Musical Review: SpongeBob The Musical

 SpongeBob The Musical

Starring Ethan Slater, Gavin Lee, Danny Skinner, Wesley Taylor, and Christina Sajous

I am not a fan of SpongeBob Squarepants so you can imagine my reluctance to watch the musical but alas, I was pleasantly entertained. My kids love SpongeBob, especially my oldest but I always felt I lost IQ points just hearing the episodes in passing. 

If you recall from my Shrek The Musical review, I stated that not EVERY film should be made into a musical and not EVERY musical should be made into a film. This, of course, is a TV to musical production and the creators succeeded very well. The actors give their all in these performances, embodying the beloved characters of the small screen; the costumes are vibrant, cheery, and are enough for the audience to easily identify the characters brought to life; the music makes your feet want to move, hips wiggle, and voices bust into song with the cast; this is what a musical is. I was pleased to see genuine costumes and not over the top foam costumes that disguise the actors in order to please the younger crowd. For the first time in a long time, we enter our imaginations to see the characters truly brought to life. 

When Ethan Slater sang about "not being a simple sponge," we believe him; we see SpongeBob. We see the sponge that "lives in a pineapple under the sea." Gavin Lee moped around like the miserable, dreaming of more, Squidward (the multiple legs helped) but he captured Squidward perfectly with his facial expressions, his voice and mannerisms. 

He may not have shrunk himself like Sieber with Lord Farquaad, but it's a good thing he didn't because Plankton is much smaller than meets the eye but Wesley Taylor surely out did himself. For portraying Sheldon Plankton at full capacity, we can certainly feel how small Plankton actually is. My absolute favorite is Christina Sajous who brought Sandy Cheeks to life. The key to giving the illusion of the characters on stage is costume, hair, and makeup. The flower in Christina's beautiful hair brought Sandy to the stage front and center. The perfectly crafted flowered fro completed the look; no space helmet needed. 

"Bikini Bottom Day" set the mood for the rest of the show and "Best Day Ever" gives us that whimsical, light as air Broadway magic that truly makes me want to bust out in song the day I leave for vacation. I highly recommend this musical. If you need to turn that frown upside down or just need an extra pep in your step, this musical is for you! It is currently featured on Amazon Prime for $9.99 however it is more than worth it.


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