The SpongeBob Musical

The SpongeBob Musical

Poster
Music
Lyrics Barry Anthony (lyrical arrangements)
Jonathan Coulton (additional lyrics)[12]
Book Kyle Jarrow
Basis SpongeBob SquarePants
by Stephen Hillenburg
Premiere June 7, 2016 (2016-06-07): Oriental Theatre, Chicago
Productions 2016 Chicago
2017 Broadway

The SpongeBob Musical is a comedy stage musical, co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau[10] with songs by various artists and a book by Kyle Jarrow.[13] It is based on the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants and made its world premiere on June 7, 2016 at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago, where the show ran for a slightly extended period before closing on July 10, 2016.[14] The show has been scheduled to premiere on Broadway at a currently unknown theater in 2017.[15][16]

Synopsis


Before the show even begins, and while the audience is taking their seats, a pirate happens to sit down on part of the stage. It is none other than SpongeBob's Number 1 fan, Patchy the Pirate, who has come all the way from Encino, California to catch the premiere of the SpongeBob Musical. Two actors dressed as security guards show up, and tell Patchy that he has to get off the stage, as the show is about to begin. Patchy protests, but the guards lead him off the stage and eventually out of the theater, with Patchy singing his protest song of "Yo Ho, We Won't Go". One of the security guards apologizes for the interruption, and tells the audience to turn off their cell phones, and enjoy the show.

Act I

In the opening number ("Bikini Bottom Day"), SpongeBob wakes up and greets the day with his pet snail, Gary. He then sets out onto the streets of Bikini Bottom, and greets his neighbor Squidward (who is annoyed as usual), and best friend Patrick. As he goes into the city to go to his job at the Krusty Krab, he greets other citizens of his town, including Mrs. Puff, Larry the Lobster and Old Man Jenkins. At work, SpongeBob's boss, Mr. Krabs, tells his whale daughter, Pearl, that she will one day run the restaurant when it is time. Pearl, however, does not seem interested in the idea. SpongeBob tries to hint that he would be happy to run the restaurant one day, but Krabs and Squidward laugh at the idea, with Mr. Krabs telling our hero that "he's just a simple sponge", and couldn't possibly handle the position. Regardless, the day goes on as always, until there is suddenly a violent tremor that rocks the entire town. Squidward wonders if this is something they should worry about.

The Krusty Krab is forced to close down for the day after the Mayor gives a statement on TV that everyone should return to their homes after the tremor occurs. SpongeBob, however, goes to visit Patrick, who is getting ready to watch a Mermaid Man marathon on TV. However, when he turns on his television, there's only an emergency test pattern screen. Patrick is upset, and SpongeBob decides to cheer him up by showing him other fun things they can do together, and reiterating that they are Best Friends Forever ("B.F.F."). The cheerful mood does not last long, as TV anchorman, Perch Perkins, appears on TV and gives a dire report about the cause of the tremor from earlier ("No Control") - Apparently a nearby volcano is about to erupt, and it could spell doom for the entire town of Bikini Bottom. The entire town takes to the streets, demanding answers or solutions from the Mayor, but all she can do is offer threat level color codes, and vague information. With the town in a panic over the impending doom, Plankton (an evil genius/failed fast food icon) hatches a scheme: hypnotize the entire town of Bikini Bottom into liking the chum that he serves at his restaurant, the Chum Bucket. The best way to do this, he figures, is to get all the citizens in one place. He suggests to the Mayor and the town that they all board a vessel that can take them to a safer place away from the volcano. With everyone on board the vessel, he will hypnotize them, and then make his new Chum Bucket restaurant the most popular fast food restaurant under the sea. He explains his escape plan to the people ("When the Going Gets Tough"), obviously leaving out the part about hypnotizing them all.

The Mayor and the townspeople all support Plankton's plan, except for Mr. Krabs, who suspects Plankton is up to no good as usual. The only problem is that the town doesn't have the money to pay for the vessel that would carry them safely to an area where they can start over. Someone suggests they hold a last minute music concert that could help raise money for the transport. Squidward immediately has dreams of a chance of getting to perform the one man show he's been working on, but is immediately shouted down. Instead, Pearl suggests that they bring in the most famous rock band under the sea, the Electric Skates. Everyone backs this idea, and Squidward is named manager of the event, instead of a performer. This displeases him. As for SpongeBob, he doesn't like the idea of everyone leaving town, since Bikini Bottom is his home, and he thinks they should fight to save it. But what can he do? He thinks back on Mr. Krab's words from earlier that day, and wonders in song if he could really save the town ("(Just a) Simple Sponge"). He decides that he can think of a way to save the town with the help of his friends, Patrick and Sandy the Squirrel, especially since Sandy is smart, and could probably build a device that could stop the volcano. He rushes off to find his friends, while the various townspeople go about handling the crisis in their own unique way. Mr. Krabs, for example, decides to see the disaster as a money making opportunity, holding an "apocalypse sale" on his signature fast food dish, Krabby Patties. His daughter, Pearl, worries about her father's obsession with money, and the two just don't seem to see eye-to-eye. ("Daddy Knows Best")

Meanwhile, SpongeBob has convinced Patrick and Sandy that they should team up, climb the volcano, and then stop it from erupting with an invention Sandy will build. Sandy will bring the smarts, Patrick the strength, but SpongeBob does not know what he can contribute. Regardless, the three friends are determined to succeed. ("Hero is My Middle Name") Before they can set their plan into motion, however, a group of cultist sardines show up, wanting to speak to Patrick. They had heard him speak at the town meeting about what to do to save the town, and have found wisdom in his simple and often slow-witted thoughts. The sardines want to make Patrick their new guru, and will follow his every command. ("Super Star Sea Savior") Patrick likes the idea of people following him, and decides to back out of SpongeBob's plan so that he can bask in self-glory. This angers SpongeBob, and the two friends have a fight, breaking off their B.F.F. status. After Patrick leaves, Sandy tries to cheer up SpongeBob, reminding him that things are bound to be okay. As the first act closes, the entire company sings about their personal thoughts and feelings about the impending disaster, and what tomorrow will bring. ("Tomorrow Is...")

Act II

After the Intermission, Patchy the Pirate again sneaks onto stage. He tells the audience how pirates are persecuted by others because of stereotypes, and how people see them. He is joined by a group of pirates, and one baseball player (a Pittsburgh Pirate, obviously), for a song about how hard it is to be a pirate in today's world ("Poor Pirates"). Once again, Security comes and chases Patchy and the others away, with Patchy vowing to return.

The second act officially begins with SpongeBob once again waking up, and greeting the day. ("Bikini Bottom Day Reprise") Today, however, is the day the volcano is expected to erupt, so it is not particularly a cheerful morning. As SpongeBob heads into town, he finds the streets have fallen into anarchy and chaos, with the Mayor pretty much employing a dictator-like rule over the people. Not only that, but a small angry mob led by Old Man Jenkins is searching for Sandy, as they blame her for the volcano, since she seems to know a lot about volcanoes with her knowledge in science. Sandy is able to hide from the angry mob, and when they are gone, she shows SpongeBob the device she has invented that will hopefully stop the eruption. It's a bomb-like device she calls the Eruptor Interrupter. They will climb the volcano, throw it inside, and ( if all goes well) save the town. The two make their way to begin the journey up the mountain, and there are many signs warning them of danger. However, they both press on, not letting anything stand in their way.

Meanwhile, the rock band that is going to be the headliner of the concert to save Bikini Bottom, the Electric Skates, finally arrive. As their fans cheer them on, they perform their signature song ("Bikini Bottom Boogie") while skating around the stage. When they are done, Squidward asks if he could perhaps perform with them as an opening act. The band will only allow this if he gets them a list of luxury items that they like to have at every concert. The list is extremely long, but Squidward is determined to get each item on it, so that he can perform in front of all of Bikini Bottom. As for SpongeBob and Sandy, they are making their way up the mountain, but not without great difficulty. Sandy tries to lift their spirits by reminding them of what they have learned in Karate class about never giving up, and does her best to keep their spirits up ("Chop to the Top"). When they stop to rest, SpongeBob can't help but think of how he misses Patrick, and wishes that he was there to help them. Down below in town, Patrick is finding life as a guru with dozens of mindless cultist followers not that exciting, and misses SpongeBob as well. ("(I Guess) I Miss You") He leaves his followers behind, rushing off to catch up with SpongeBob and Sandy.

Meanwhile, Squidward has succeeded in obtaining everything on the Electric Skate's list- except for one. Despite this impressive feat, the band goes back on their word and refuses to let him perform (believing he's a loser), backs out on their commitment to perform the concert, and leaves. Alone, Squidward insists that he is not a loser, as so many people seem to think. This brings about an elaborate fantasy sequence where Squidward performs a show-stopping song and tap dance number with a back up chorus. ("I'm Not a Loser")

Back on the mountain, SpongeBob and Sandy are having a lot more difficulty as they get closer to the top of the volcano. At one point, the two friends find themselves separated when SpongeBob falls through a crack in the mountain. They reunite, but are threatened to be torn apart once again when SpongeBob starts to fall. In the nick of time, Patrick arrives wearing a jet pack (an invention of Sandy's), and saves his best friend from falling. The two renew their Best Friends Forever status, and the three continue to make their way up the mountain. When they finally reach the top of the volcano, neither Sandy nor Patrick can make it to the rim where they need to throw the device in to stop the eruption. They turn to SpongeBob, who doubts if he can help, since he doesn't have any special skills like his friends. They remind him that it's SpongeBob's cheerful determination and optimism that's gotten them this far, and that his purpose in the team is to keep morale high. With new determination, SpongeBob takes the Eruptor Interrupter, and makes his way to the very rim, throwing it in. The volcano is not expected to erupt for another seven minutes, so they will have to wait until then to see if their plan worked. They head back down the mountain to tell their friends what has happened.

Back in Bikini Bottom, the entire city is in anarchy, with everyone turning against everyone else, blaming each another for what is about to happen. The band is gone, there will be no concert, no vessel for which to escape and everyone is panicking in their final moments. SpongeBob, Sandy and Patrick see this, and try to calm everyone down, telling them that whatever happens, Bikini Bottom is their home, and they have each other. SpongeBob tries to lift everyone's spirits with his signature song ("Best Day Ever"), and it seems to work. Finally, the time has come for the volcano to erupt, and everyone braces for their deaths. However, when the time comes, nothing happens. The Eruptor Interrupter has worked! With Bikini Bottom safe, everyone decides that they should celebrate by having that concert. Since there is no longer a band, they decide to make their own music. SpongeBob leads the entire cast (all playing their instruments) in a rousing rendition of the show's main theme. ("Finale: Bikini Bottom Day Reprise") Even Patchy the Pirate joins in, as he descends from above on a rope, having finally managed to sneak into the show.

After the cast takes their final bows, they perform one last song. Naturally, it is 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.[17] Plans for developing the show were first announced at Nickelodeon's upfront on February 25, 2015.[18] The upfront presentation included a performance of the musical's opening number, "Bikini Bottom Day."[19] On February 26, Nickelodeon's chief operating officer Sarah Kirshbaum Levy told the Associated Press that the show was "not definite."[20]

In August 2015, Nickelodeon announced that the show would premiere in Chicago before a Broadway run in late 2016.[21] Its director, book author, and several of the musicians involved were also announced. The main cast was announced in January 2016,[22] while the full cast list was released in April.[23] Rehearsals for the show's debut in Chicago began on April 11 in New York.[24] 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.[24]

In late May 2016, technical rehearsals for the show were conducted.[25] 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."[26] In June, Gordon Cox of Variety reported that the musical's budget was between $15-$20 million.[25]

Songs

Original Chicago Production

Act I
Act II

Music and recordings

Cast recording

On July 28, 2016, it was announced that the Chicago cast will record a cast album in early August with Masterworks Broadway producing the album; it will presumably be released right at the beginning of the show's Broadway engagement.[27]

Cast

Character Original Chicago Cast
SpongeBob SquarePants Ethan Slater[28]
Patrick Star Danny Skinner[29]
Squidward Tentacles Gavin Lee[29]
Sandy Cheeks Lilli Cooper[23]
Mr. Krabs Carlos Lopez[23]
Plankton Nick Blaemire[29]
Mrs. Puff Abby C. Smith[23]
Pearl Krabs Emmy Raver-Lampman[23]
Karen Plankton Stephanie Hsu[30]
Patchy the Pirate Jason Michael Snow[30]
Mayor Gaelen Gilliland[30]
Perch Perkins Kelvin Moon Loh[31]

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."[32] Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune praised the cast (particularly Slater, Skinner, Cooper, and Lee) and the production values. He wrote positively of the song numbers, 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 . . ."[31] 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.[33] 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."[30] Kendall Ashley of Nerdist described the set as "pretty darn impressive" and called the decision not to use extensive makeup on the actors "interesting."[34] 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."[35]

References

  1. ↑ Lee, Ashley (August 31, 2015). "David Bowie, John Legend, Steven Tyler Writing for 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Musical". Billboard.
  2. ↑ Grow, Kory (August 31, 2015). "David Bowie, Aerosmith, Flaming Lips Pen Songs for 'SpongeBob Musical'". Rolling Stone.
  3. 1 2 Cowen, Trace (August 31, 2015). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' Is Heading to Broadway With New Music From John Legend and T.I.". Complex.
  4. ↑ Greene, Morgan (March 11, 2016). "Joining 'The SpongeBob Musical' A-list songwriters are...". Chicago Tribune.
  5. ↑ Nakamura, Reid (August 31, 2015). "'The SpongeBob Musical' Aims to Clean Up on Broadway". TheWrap.
  6. ↑ Jonze, Tim (September 1, 2015). "David Bowie joins roster of stars writing songs for SpongeBob musical". The Guardian.
  7. 1 2 Gordon, Jeremy (August 31, 2015). "David Bowie, Dirty Projectors, Flaming Lips, T.I., More Write Songs for SpongeBob SquarePants Musical". Pitchfork Media.
  8. ↑ Sharp, Tyler (September 1, 2015). "Panic! at the Disco to write music for SpongeBob SquarePants musical". Alternative Press.
  9. ↑ Greene, Morgan (February 26, 2016). "An exclusive Plain White T's song from 'The SpongeBob Musical'". Chicago Tribune.
  10. 1 2 "'The SpongeBob Musical': Here Come the Songs In Behind-The-Scenes Promo". Deadline. May 5, 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 "Sara Bareilles, Alex Ebert & Yolanda Adams Join the SpongeBob Musical's Songwriting Team". Broadway World. March 11, 2016.
  12. ↑ Rickwald, Bethany."Musical-Theater Noob Jonathan Coulton Is Getting His Feet Wet With The SpongeBob Musical",TheaterMania, June 10, 2016
  13. ↑ "'SpongeBob' Musical Will Open in Chicago, With Sights on Broadway". The New York Times. August 31, 2015.
  14. ↑ Starr, Michael (August 31, 2015). "A 'SpongeBob' musical is coming to Broadway". New York Post.
  15. ↑ "'The SpongeBob Musical,' with tunes by Bowie, Aerosmith, gets Chicago premiere". Chicago Tribune.
  16. ↑ "The Spongebob Musical at Venue To Be Announced New York, NY". New York City Theatre.
  17. ↑ Coyne, Wayne (January 16, 2014). "Wayne Coyne on Twitter, January 16, 2014".
  18. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (February 25, 2015). "With Ratings in Flux, Nickelodeon Puts Upfront Focus on Shows". Variety.
  19. ↑ Zuckerman, Esther (February 25, 2016). "SpongeBob musical has eye on Broadway". Entertainment Weekly.
  20. ↑ "Nickelodeon announces mobile service Noggin for pre-K children". New York Daily News. February 26, 2016.
  21. ↑ Calia, Michael (August 31, 2015). "'The SpongeBob Musical' Will Premiere in Chicago Before Broadway Bow". The Wall Street Journal.
  22. ↑ Viagas, Robert (April 8, 2016). "The SpongeBob Musical: Cast, poster, and plot revealed!". Entertainment Weekly.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 "Broadway-Bound SpongeBob Musical Announces Complete Cast". Playbill. April 8, 2016.
  24. 1 2 Riedel, Michael (April 12, 2016). "Could 'SpongeBob' be the next great Broadway musical?". New York Post.
  25. 1 2 Cox, Gordon (June 15, 2016). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' Hits the Stage to Soak Up Broadway Spotlight". Variety.
  26. ↑ Jones, Chris. "How SpongeBob SquarePants got his own musical in Chicago". Chicago Tribune.
  27. ↑ "Breaking: SpongeBob Musical Will Record Cast Album Pre-Broadway". Playbill. July 28, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Meet Ethan Slater, the boy who would be SpongeBob". Entertainment Weekly. May 27, 2016.
  29. 1 2 3 "'The SpongeBob Musical' picks its Patrick, Squidward and Plankton". Chicago Tribune. February 18, 2016.
  30. 1 2 3 4 Weiss, Hedy (June 19, 2016). "Feel-good 'SpongeBob Musical' rumbles, toils and bubbles". Chicago Sun-Times.
  31. 1 2 "Young SpongeBob saves the day, in a big, loud way". Chicago Tribune. June 19, 2016.
  32. ↑ Richards, Dean (June 20, 2016). "Dean's Review: 'The SpongeBob Musical' world premiere". WGN-TV.
  33. ↑ http://variety.com/2016/legit/reviews/the-spongebob-musical-review-chicago-1201799196/
  34. ↑ Ashley, Kendall (June 11, 2016). "I'm Ready! Get Your First Look at The SpongeBob Musical!". Nerdist Industries.
  35. ↑ Vitello, Barbara (June 20, 2016). "'SpongeBob Musical' delights with whimsical visuals, spirited cast". Daily Herald.
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