He’s everyone’s favorite optimistic sponge—and he has his own musical. Kokandy Productions' SpongeBob the Musical at the Chopin Theatre is the perfect family summer night out, or the perfect night out for any fan of Nickelodeon’s lovable Bikini Bottom characters.
With bright, colorful costumes and staging, this show is busy and fun to look at. All the blue fringe hanging from the ceiling makes you feel like you’re under the sea, and the costumes invoke the well loved cartoon characters while keeping the looks original and interesting.
(left to right) Frankie Leo Bennett, Sarah Patin, andIsabel Cecilia Garcíai nKokandy Productions’ The SpongeBob Musical. Photo by Evan Hanover.
Living in a pineapple under the sea has never been more stressful. SpongeBob and his friends, the dim-witted Patrick Starr and the bright-witted Sandy Cheeks, take on a volcano that’s about to erupt and threaten Bikini Bottom’s very existence. They get help (and hindrance) from their friends and frenemies, like SpongeBob’s boss Mr. Krabbs and his daughter Pearl, his eternally cranky neighbor Squidward, the Krusty Krabb’s nemesis Plankton and his personified computer wife Karen, plus ever-changing ensembles of other fan favorite background characters from the cartoon.
Normally known for their darker productions, like last year's Sweeney Todd, Kokandy Productions instead brings a bright, colorful, child-friendly story to the stage this summer. But like many of their other productions, there is a high level of inventiveness and physicality in the props and costumes. Directed by JD Caudill, Kokandy's SpongeBob the Musical is an energetic and animated production.
And a lot of that energy comes from the cast, with Frankie Leo Bennett as a lovable and quirky SpongeBob, Sarah Patin as a self-assured Sandy, and Isabel Cecilia Garcia as a dopey but well-intentioned Patrick.
(front, center) Quinn Rigg with (back, left to right) David Lipschultz, QuinnSimmons, Shane Roberie, Maddison Denault, Nicky Mendelsohn, Kelcy Taylorand, TommyBullington inKokandy Productions’ The SpongeBob Musical. Photo by Evan Hanover.
Though the entire cast from the stars to the ensemble are great, my personal favorite is Quinn Rigg as Squidward. Maybe it’s just that as I’ve gotten older I have more of an affinity for the character's cynicism, but Rigg impeccably pulls off the cartoon squid in human form—and even channels John Mulaney. Or maybe Squidward has always sounded like John Mulaney and this show just made me realize it.
We all know and love SpongeBob, but what about the music? Instead of one composer or a composer + lyricist duo, the score of this show was written by a slew of famous artists, but not reusing their songs in a jukebox musical way. The songs are original, and each one is written by a different artist. There are songs by Panic! at the Disco, Sara Bareilles, T.I., Plain White T’s, David Bowie, The Flaming Lips, Yolanda Adams, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, and more. So, whether you like the music will depend on what genre(s) of music you like. It takes you from pop to rap to folk to electronic.
It’s a wild ride.
SpongeBob the Musical is playing through September 3, 2023 at The Chopin Theatre. Tickets available at Eventbrite.
