Well that’s a surprise! SpongeBob the Musical has more razzle dazzle, sparkle and campery than Priscila Queen Of The Dessert! The pre-show and auditorium decoration is the most fun in Broadway history for sure.
This show is driven by the unstopable Ethan Slater at the Palace Theater who nails the title role with remarkable energy and precision. It’s a phenomenal performance.
Clearly this show is not aimed at me, but, collectively this children’s show stands up as a great piece of Broadway theatre.
Most of the ‘in’ references passed me by obviously, however, I can assure you the kids and parents around me were having the time of their lives as each character entered the stage with their infamous catchphrases.
The show doesn’t have a ‘square’ character anywhere. All of the Nickelodeon characters are played by real actors, first person, with no prosthetics to be seen! Humanising these characters makes this play so much more credible.
The Sound FX, music and energy makes this a magical night out for the kids, and totally unique on Broadway. Unlike Lion King which has meaning and heart, this show is deliberately delivering pure fun & mindless escapism for a perfect family night out on Broadway.
Don’t miss this new musical, the kids will love it! Book tickets for SPONGEBOB HERE!
Enjoy our exclusive HD Video Audio/Video review via YouTube:
The staging is incredible simple, especially considering the effort given to the theatre, however, it is saved by modern, compelling and incredibly complicated choreography and clever lighting. The music is enchanting.
David Zinn’s costumes are dizzying at times with fabulously bright and zany colours and designs throughout. The kids loved it!
This show moves at 100mph deliberately to keep the kids attention. Very smart move for the ADHD / iPhone generation.
So to the story…. (not that it really matters)
Stakes are higher than ever before as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world. Chaos erupts. Lives hang in the balance.
Lets be honest, the kids are just enjoying the spectacle. The story is somewhat irrelevant amidst the frenetic costumes, big Broadway dance numbers, lighting & songs that are crowbarred in.
The Live percussion is brilliant throughout and the Sound FX’s are relentless adding a 3D immersive sound to the show. The sound guy should win an award purely for focus and tenacity!
SpongeBob SquarePants features original songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Dirty Projectors, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.
There’s also music from The Flaming Lips, John Legend, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants and T.I., and a song by David Bowie with additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton.
Do we need all of these songs? Not really, but, the choreography is the key to this shows success – and in fact drive the entire show. It’s electrifying at times.
There’s a huge sense of wonderment at SpongeBob the musical. The energy drives what could be tedious dialogue without such conviction & energy from the cast.
Congratulations to the entire team for making families dreams come true, bringing this much loved cartoon to life.
Review by Alex Belfield for Celebrity Radio 9th June 2018.
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