SpongeBob the Musical

Notes

The writers of this Tony Award winning and wonderfully ridiculous show ask a few things of each company that puts it on – firstly to ensure that casting is open to all comers, anyone can play any role regardless of gender, race, cultural background, disability or body type. Secondly, it was important to the writers that this not be a recreation of the world-famous cartoon, so the acting and design can hint at the show rather than copy it. Lastly - joy. Find and scatter joy.

There is no doubt that this terrific cast and crew have been bringing a great sense of fun, adventure, play and wonder to the rehearsal process. While keeping the stakes high, they have also found great silliness and cartoonish creativity when blocking and improvising scenes, songs and dances. Huge thanks to the team for serving the show with such enthusiasm from audition until now.

SpongeBob the series is now in its 15th season and 4th movie since starting in 1999. There is 248 episodes of lore to pull from and we wanted to create a space, just like the show, where anything is possible. Rather than re-create Bikini Bottom, we created a space where imaginations run wild and the possibilities are endless. So, we have set the show in a submerged children’s playground with the cast

2023

The SpongeBob Musical Director’s

acting out the show with the gay enthusiasm of a group of kinderkiddies imagining and creating the impossible.

The show has metatheatrical elements so we want there to be great kindship between actors and audience. We hope the audience experiences moments that bring a great sense of magical awe as we adventure into all parts of the playing space.

The show interweaves live sound effects, imaginative stage moments, larger-than-life characters and an eclectic array of music and locations that make for an epic production. We invite you to enter Bikini Bottom with us and go on this wild ride as we navigate climate change, identity, racism, celebrity culture, political satire and media manipulation all through the lens of talking sponge. What joy!

Mr Nick Waxman Director

Synopsis

Act 1

SpongeBob SquarePants wakes up and welcomes the day with his pet sea snail, Gary and greets his many friends, workmates and the many creatures of Bikini Bottom. Then, a violent tremor caused by the nearby impending eruption of nearby volcano Mount Humongous suddenly rocks the entire town.

While married villains Plankton and Karen scheme to hypnotize the citizens of Bikini Bottom, Sandy pleas that science could help them solve the problem.

SpongeBob convinces Patrick and Sandy to team up and stop the volcano from erupting, but before they start their plan, a group of cultist sardines who see wisdom in Patrick’s thoughts make him their new leader.

The SpongeBob Musical

Act 2

Bikini Bottom has fallen into anarchy and chaos: the mayor has employed a dictatorship over the people and an angry mob has started to hunt down Sandy, thinking her science is the cause for the volcano’s impending eruption.

Plankton worries that Sandy and SpongeBob will successfully climb up the mountain and save the town, so Karen creates a deadly plan.

Back on the mountain, Patrick arrives, saves SpongeBob and the two reaffirm their friendship. SpongeBob and his crew must now summit the mountain and interrupt the impending eruption. Will they save Bikini Bottom?

Musical Director’s Notes

The Senior School campuses have combined to form an elite cast for this very unique musical. The excitement, engagement and refinement across the rehearsal period has been thrilling to observe. This is a one-of-a-kind Broadway musical. Instead of curating a collection of famous songs to create a “jukebox musical”, the conceivers called-upon the biggest pop stars in music today to write character pieces, representing their own artistic style and the character’s persona. Every artist has brought their A-game and the score has a huge style and scale.

Listen out for the beach anthemic rock of Aerosmith’s Bikini Bottom Boogie , tear-wrenching ballad of John Legend’s I Guess I Miss You , apocalyptic electronic David Bowie’s No Control , Cyndi Lauper’s toe-tapping Hero is My Middle Name and look behind SpongeBob’s ultra-positivity as he questions his life purpose in Panic! At The Disco’s hit (Just a) Simple Sponge .

Who is the “person making all the sounds” ? The “Fish Artist” is an onstage role for a Foley sound-effect artist. Like in cartoons, every step, squish, pop or bang is a sound-effect played live for you to observe the variety of instruments an artist uses to create a thematic and humourous soundscape for the aural senses.

Mr Robert Latham Musical Director

The music

Act I

Bikini Bottom Day

The Town

Bikini Bottom Day (Reprise)

SpongeBob

No Control

Perch Perkins, The Town

BFF

SpongeBob, Patrick

When The Going Gets Tough

Plankton, The Town

(Just A) Simple Sponge

SpongeBob, Mr Krabs, Sponges

Daddy Knows Best

Mr Krabs, Pearl

Hero Is My Middle Name

SpongeBob, Sandy, Patrick

Super Sea-Star Savior

Patrick, Sardines

Tomorrow I s

The Town

Act II

Poor Pirates

Patchy, Pirates

Bikini Bottom Day (Reprise 2)

SpongeBob

Bikini Bottom Boogie

The Electric Skates, Pearl, Fans

Chop To The Top

Sandy, SpongeBob

(I Guess I) Miss You

SpongeBob, Patrick

I’m Not A Loser

Squidward, Sea Anemones

Simple Sponge (Reprise)

SpongeBob

Best Day Ever

SpongeBob, The Town

Finale: Bikini Bottom Day (Reprise 3)

The Town

SpongeBob Theme Song

All

Cast

Understudy:

SpongeBob SquarePants Thanh Vu Understudy: Alexis King Patrick Star Emily Wakeling Understudy: Riley Zhao Sandy Cheeks Alexis King Understudy: Lucy Gibson Sheldon J. Plankton Genevieve Gray Jaeden Vaithianathan Karen Plankton the Supercomputer Sienna Conti Understudy: Indiana Renna Squidward Q. Tentacles Laura Burns Locklyn Luu Eugene Krabs James Gedicke Understudy: Samuel Licciardino Pearl Krabs Ruby Molnar Understudy: Aaliah Michaud Patchy the Pirate Archie Barker Patchy the Pirate Samuel Licciardino Perch Perkins Santrix Redston Mayor of Bikini Bottom Emma Niggl Sahana Rajarajan

Wolfgang Fishdeus Jenkins (Old Man Jenkins) Charlie Perry Mrs. Poppy Puff Lucy Gibson Understudy: Alicia Lewis Larry the Lobster Dimitri Petrakis Understudy: Hamish Maan Electric Skate Aaliah Michaud Electric Skate Riley Zhao Electric Skate Harishan Rajiv Electric Skate Locklyn Luu Electric Skate Leonardo Ercole French Narrator Jaeden Vaithianathan Sardine Devotee Alicia Lewis Sardine Devotee Holly Allen Sardine Devotee Sahana Rajarajan

Sardine Devotee Indiana Renna Sardine Devotee Braya Hanssen Sardine Devotee Sophie Pietersz Sardine Devotee Aimee Lee Mob Fish/Security Guard 1 Hamish Maan Security Guard 2 Charli Cowan Gary Wilson, Jr Jessica Romeo Buster Bluetang Ben Harrop Johnny the Bartender Ricky Jin A Fish Jenna Wade Teen Fan Britastina Heiskari Teen Fan/Ensemble Charlotte Macaulay Teen Fan/Ensemble Kiara Gadd Ensemble Angela Huang Ensemble Elysia Gilmour