It's the BEST DAY EVER!!!
Yeah, yeah, yeah there's a SpongeBob Musical. And you know what? It is pretty awesome.Beware of unmarked spoilers!
- The fact that this show was critically praised in the preview Chicago run is amazing in itself. Regardless on if you think it's a cash cow, the show does wonders to pay homage to the source material. It goes beyond just being a rerun of the cartoon though.
- The production quality is fantastic! Just look at the stage sets!
- The music (even though all were written by different writers) is on par with Goofy Goober (Rock)!
- The sound direction is on point! They got all the sound effects down to the noise of the character's footsteps down. How did they do that to accommodate live actors?
- The actors can somehow mimic the voices to the point where it's hard to tell that they are not the original voice actors.
- Just the fact that, despite initial worries, the biggest fans of this musical are fans of the original show, since the crew managed to put together an honest to god adaptation that perfectly captures everything we loved about the show while making it work on the stage. As one YouTube commenter put it:"I'm simultaneously stunned that I'm listening to music from a SpongeBob property and also not surprised at all since they'd definitely have done songs like this in seasons 1-3."
- "I'm Not a Loser". Squidward gets a show-stopping tap dance number! And yes he has those 4 legs. And yes, he has a bedazzled suit. And yes, Squidward's name comes down in giant lights. And yes, he gets a standing ovation from the audience every performance. And yes, it's the happiest Squidward has ever been. Squidward finally gets his wish to perform on stage and it is fantastic.
- Just to give some perspective on how beloved this number is, a tiny clip was shown
at BroadwayCon during the SpongeBob panel, and it still elicited applause from the audience!
- Just to give some perspective on how beloved this number is, a tiny clip was shown
- The song "Not a Simple Sponge" is great for fans who like the original characteristics of Pre-Movie SpongeBob. SpongeBob wants nothing more than to save his town because he wants to become manager of the Krusty Krab someday. But as the song goes on, it develops into a realization that what he really wants is to just enjoy his life and that it tears him up to see everyone so scared and worried. Plus, it's implied that SpongeBob is really bothered by the fact that people can't see past his naïve optimism. There's more to him than that. "No I'm Not A Simple Sponge" is a great character analysis of the character.
- Patrick rescuing Spongebob with Sandy's jetpack.
- "Tomorrow Is". Would you have ever expected such a powerful and heart-tugging song in a Spongebob property!?
- SpongeBob climbing to the mouth of the volcano to toss in the Eruptor Interruptor. The mouth itself is an enormous web made of orange ladders, and not only does the actor playing SpongeBob have to climb to the center with very little support, he has to quite literally slip between the rungs as quickly as possible, all while singing a Triumphant Reprise of "(Not a) Simple Sponge". It's by far the most physically-demanding stunt in the show, and it never ceases to impress. "I am not a simple SPOOOOOOOONGE!!!"
- Karen's beatboxing in "When The Going Gets Tough." On the original cast recording, Stephanie Hsu makes some incredible, computer-like noises (which makes sense given that Karen is a computer.)
- In the revised version of "When the Going Gets Tough", Plankton breaks out into an absurdly fast rap that would give Lafayette a run for his money. He and his backup dancers also break out into a badass dance that really must be seen to be believed.
- It's funny as well, but Patrick reaches a ridiculously high note in "Super Sea Star Saviour".
- At the end of "Hero is My Middle Name", Sandy comes across a hostile sign that reads "LAND MAMMALS GO HOME". Thanks to the much needed confidence boost from SpongeBob and Patrick, she promptly karate kicks the sign in half.
- In "No Control", SpongeBob does the splits as he hits the highest note in the song.
- Squidward hitting back at the Electric Skates when they call him a "loser".
- Spongebob saying this to Squidward interrupting his big speech, "IIIIII'M NOOOOOOOT FINIIIIIIIISHED!!!!"
