, 3, 7 to 42nd St–Times Square |
| Phone |
| (212) 730-8200 |
| Box Office |
| Monday – Tuesday 10.00am – 8pm Weds -Saturday : 10am – 8.30 pm Sunday Noon – 600pm |
| Access Information |
| Theatre representatives are available to meet patrons with disabilities in the lobby of the building to escort them to designated wheelchair accessible areas. |
| There are designated wheelchair and companion spaces in the rear of the Orchestra section. This theatre is not equipped with an elevator or escalator |
| The Palace is equipped with wheelchair accessible restrooms on the Orchestra level. |
Full Cast
| Ethan Slater Broadway debut |
SpongeBob SquarePants | |
| Lilli Cooper | Sandy Cheeks | |
| Gavin Lee | Squidward Q. Tentacles | |
| Brian Ray Norris Broadway debut |
Eugene Krabs | |
| Danny Skinner Broadway debut |
Patrick Star | |
| Wesley Taylor | Sheldon Plankton | |
| Gaelen Gilliland | The Mayor | |
| Undersea Creature | ||
| Kyle Matthew Hamilton Broadway debut |
Electric Skate | |
| Undersea Creature | ||
| Curtis Holbrook | Electric Skate | |
| Undersea Creature | ||
| Stephanie Hsu Broadway debut |
Karen the Computer | |
| Undersea Creature | ||
| L’ogan J’ones Broadway debut |
Electric Skate | |
| Undersea Creature | ||
| Jai’Len Christine Li Josey Broadway debut |
Pearl Krabs | |
| Undersea Creature | ||
| Tom Kenny | French Narrator | Recorded voice only |
| Kelvin Moon Loh | Perch Perkins | |
| Undersea Creature | ||
| Lauralyn McClelland | Sardine Corps | |
| Undersea Creature | ||
| Vasthy Mompoint | Security Guard | |
| Sardine Corps | ||
| Undersea Creature | ||
| Oneika Phillips | Sardine Corps | |
| Undersea Creature | ||
| Jon Rua | Patchy the Pirate | |
| Sardine Corps | ||
| Undersea Creature | ||
| JC Schuster | Security Guard | |
| Old Man Jenkins | ||
| Undersea Creature | ||
| Abby C. Smith Broadway debut |
Mrs. Puff | |
| Undersea Creature | ||
| Robert Taylor Jr. Broadway debut |
Sardine Corps | |
| Undersea Creature | ||
| Allan K. Washington Broadway debut |
Larry the Lobster | |
| Undersea Creature |
| Swings: Alex Gibson, Juliane Godfrey, Jesse J.P. Johnson, Brynn Williams and Matt Wood |
| Understudies: Alex Gibson (Squidward Q. Tentacles), Curtis Holbrook (SpongeBob SquarePants), Jesse J.P. Johnson (Eugene Krabs, SpongeBob SquarePants), Vasthy Mompoint (Sandy Cheeks), Brian Ray Norris (Patrick Star), JC Schuster (Squidward Q. Tentacles),Allan K. Washington (Sheldon Plankton), Brynn Williams (Sandy Cheeks) and Matt Wood (Eugene Krabs, Patrick Star) |
