Lavish ‘SpongeBob Musical’ Makes a Splash at the Majestic

January 28, 2020 - San Antonio

Article By: Jade Esteban Estrada - Writer, San Antonio Sentinel

Last weekend, the first nationally touring production of The SpongeBob Musical entertained enthusiastic crowds of all ages at the Majestic Theatre.

Based on Nickelodeon's original television series, Kyle Jarrow’s story begins with an ordinary day in the life of SpongeBob SquarePants, the suspendered, fast-food fry cook of The Krusty Krab, the fast-food establishment that the sea sponge hopes to manage one day.

Dressed in plaid trousers and a shirt and tie, the energetic Lorenzo Pugliese skillfully played the relentlessly optimistic character, who considers every day to be “the best day ever.” From his pineapple home, where he lives with his feline pet sea snail, Gary, he cheerfully greets everything and everyone on his way to work.

Trouble sets in when a natural disaster threatens to wipe out Bikini Bottom, his beloved underwater home. SpongeBob, who includes town saving as one of his inherent gifts, enlists the help of his friends - Patrick Star (Beau Bradshaw), a starfish, and Sandy Cheeks (Daria Pilar Redus), a squirrel and scientist from Texas. The trio ultimately do everything in their power to save their psychedelic paradise. 

Bubbling to the next scene, SpongeBob’s sidekicks are put to the test. Patrick is suddenly tapped as a savior-like figure among some of the more impressionable anthropomorphic aquatic creatures and decides to back out of the heroic plan. Meanwhile, Sandy experiences prejudice when she is chased out of Bikini Bottom because she’s a land mammal.

The performances from the supporting cast members were outstanding. Helen Regula, whose proclamations had a serious Leticia Van de Putte vibe, played the Mayor who presides over a town in panic. Her character is locked in a blame game with media rep, Perch Perkins (Richie Dupkin), a sensationalist newscaster who reminds his viewers that their time is short. Dupkin’s intentional or unintentional channeling of Dead or Alive frontman Pete Burns was deliciously on point. The ominous voice of Tristan McIntyre’s evil villain, Sheldon Plankton, whisked me away to memories of Saturday-morning cartoons and unsupervised servings of Cheerios.

Dance numbers like I’m Not a Loser and When the Going Gets Tough effectively showcased choreographer Christopher Gattelli’s freewheeling creativity, while Kevin Adams’ lighting design, like a high-energy rock concert, heightened the excitement of the show’s emotional peaks.

David Zinn’s costume design was nothing short of phenomenal. The grand entrance of SpongeBob’s neighbor, an octopus named Squidward Q. Tentacles (Cody Cooley), was shining example of this. Cooley wears four-legged pants and later, in the second act, does a tap dance alongside a Vegas-worthy parade of pink-sequined sea anemones. 

This show, which opened on Broadway in 2017, has an unusual aspect to it - the songs were individually written by different composers. Names like David Bowie, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Cyndi Lauper, They Might Be Giants and the Plain White T’s contributed to the playlist. The absence of one discernible sound felt a lot like listening to the radio on a summer road trip. 

It’s also worth mentioning that the opening number of any brand-new musical is a litmus test for both industry experts and those new to musical theatre in general. Jonathan Coulton’s Bikini Bottom Day effectively marries the whimsical cartoon series with traditional Broadway-musical formula at the top of the show.

Why is SpongeBob so popular? It could be argued that the endearing character, who was first introduced to fans in 1999, is an accurate reflection of today’s context-free, short-attention-span culture. Capturing his essence in this all-American genre seems like a natural evolution.  

Not only would this musical likely entertain cannabis enthusiasts and those who grew up with the TV series, it also shares some profound universal wisdom. Even when it seems that the end of the world is inevitable, SpongeBob’s greatest lesson is to smile in the face of it.

Jade Esteban Estrada covers arts and entertainment for the San Antonio Sentinel. Email him at jade@sasentinel.com.