By Michele Markarian
“The SpongeBob Musical”. Based on the series by Stephen Hillenburg. Book by Kyle Jarrow. Music by various artists. Musical Production Conceived and Directed by Tina Landau. Presented by NETworks Presentations at the Boch Center, Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont Street, Boston, through October 27.
A few years back, a friend and I drove to New York to see the latest incarnation of “Boys in the Band”. While we waited for the show to start, we started chatting with the older guy next to us, who turned out to be a frequent theatregoer and Manhattan resident. “What’s the best show you’ve seen all year?” we asked him. “This may sound a little crazy, but The SpongeBob Musical”, he told us, before revealing that he’d seen it something like three times. We looked at each other sideways, but were intrigued enough to jump on the opportunity to see “The SpongeBob Musical” when it rolled into town. Sure enough, the guy was right. From start to finish, it’s fun, engaging, and spectacular to look at.
The Nickelodeon cartoon “SpongeBob Squarepants” was one that my son used to watch for hours on Saturday mornings with his grandfather. I thought it was just another silly show for kids until I caught a few snippets – SpongeBob was pretty funny, with enough built-in social satire to keep the adults watching entertained. “The SpongeBob Musical” has its heartfelt share of political satire, as well as a score by contributing artists such as Sara Bareilles, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, John Legend, David Bowie and Brian Eno, and Lady Antebellum, among others.
The musical begins with a rousingly bucolic number from Bikini Bottom, where SpongeBob (Lorenzo Pugliese) and his friends live. Despite a boss who doesn’t believe in him, SpongeBob enjoys his job at the Krusty Krab, his pet snail Gary, and his friendships with Patrick (Beau Bradshaw), Squidward (Cody Cooley) and Sandy (Daria Pilar Redus). When a news story reveals that Mount Humungous, a nearby volcano, will erupt in 24-hours and destroy Bikini Bottom, the town plummets into fear. Villain Plankton (Tristan McIntyre) and his cohort, Karen (Caitlin Ort) want to manipulate the townspeople into buying a giant pod to escape in, which would allow Plankton to hypnotize everyone into thinking that the terrible food in his competing restaurant, The Chum Bucket, is tasty. Sandy, meanwhile, has a scientific plan to save Bikini Bottom, but as she’s told by one elder, “Why should we trust you? You’re not from here”. Sandy, alas, is a squirrel from Texas, or “land mammal”, as they call her derisively. (“Land Mammals Go Home” is graffiti’d on a wooden fence). Fear, as we know, makes people suspicious of “other”, as the need to place blame grows with panic. Plankton sees an opportunity to lead by playing on these fears. Any of this sound familiar?
But “The SpongeBob Musical” is a feel good show, so without giving too much away, things work out in the end. The journey itself, even with its dangers, is beautifully and colorfully staged. A scene where SpongeBob and Sandy climb the volcano is stunningly executed with packing crates and moving ladders. Jellyfish are gorgeously depicted with transparent pink umbrellas and dangling baubles. Colorful streamers and bubble-like balls grace the show’s finale.
Pugliese is adorable and energetic as SpongeBob, with amazing agility and vocal range. McIntyre and Ort are marvelously sleazy as the show’s villains. Bradshaw and Redus are appealing as Patrick and Sandy, and Meami Maszweski is very funny as Pearl, Mr. Krabs’s unhappy daughter. Cooley is a dead ringer for the pessimistic Squidward, whose chance to shine only happens when he’s alone. The vocal talent in the show is strong, with some catchy songs to showcase it. However, it’s “Best Day Ever” that really tugs of the heartstrings, and sums up the SpongeBob philosophy to T. For tickets and info, go to: https://www.bochcenter.org/buy/show-listing/the-spongebob-musical
