SpongeBob SquarePants (originally titled The SpongeBob Musical) is a stage musical, co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau with songs by various artists and a book by Kyle Jarrow. 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. The show has been scheduled to premiere on Broadway at the Palace Theatre, with previews beginning on November 6, 2017, and opening night set on December 4.
Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
Synopsis
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 actors dressed as 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 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 I
In the opening number ("Bikini Bottom Day"), SpongeBob awakens and happily welcomes the day with his pet snail, Gary. He then walks onto the streets of Bikini Bottom and greets various friends (including his best friend Patrick, his neighbor Squidward, and his teacher Mrs. Puff) as he walks to his workplace, the Krusty Krab. At work, SpongeBob's boss, Mr. Krabs, tells his whale daughter, Pearl, that she will own the restaurant one day. Pearl, however, does not seem interested in the idea. SpongeBob hints that he would be happy to run the restaurant later on, but Mr. Krabs and Squidward laugh at the idea. Krabs tells SpongeBob that "he's just a simple sponge" and could not handle the position. The day continues uneventfully, 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 of Bikini Bottom announces that all citizens should return to their homes. SpongeBob decides to visit Patrick instead. Patrick is upset over the emergency, so SpongeBob tries to cheer him up by listing activities they can do together and reiterating that they are best friends forever ("BFF"). The cheerful mood does not last long, as anchorman Perch Perkins soon appears on Patrick's television to give a dire report about the cause of the tremor from earlier ("No Control"). A nearby volcano is about to erupt, and it could spell doom for the entire town of Bikini Bottom. The town's residents take to the streets, demanding answers and 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, married villains Plankton and Karen try to use the situation to their advantage. Plankton tries to convince the mayor and the townspeople to enter a vessel, saying that it will take them away from the volcano; once the residents are inside, he and Karen plan to hypnotize them into liking the chum that they serve at the Chum Bucket restaurant. Plankton explains his escape plan to the people ("When the Going Gets Tough"), without revealing his intention to hypnotize them.
The people of Bikini Bottom support Plankton's plan, except for Mr. Krabs, who suspects that Plankton is up to no good as usual. However, the town does not have the money to pay for the vessel to carry them to safety. Someone suggests they hold a last minute music concert to raise money for the transport. Squidward immediately has dreams of getting to perform the one-man show he has been working on, but he 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 rather than a performer. As for SpongeBob, he is against the idea of leaving town, and since Bikini Bottom is their home, he believes they should fight to save it. SpongeBob thinks back on Mr. Krabs' 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 best friends, Patrick Star and Sandy Cheeks, especially since Patrick is big and strong and Sandy is smart. Together, the three could build a device that could stop the volcano. He rushes off to find his friends while the various townspeople are shown to handle the crisis in their own unique ways. 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. Pearl worries about her father's obsession with money, believing that it overshadows his care for her ("Daddy Knows Best")
Meanwhile, SpongeBob has convinced Patrick and Sandy that they should 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 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, ending their "BFF" 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 an intermission, Patchy the Pirate again sneaks onstage. He tells the audience that 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 (one of the Pittsburgh Pirates), for a song about how hard it is to be a pirate in today's world ("Poor Pirates"). Once again, security intervenes to chase 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 2"). 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 that the streets have fallen into anarchy and chaos, with the mayor appearing to employ a dictator-like rule over the people. Additionally, an angry mob, led by Old Man Jenkins, is searching for Sandy, as they blame her for the volcano (they are under the assumption that she knows much about volcanoes due to her scientific achievements). 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 is a bomb-like device she calls the Eruptor Interrupter. They hope to successfully climb the volcano, throw it inside, and save the town. The two begin their 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 Electric Skates rock band finally arrives. 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 may perform with them as an opening act. In return for a part, the band asks Squidward to get them an extremely long list of luxury items. Squidward is determined to find each item 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 cannot 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 unexciting, and he misses SpongeBob as well ("(I Guess) I Miss You"). Patrick leaves his followers behind, rushing off to catch up with SpongeBob and Sandy.
Meanwhile, Squidward has succeeded in obtaining all but one of the items on the Electric Skates' list. Despite this impressive feat, the band goes back on their word and refuses to let him perform. Before leaving, the Electric Skates call Squidward a loser and decide not to perform at the concert. Now alone, Squidward insists that he is not a loser, as so many people seem to think. This brings about a fantasy sequence in which 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 experiencing even more difficulty as they get closer to the peak. 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 ("Just a Simple Sponge Reprise"). They remind him that it has been SpongeBob's cheerful determination and optimism that has 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, so there will be no concert and no vessel for which to escape. SpongeBob, Sandy and Patrick see the citizens' frantic panicking and try to calm everyone down. The three tell 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. 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. Since there is no longer a band, they decide to make their own music. SpongeBob leads the entire cast in a rousing rendition of the show's main theme ("Bikini Bottom Day Reprise 3"). 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 bows, they perform one last song ("SpongeBob SquarePants Theme Song") and everyone goes home for the evening.
Spongebob Costume Diy Video
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. Plans for developing the show were first announced at Nickelodeon's upfront on February 25, 2015. The upfront presentation included a performance of the musical's opening number, "Bikini Bottom Day." On February 26, Nickelodeon's chief operating officer Sarah Kirshbaum Levy told the Associated Press that the show was "not definite."
In August 2015, Nickelodeon announced that the show would premiere in Chicago before a Broadway run in late 2016. Its director, book author, and several of the musicians involved were also announced. The full cast list was released in April 2016. The majority of the cast members play more than one character. Rehearsals for the show's debut in Chicago began on April 11 in New York. 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.
In late May 2016, technical rehearsals for the show were conducted. 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." In June, Gordon Cox of Variety reported that the musical's budget was between $15 and $20 million.
Songs
+ Not on the original cast recording.
Music and recordings
Cast recording
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. 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.
Cast
Cast and characters
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." 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." 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. 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." Kendall Ashley of Nerdist described the set as "pretty darn impressive" and called the decision not to use extensive makeup on the actors "interesting." 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."
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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